mediocre horror film with the occasional intensity

Rating: Null/10 (10 October 2004)

SPOILERS
Every so often we are given a unique horror story with an original twist. Written and directed by newcomer James Wan, "Saw" is the latest in this line of fresh ideas. Sadly whilst the story is an original idea, the film just doesn't feel right and infuriates.
Staring screenwriter Leigh Whannell as Adam and Cary Elwes as Doctor Lawrence Gordon, "Saw" features two men who awake to find themselves chained to pipes in a dingy bathroom. As the two slowly begin to piece together who it is that is keeping them prisoner, their relationship becomes more obvious.
"Saw" is a clever film. With a superb twist at the end, and a clever basis, this film SHOULD be wonderful. Sadly however, it has one or two key flaws.
Firstly, Cary Elwes is absolutely awful in his role. Never the best of actors, Elwes collapses badly as his character becomes increasingly complex.
At the same time, in a minor role as an obsessive police officer, Danny Glover is deranged and just falls apart.
Aside from acting, this film also fails because emotionally it is inconsistent. At times this is an incredibly intense film which leaves our hearts beating, but at other times it drags and makes us bored. It sometimes gives us clever, well thought out moments of panic, yet it also lowers itself by featuring irrelevant moments which make us jump. One key example is where Adam is walking around a dark room using his camera for lighting when a man jumps out on him. This moment is so quick that it makes the entire audience jump, but this is not anything special, it's just obvious and dire.
In the end of the day, "Saw" has so much going for it, but it just never quite delivers. Inconsistent, the story ranges from tense to pointless. Worth a watch, but not the finest horror made.