Effective In Only Bits n Pieces Yet Suffices As A Serviceable Sequel

Rating: Null/10 (17 September 2016)

Filmed on a bigger budget yet lacking the creativity that made the original click so well, the third instalment in the Saw series takes the usual elements of its predecessors and magnifies it by an extent but the end result is still the same old story as before and remains on par with the second entry.
Saw III covers two story lines that merge in the end. The first concerns an anguished man who's put through a series of "tests", each meant to bring him closer to the person responsible for the death of his son. The second follows Jigsaw who has his apprentice kidnap a doctor and instructs her to keep him alive for one final test.
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, Saw III is virtually the same stuff all over again and even though there is an attempt to bring an emotional dimension into the story, it doesn't really stick for long. It does crank up the voltage though when it comes to violence n gore and is more stomach-churning than its predecessors but that's expected.
The flashbacks cover the backstories of Jigsaw & his apprentice as well as their time together but there are so many of them that it disrupts with the narrative flow and kills the tension more times than one. Performances stay on same level as before with Tobin Bell again doing a pretty neat job while the rest just chip in with fine supporting work.
On an overall scale, Saw III features a plot that's more far-fetched than the last time but still packs enough brutality to satisfy those who especially came looking for it. The discrepancies caused by its constantly shifting focus & irregular pacing do result in a fractured narrative that's only effective in bits n pieces but in the end, it suffices as a serviceable sequel, if not a rewarding one.