The First Of The Series

Rating: 6/10 (6 March 2017)

The very first in a long and successful movie franchise, "Saw" has two extremely unfortunate guys (played by Cary Elwes and Leigh Whannell) chained to pipes in a large, disgusting bathroom. From hazy memories and clues given to them in the room, they realize that they have been kidnapped by a serial killer named Jigsaw in order to play out a vicious, painful and bloody game in order to escape. Should the two men refuse to play, there will be severe consequences.
My most memorable, movie moment of "Saw" is the scene when Elwes reaches his breaking point and uses a hacksaw to begin his escape. Although cringeworthy, it is mild compared to what future "Saw" movies has in store.
"Saw" works because 1) it moves fast thanks to a tight script and frenetic editing that can be annoying most times; 2) there is the mystery of who the serial killer is; and 3) it offers the audience very interesting and sadistic ways to kill the victims. Weaknesses of "Saw" are: 1) Elwes' often melodramatic, soap opera-ish acting; and 2) Danny Glover's cop character who makes one stupid move after another, making me wonder if he had a brain. Taken as a whole, "Saw" is an entertaining movie for fans of so called "torture porn" horror movies. Seeing the traps/puzzles alone is worth the price of admission.
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