Perhaps a bit over done, but well done just the same

Rating: 7/10 (29 March 2008)

Like a great many millions of fans, I have come to enjoy this series since being forced to watch the first film.
A friend of mine told me I would like the first Saw and made me watch it. I was impressed. Like the first Scream, the ending blindsides you.
So of course I watched the second one... I was left a little hollow there and glad I waited for it to air on HBO, but Saw III made up for my lack of enthusiasm for the second.
The thing I most enjoyed about the first Saw was the compelling story and fine acting. And being a true horror buff, naturally I enjoyed the blood as well. While Saw III takes the viewer to new places and the lowest of lows ("lows" in a good way), I also think it overcompensates for the shortcomings of Saw II.
The story of Saw III was well written and well cast. However, they over indulge in the gore just a touch. I have little doubt that the producers took the fan's criticisms of the second film (not enough gore) and went out of their way to shove it down everyone's throat by doing everything in their power (short of taping our eyelids open) to make us watch and potentially, make us sick.
By which I am referring to the length of a few of the scenes in particular, they drag on and on, forcing as much gratuitous gore upon us as the MPAA would eventually allow. And don't you dare shield your eyes, you are best suited to watch due to those scenes being laced with flashbacks and important plot points... thus my reference to: taping our eyes open.
While it also obvious that the producers are pushing the story to a degree simply for the sake of setting us up for more sequels, the story did have a natural flow to it. Jigsaw is more defined and we are allowed to get to know him. Amid all of the violence and peril he thrusts his victims in, you can actually see his point of view and almost come to accept it.
Bottom line, I am a fan of the series, and although I would love to know that with every October I can count on a movie with the word "Saw" in the title, I hope they don't push this series too far... Because it is all to possible that Saw could fall into a trap of it's own and die a horrible-gruesome death because it couldn't head it's very own message.