We need more like this

Rating: 9/10 (15 February 2006)

Like its predecessor, Saw II proves that not only is there a market for hardcore, adult-oriented material, Hollywood is only hurting itself by ignoring the fact. Made for a mere estimated four million dollars, Saw II has already given a RoboCop-like return to the tune of eighty million, and it is only just coming to the home video market. To call this a spit in the face of the Everything Must Be Suitable For Four Year Olds mentality that is making Hollywood painful is like calling a nuclear missile a subtle expression of disdain. But I am getting ahead of myself here. All the box office data in the world does not mean a thing without the answer to an exceedingly simple question. Namely, is the film any good? Does it keep one interested during its running length? The answer to these questions, in spite of a few artistic decisions I am not sure I agree with, is a big yes. Everything that the horror film industry got wrong in the late 1980s or early 1990s, Saw II gets right. The film gets them very right, as a matter of fact.
Saw II has a similar plot to its predecessor, but with some important differences. The scope of the story is broader, the cast is larger, and the game is more complex. Where the original revolved around two men chained to the piping in a disused bathroom, this sequel gives us a small group of very confused characters who all have unsavoury histories. In Repo Man, we are told by Agent Rodgersz that no one is innocent. Darren Lynn Bousman and Leigh Whannell must have been paying attention during this shot, because the only character in their script for Saw II that comes remotely close to appearing innocent is Daniel, the son of the detective portrayed with a great fury by Donnie Wahlberg. As Daniel attempts to survive by psychologically manipulating his peers, Wahlberg's Eric Matthews tries to coerce Jigsaw into being a little less exceedingly obvious. Tobin Bell once again gives us a stunning portrayal of a madman who just wants people to appreciate what they take for granted. He survives the comparison to classic film villains such as Darth Vader brilliantly.
Obviously, when the budget on your film is this small, you are not going to have elaborate special effects or amazing feats of action. The real kicker in Saw II, like its predecessor, is in the fiendish traps and puzzles designed by the production team. It is impossible to describe these traps to someone who has not seen their kind before. It is also impossible to explain exactly what Jigsaw is doing without giving away the plot. Suffice to say that Jigsaw is extremely literal. As one reviewer has pointed out, one of the trademarks of the old 1980s serial killer characters that devolved in annoyances with the progression of sequels is that everything must be complicated beyond belief. When Jigsaw speaks, it makes the film exceptionally enjoyable to bear in mind that he is never lying or elaborating. It is the people he speaks to who defeat themselves by assuming complication and deception where none exists. We should be able to say this kind of dialogue and plotting is not unique, but in a manner of speaking, it is. But as I indicated earlier, this is by no means the only way in which the Saw films set an example others should follow.
I have but one complaint about Saw II. Where its predecessor was a tad overlong at a hundred minutes, Saw II feels too short. Yes, it is well-paced and holds the viewer's interest for its entire running time, but in expanding the cast, Saw II presents a few too many characters in too little time. Some of the deaths are just too brief, and some characters could have done with a little more background. The upside to this is that in contrast to some films that are short and yet feel too long, Saw II leaves the viewer waiting for more. If every film that ran for ninety-three minutes could say the same, Hollywood and its product might just be experiencing a little less consumer hostility. While I cannot say anything about the ending for fear of spoiling the surprise, I will say that the performances of Shawnee Smith and Donnie Wahlberg will leave this scene echoing in the viewer's memory long after the credits roll. Tobin Bell also gets in a few cracking lines, but this truly is Smith's and Wahlberg's show, through and through. Both deserve far more work than they have received of late.
I gave Saw II a nine out of ten. It is not the kind of life-affirming experience that I found X-Men 2 or Eegah to be, but it does give one hope for the future of film. See it with a friend, or with someone who likes to do something with their brain while they wear their eyes down. You will both be glad you did.