Good For A Casual Watch—Nowhere Near The Quality of The First

Rating: 5/10 (24 July 2016)

The first Saw is a decent psychological thriller. It is technically well executed, specifically with the editing and pacing (crucial to horror and thriller). There is good setup, rising action, climax, and then twist conclusion.
So, with that in mind, I will say that Saw II is nowhere near the quality of its predecessor. It is good for a casual watch, but there is nothing more at play in this movie other than some "just okay" puzzles and an obvious attempt to top the first Saw in terms of gore and level of danger. But, it tries to hard. The realistic danger of Saw I is what makes the movie. The over the top nature of this one is what ruins it.
Watch the first Saw seriously. I mean it. Watch it and pay attention.
Then, watch the second saw with some popcorn and a few friends casually.