Pay attention and you'll see it coming...

Rating: 6/10 (29 October 2006)

Okay - maybe this isn't a REAL Spoiler, but, let's just say that the main thing that Saw III lacks is the element of surprise. If you've seen the other two, and you're paying attention, you'll be able to figure out where they're going with it - which bothered me, personally. The gore factor in Saw films has been part of their draw, but, the plot twists were another - and these seem sort of predictable, and also, IMHO, forced right up in your face - for some reason.
On the positive side, it's nice that Jigsaw / John is allowed a good amount of screen time to develop the character even more than in Saw II. Amanda's character flaws come to the surface very clearly - I don't know if that's good or bad acting, but, everything about her performance felt over exaggerated.
So, aside from the plot(s), there's the "games" to consider - there's plenty of gore and the usual Saw fare going on. The reason I gave this a 6 out of 10 is because in retrospect (without spoiling anything), it makes sense that certain elements were lacking. Again, if you've been following the films, you know about John's/Jigsaw's condition, and why things have changed a bit.
As for an obligatory plot summary: Jigsaw is dying. A doctor is kidnapped to keep Jigsaw/John alive so he can play out one (perhaps) final game. (I'll just leave it at that.)
One other comment - could movie theater owners PLEASE stop turning down the bulbs on their projectors to the point where you can't see a g**damn thing?! It's a DARK film, and when the bulb's brightness has been reduced in an attempt to save money, you can't SEE SQUAT in films like this half the time!
Bottom line: It's worth seeing in the theater, but, you'll probably want to also see the DVD (which will most likely be an unrated one) - so you can actually SEE the film - or go complain to the theater manager.