If you're reading this review, that means you have some interest in
seeing Saw VI. In that case, chances are you've probably also seen the
previous five Saw films and know what you're in for, rendering this
review useless. If you don't know the Saw films and think starting at
part VI is a good idea -- it's not. This movie is for fans of Saw only.
Everyone else should avoid it at all costs!
Notorious serial
killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is still murdering from beyond the grave with
elaborate traps and games he has his puppet, Detective Hoffman (Costas
Mandylor), carry out for him. Most of the "story" is told via
flashbacks and enlightens the audience to the motive Jigsaw
has for this batch of murders. His ex-wife Jill (Betsy
Russell) is part of the game now too and is acting suspicious and
sneaking around not letting the audience know what she needs to do or
who she needs to kill.
As
with all the previous films, the games and traps are disturbing
scenarios that force the people trapped inside (who have done something
of moral question to be there) to kill someone else in order to live.
Relevant to today's economic times, the opening scene deals with two
trapped loan officers who gave money to people who couldn't afford to
pay it back. However, a majority of the the movie is about health
insurance agent William (Toronto's own Peter Outerbridge), who has to play a
demented life-or-death game for not honouring his clients' policies.
This is the horror movie based on Michael Moore documentaries.
Now is
a good time to state my admiration for the Saw series. The first one
was a brilliant thriller and holds it own against flicks like Seven and
Silence of the Lambs. The sequels are not good movies at all but they
do fulfill an urge to see people get messed up real good. And no one
does it better than the makers of Saw. It's the same urge as going to a
haunted house on Halloween. You know it's stupid and fake but it's fun
and gives you a jolt. Since the movies' timely releases occur every
October, a lot of people are into it and eat it up, myself included.
Next year we can expect to see Saw VII in 3-D too.
Is Saw VI
scary? Not really. Is it gory? Hell yeah! But it was surprisingly toned
down compared to the others. Toned down doesn't mean there is not a lot
of sick, twisted, gross scenes showing people being mutilated. It's
full of blood and guts and it delivered what I expected. However the
preceding film's opening showing a guy with his guts falling out and
being slowly sliced in half is hard to top.
As a Saw film,
it's worthy of three out of five stars. On its own, I'd give it a one.
If you're a fan, you'll be out enjoying it this weekend either way.
*** out of 5 stars
Rated R
Cast: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Betsy Russell
Directed by: Kevin Greutert
Official Site IMDb
brian.mckechnie@citynews.rogers.com
ALSO OPENING THIS WEEK: Amelia, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, Astro Boy, The September Issue, An Education
Top image: A scene from Saw VI. Courtesy Maple Pictures.