Anemic screen writing

Rating: 2/10 (2 November 2006)

Saw was a smash hit at the box office for a few reasons. First, James Wan is a fantastic visionary director. He manages to tell the story, build suspense, scare the crap out of the audience when necessary, but best of all (like any GOOD horror film), the viewer is strung out waiting for the next twist. The ending is so awesome, we finally get to see who Jigsaw really is, and it's the last person anyone expects (we even see John earlier in the film in a hospital bed, but NO ONE could ever have suspected...) The film wasn't even well-acted, but the STORY and the way the story unfurled was genius. Danny Glover and his search for Jigsaw, clue by clue, is what really sells everything home. By the end, we want to know who Jigsaw is worse then the men chained in the basement. When we find out the truth, it is so satisfying. That is a what a GOOD movie does.
Saw II brought aboard a novice director, and it becomes obvious that plot was taking a backseat to gore. Not particularly surprising for a sequel, but disappointing nonetheless. Darren Lynn Bousman tried as hard as he could to bring back the feel of Saw, but with Jigsaw having been caught so early in the film, Saw II lacks the sense of mystery and suspense that Saw brilliantly maintains from start to finish. Bousman uses the same seizure-inducing editing, but it is not as well-done, nor is the movie really scary at any point. At least the "game" that goes on throughout the movie is interesting, and the twist at the end is enough to satisfy the viewer.
Saw III is a rush job. The script was written in a week! (That should tell you everything you need to know). The traps are gory as hell but the brilliant moral lessons behind the traps are completely gone. The game that Jeff plays really only has 3 or 4 parts, and nothing comes out of any part of it. Jeff himself is never in any immediate danger, so there is no sense of urgency to the film. The brain surgery scene is totally pointless, it serves no purpose other than to gross people out, and it isn't even done well. At no point during this film was I even remotely afraid. Darren Lynn Bousman tries soooo hard to direct as crisply as James Wan did, but he ends up reusing footage over and over, and he totally fails to reproduce the feel of Saw. The editing tries to duplicate what made Saw so good, but it falls flat, and feels completely forced. There is no suspense, no climax, almost no notable parts, and there are very few surprises. The best part of the whole franchise Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is stuck in a bed, and his awesome performance definitely does not make up for this film's lack of...everything. The ending is just as anemic as the film itself. I was completely and utterly disappointed with how this film turned out. You simply cannot make a good movie if you completely disregard the need for PLOT and CHARACTERS. Darren Lynn Bousman, close, but no cig...uh wait, it wasn't even close! If this series continues, they need to bring Wan back, and they need to do a prequel so that we can see Jigsaw (the only saving grace of the Saw movies) at his finest, and not in a damn bed.