Beyond my expectations

Rating: 9/10 (11 November 2005)

I expected "Saw II" to be Pretty Much Just Okay. I wasn't sure how it could surpass the original, considering the original film's Final Twist(s), and the trailer for this sequel didn't have me jumping up and down to see it. But "Saw II" surpassed any expectations anyone might have. While I wasn't surprised for Dina Meyer to reprise her role from "Saw," and I was pleased she has more to do here, I was even more pleased to discover the return of Shawnee Smith from the first film (my being a bit of a fan of this expressive underrated lovely and talented actress notwithstanding). But in this awesome sequel, the twists keep a'coming, and this film had me more on edge by *far* more than even the first. The tricks and traps are a bit more creative, and I love movie villains who have various contingencies covered. Which side is thinking ahead of the other? "Saw II" keeps the viewer guessing and stays true to the flavour of "Saw."