Some Mistakes, But Worth Every Penny

Rating: 7/10 (30 October 2005)

First and foremost, know this: Saw II is probably one of the sickest, twisted movies I have ever watched in my entire life, rivaled only by the first one. Having said that, let me also say that I loved it. Theater ticket prices in my area nowadays are ridiculously high, but even though I'd vowed to only ever see Harry Potter movies on opening nights, this was definitely an exception and it was worth every bit of money I'd dished out. (And all the effort I'd put into my makeup to make myself look over 18 so I could watch it.)
As soon as I left the theater with my friend, she and I were busy caught up in our fangirl squee-age about the brilliant story and plot twists, which can only have come from Leigh Whannell, who was the screenwriter for this part as well as the first (and starring in the first). I didn't see it coming. Did you see it coming? I didn't. Granted, there were a few scenes that were painfully predictable (-1) but the ending more than makes up for that.
What I was disappointed with, however, was the obviously different style of this movie from the first one. If you be so kind as to recall those jumpy, flashy scenes that look like time elapsed photography (like when the camera was spinning around and around Amanda while she had the jaw trap on); there are similar flashes but to me they seemed like watered-down versions of the originals. (Another -1.) It made me miss James Wan incredibly. Another thing was the inconsistency with settings. We all saw that the bathroom Adam and Lawrence were locked in led out into an abandoned work building, which is strangely altered in the second story. (The final -1.)
So that tallies up my final score to a 7/10, but other than that, this movie was the best. Despite what others believe as it being a crass artless pointless excuse to create scenes of unspeakable gore, it is far beyond that. My final words of advice would be: don't miss the opportunity to see this movie. =)