A soothing grotesque experience but does not compare to the original

Rating: 6/10 (31 October 2005)

The Jigsaw Killer(Tobin Bell) is caught by Detective. Eric Mason(Donnie Whalburg) but Mason soon finds out that the Jigsaw Killer is currently "testing" 8 others including his son, Daniel. The group finds themselves fighting to stay alive as they complete deadly tasks to find antidotes to a deadly nerve gas that is slowly killing them in an abandoned house.
Whereas the bloody originality of Saw II competes very heavily with Saw, everything else falls short of the greatness that the predecessor enclosed. The sequel to surprising blockbuster fails to bring a great twist like the one in the original. Although the twist was probably not predicted by the majority of it's viewers, it still fails to have such a lasting, realistic effect on the audience. It was just a mediocre twist in a sequel to one of the greatest twists of all time.
Everything else about the sequel just didn't compare to the original although it was still quite good. It kept an enclosed, mysterious plot with very little characters that Saw was known for but didn't establish any redemption such as in the original. It just doesn't feel as though the Jigsaw Killer really wants to help his victims in this one. Many of his gruesome tasks are close to impossible to complete, giving them very little chance for salvation. This takes a very complicated character of the Jigsaw Killer and makes him seem more like a psychotic old man. Although the character seemed flawed, I liked how Saw II showed flashbacks of the Jigsaw Killer's life and how he decided to become what he is. This helped his character development but still underachieved in what I hoped to be the creation of complex, sac-religious vigilante.
Once getting past the large amount of flaws and disappointments in Saw II, it is very easily enjoyed. It is entertainment at it's best, keeping you on the edge of your seat at almost every scene. Overall, Saw II is an enjoyable modern horror film but considerably outdone by the original.
I recommend this movie.