Jigsaw's Big Adventure: Saw VI
Written: Oct 24 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Solid direction, actually answers some questions
Cons: It's still the same old Saw, only now with social commentary.
The Bottom Line: This is a vast improvement over Saw V, but it's still only going to appeal to the hardcore Jigsaw fans. That should be enough to guarantee a strong opening weekend.
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| Mike_Bracken's Full Review: Saw VI |
It's no secret that I'm tired of the Saw franchise. What started out as an edgy horror film with a mesmerizing antagonist (Tobin Bell's Jigsaw) and some truly squirm-inducing death scenes (at least partially because they allowed audience members to put themselves into the scenes) quickly spiraled off into banal sequels more known for their laughable philosophy (Jigsaw was always a bit of a windbag, but compare Saw to the latter films and take note of how ridiculous it became over time and sequels) and convoluted narratives than actually being, well, entertaining. I mean, this a series that's carried on for three sequels after killing off one of the most important characters in the entire franchise (yet he continues to turn up in every film...). Last year's Saw V was the definite low point-the veritable end of the line for me. I'd still review each new Saw film (because it's my job), but I'll be damned if I was going to care about them. Naturally, this means Saw VI would wind up being halfway decent just to make a liar out of me.
Don't get me wrong-Saw VI is not a great film. It's just that the last few sequels so dramatically lowered the bar that anything in the mediocre range now looks fantastic in comparison. And that's pretty much the perfect description of Saw VI: mediocre. One could make the case that it's surprisingly decent for a sixth entry in a horror series (yet it doesn't trump Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives-which still gets my vote for the best sixth film in a horror franchise) but let's not lose sight of one simple fact: it's the sixth film in a horror series-one that was supposed to end at three.
I'm not going to spend a lot of time on the plot for this film because there's a whole group of Jigsaw acolytes out there who love the convoluted twists and turns screenwriters Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton concoct. I will say this: Saw VI is the most narratively straightforward film of the recent sequels. Dunstan and Melton make an interesting decision this time out-rather than focus on the serpentine timelines and mythology, they instead rip a page out of the George Romero playbook and craft a horror film that's a very thinly veiled piece of social commentary. Jigsaw's latest plan involves inflicting his vengeance on the greatest real-life villains this side of the Nazis: the health insurance industry. It's bizarre-and yet it also makes perfect sense inside the Saw universe.
The pitfall with this new direction is that social commentary in horror films is often hard to pull off. It seems to work best when it's subtle, and a film like Saw is the antithesis of that. Romero's been criticized over the years for clubbing his audiences over the head with his messages like they were baby seals, but his work looks downright restrained in comparison to Saw VI. I give the crew props for moving in this new direction, but it's not without its potential snagging points. As my colleague Scott Weinberg points out in his review, the overall message of the film seems to be about the dangers of playing with people's lives-but isn't that exactly what Jigsaw's done from the very first film? It's hard to get too down on Dunstan and Melton for this sort of thing, if only because they've managed to build this convoluted story and mythology on the back of something that was supposed to end three films ago-and they've managed to make most of the new material work (or camouflage most of places where it doesn't).
Director Kevin Greutert (who was the editor on previous entries) is a huge step up from the last film's helmer, one David Hackl. Greutert's editing background works to the film's advantage, as this is a leaner, meaner Saw flick than I'm used to seeing. Flashbacks are littered throughout the film (a series staple) but the manner in which the film is presented just feels crisper than previous installments. Saw VI feels a lot more honest than the earlier films-films that always felt like they were playing fast and loose with the continuity just in case they needed to fit something into the timeline at a later date and wanted it to appear as though it had been intended all along. That Greutert has done such a respectable job with this entry only makes news that Saw VII will see the return of David Hackl all the more disappointing.
Everything else about the film is essentially what you've come to expect from the series. Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) and Jigsaw's widow continue to carry out the villain's last wishes (although Mandylor tends to play by his own rules...) and this is achieved by putting people into a series of Rube Goldberg-esque traps that force them to choose whether to live or die-but often with horrible consequences. The traps are still impressive in their conception and execution (kudos to Melton and Dunstan for keeping things relatively fresh even after a sixth film) and are the highlight of the experience. The film still raises new questions about the big picture of Jigsaw's master plan, but in a much appreciated change of pace, Saw VI actually answers some questions in the process. This is the first time in a long while that I came out of a Saw flick with the feeling that maybe I'd actually get all of my questions resolved one day.
While Saw VI is certainly a step in the right direction it's still a film most likely to appeal to fans of the earlier entries rather than win new converts to the cause. Kevin Greutert deserves some kudos for working to refocus the series (as do screenwriters Melton and Dunstan) and recover from the dreadful Saw V, but even the most non-discerning viewer has to wonder where we go from here. With Saw VII already in the pre-production stages, I'd guess the answer to that will become clear next October...
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Scary Movie
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Mike_Bracken
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Member: Mike Bracken
Location: Oakland, California
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