Very Over-rated: Saw Just Couldn't Cut It

Rating: 2/10 (16 November 2004)

This feature had so much promise early on, but like all films with a
great idea backed up with bad writing, it ends up being a major
disappointment. (At first I was disappointed that the great Dina
Meyer was only in it for a couple of minutes, but by movie's end, I
was glad she got out while she had the chance.)
* Spoiler Warning *
Bad plot points: Introducing the police. There was just no need for
it. Worst of all, writer Leigh didn't research police procedure very
well: Cops want to get home for dinner so they call for backup, you
don't need a warrant for an abandoned building because there's
no property owner to serve the warrant to, a detective would never
allow a suspect to see a witness to a crime they supposedly
committed - and let her tell the tale of survival in front of them.
Worst yet, if this serial killer has everything figured out, why would
he (or the orderly) tie up the doctor's wife and daughter with just a
rope that they could wriggle out of? Handcuffs are pretty easy to
come by.
And worst of all: The serial killer is in the room with the doctor and
Adam the whole time. How long can you play dead and shallow
breathe? I don't know of anyone who could last for hour after hour
except for some uber-mime. And I guess the doctor wasn't skilled
enough to know that the body wasn't dead. After all, there would've
been signs of blood pooling after all that time.
Just plain bad.