Yes ... there will be blood

Rating: 7/10 (2 January 2006)

** I added the spoiler warning, but trust me, it wasn't necessary. So please read on :) **
I was scared, no ... terrified that they (read: idiot producers in Hollywood) were going to f*ck this up. But I'm glad to say that they didn't.
The first Saw became big by word of mouth, and rightly so. It was a low-key thriller that dragged you into the darkest corners of your soul and then shocked you with "that ending".
Now here's what the creators didn't do: they didn't go overboard. No huge budgets were used, no overblown special effects, no Will Smith-like superstars. They stayed true to the spirit of the original. And that's largely due to the fact that the writer of the original was brought in to adjust an already existing screenplay. A good call, because the movie's gritty opening grabs you by the balls (or any other body part) and refuses to let go until you've seen the result of another sick jigsaw game.
For the sake of surprise I won't talk about the storyline. It was a relief to see that Hollywood still knows how to make a decent sequel. The setting may not be wildly original, and the characters aren't that bright either **(you know you're dealing with booby traps, then why crawl into an enclosed furnace?!)** but the enthusiasm of everyone involved just bursts from the screen.
To close I just want to say this: you HAVE to see the original first if you fully want to enjoy yet another surprise ending to another more than qualified gore thriller. 7/10