Tired Third Installment Loses It's Way

Rating: 3/10 (31 July 2007)

When the first Saw came out it was a revelation. Although low budget, it brimmed full of suspenseful ideas and is a modern day horror classic. Tightly scripted, with just one main set, the claustrophobic horror overwhelmed the viewer. The second Saw lost momentum because of the multiple sets, this one just squeezes the juice out of an already overworked idea.
Sadly, the new vogue is torture-flicks as practised by Hostels 1 +2, No Way Out, Vacancy and now this. The bastard progeny of the first Saw.
The new scenario for the torture of hapless innocents is pretty unconvincing. once again the claustrophobia of the original is lost, and with it dramatic tension. As a consequence the gore is just that. No real context, you don't really care about the individuals or find their predicament convincing.Hence the only way to ratchet up the "thrills" is to devise ever more sick torture scenes.
The actors don't act, they just perform horror poses. It is desperately disappointing to see this franchise so bankrupt of inspiration. Because lurking in there, there is still another original film to be shot. Ironic isn't it, that the low budget first instalment delivered so much, and the high budget third instalment delivers so little?
Give it a miss. For gore junkies and sadists only.