A Nutshell Review: Saw III

Rating: 7/10 (25 November 2006)

Jigsaw's back! But this time the modus operandi is slightly different. In what was a game of pain, life and death, this time round it seems that there's an overconfidence that the unfortunate prey will not get out alive. Hence the death traps being literal.
But of course those who have not watched Saw II, will not know the suggestion at the change in MO. In order not to spoil it for you, I shall not mention a word, but hey, even without watching Saw II, there're ample flashback scenes, and newly created ones, to bring you up to speed. But trust me, watching the second film first before this, will help bucket loads, as it picks up directly where the previous film left off, with the return of characters played by Dina Meyer and Donnie Wahlberg.
Like the previous movies of the franchise, you have those elaborate devices for those sick games that Jigsaw likes to play with seemingly innocent men and women, chosen for not valuing their lives, and wasting it away. Through such games, Jigsaw's warped aim is, for those who survive, to learn to appreciate life itself. Then again, just how many do survive, since to do so calls for sacrifice, often pain inducing in a massive way in a race against time.
However, while the litres of blood continue to flow, the devices and plans here tended to be below par. Sure they're sick, but this time it really stretches it a little. Things happen to fall in place, and well, they just do. There seemed to be a bit of borrowing from Hannibal, with the use of boars (although dead ones here) and not since that film had I seen the power drill put to good use, with that unforgettable sound of the spinning drill. That skanky toilet makes a comeback too, and it probably ranks up there with toilets from Trainspotting and Crazy Stone.
You can guess the direction of the film's narrative, predicting where it will head, and how, but what you probably can't guess right, is the rationale behind what's happening, the Why, until the answers are revealed at the end. It'll also put to rest some of doubts and queries left hanging at the end of Saw II, and in a certain sense, Saw III wraps up the trilogy. Unless of course there is talk about making another film on the now cult figure Jigsaw, which will have the franchise follow the footsteps of the in-thing to do nowadays - the prequels.
While there are new characters introduced, it's kind strange that we do not care much about them, except to silently bet if they would be able to survive their ordeal. Perhaps gore movies are such, that an audience doesn't care what happens to them so long as blood is shed and bones are broken. Perhaps the influx of gore movies, each one trying to outdo the other, makes us just baying for blood to be shed by the characters, and nothing else.
So for those who have already watched the first two, this one will bring everything to full circle. And I can't get that all too familiar tune, which is played each time Jigsaw reveals his intentions, out of my head.