thrilling, but...

Rating: 5/10 (26 April 2005)

I just finished watching Saw and wasn't exactly amazed by the movie. It did one thing very well- it was scary. It had everything people in this day and age are afraid of- from the idea of rotting alone in a dark room to creepy dolls to the suspense of a killer lurking just around the corner. However. The acting was sub par to say the least. The actors who were well known (Glover, Potter, Elwes) gave possibly the poorest display of acting in each of their careers. Having Elwes in a serious role for one thing... I had to contain my giggles throughout most of the movie. In my head I kept envisioning him rolling down the side of a mountain screaming "as you wishhhhhh..." The unknown actors (Whannell for example) bothered me from the beginning with his strained and obviously forced fear. Also, the movie contained too many twists to follow. I myself am a big fan of subplots and twists, but it seemed that right around every corner was a new twinge in the story, connecting more of the characters together. It got to the point where you were tired of trying to figure out "who done it" and just wished it would be over and the good guys would win. Despite the harsh words, it is worth seeing if you have 4 dollars to blow at Blockbuster... and the stomach for extreme bloodshed.