With the Success of the First, They Couldn't Spend a Little More?

Rating: 4/10 (20 February 2006)

I find it ironic that "Saw II" is rated 'R,' yet the demographic that was the most impressed and thus has dragged it up to its cumulative rating on the IMDb site is those under aged 18. Of course, for authentic fans of the horror genre, and for those who admired the powerful message so effectively delivered in the film "Seven," the original "Saw" may have worked, but this beginning of yet another suffocating franchise in the bowels of horror film history is yet just another forgettable sequel.
In this one, Donnie Wahlberg (yes, formerly of that New Kids on the Block rubbish- perhaps the most witty aspect of this story is that he is now cast as a father of a rebellious and bitter child) plays a detective who has captured the elusive Jigsaw architect (see below for elaboration on why I refer to him as this), but who is now set in another game to play- to save a whole group of victims. As the coming events play out, Donnie himself is the target of Jigsaw in a twist so ridiculous, you have to have been born with part of your brain missing to have missed it.
As for the omnipotent Jigsaw Architect, who boasts that he's never killed anyone (which is a lie- just by sheerly leaving Adam (Leigh Whannel) in the original chained to a pipe and closing the door behind him, he has in effect murdered him. But lets buy into the little game-is anyone else as fed up as I am with this ridiculous fiasco? Once again we are treated to the fact that Jigsaw has inoperable cancer, and to his holier than thou proclamation "those who don't value life don't deserve life." And what makes him a fair judge of who is deserving and who is not? I know that someone will come along with some malarkey that legitimizes this story line, and from the way this one ended, the former druggie who is the only survivor of his diabolical planning (interesting that he's never killed anyone, but only ONE PERSON has ever survived his plans) in this one decides to assume the legacy. I guess the near brush with death didn't actually teach her any lessons worth learning- like don't try and kill others! But my biggest pet peeve with this movie is that the original managed to be the sleeper hit of 2004, making over $100 million, and doing it on a budget that shoe stringed on everything, including the driving effects. What does it have to show for it? The sequel incorporates the same cheap and cheesy effects, and actually limits itself in settings, and in actors. Not one actor in this film matches the caliber of Danny Glover in the original...and even though audiences will no doubt notice a few more familiar faces in this film, its only because there are more faces.
A sad and pathetic effort on this one...not even worthy of your attention because it doesn't even have the originality of the first movie.