The Beast Reviews Saw II

As a big fan of the original film, I pretty much expected the 2nd entry to be what most sequels are. . .less than good. I was encouraged by family members to see the film, so after 6 straight hours of laser quest with Rexwilder, I figured it was pretty much the perfect time to watch it. So, we did, along with my sister and brother-in-law.

The first 5 minutes of the film were incredible. I was excited that perhaps I was going to be presented with the same intriguing and nail-biting scenarios as in the previous movie. But, it was just a teaser to get us into the main story, which was a disappointment. But first, here are the good things about the film.

1. People who you don't really like are being killed one by one in a house in which they are trapped. Anytime you have crappy characters who are meeting their demise one at a time, with about 15 minutes in between each death, means that you have at least a decent movie. It takes me back to all the great Friday the 13th films.

2. Tobin Bell is convincing as Jigsaw. I remember him from The Quick and the Dead as Dog Kelly.

3. The end of film actually helps the overall viewing experience. Usually, the end of a film is the problem. I rather enjoyed the end of Saw II.

Here are the problems:

1. The lead detective is an idiot. Usually in these kind of films you have a witty, intelligent villain who is going one on one with an equally matched hero. In this film, you get the impression that any 'ol bad guy could have outwitted him. He doesn't pay attention to the most obvious clues given to him by Jigsaw. Remember in "The Silence of the Lambs" when Lector told Starling to "look deep within yourself." She then later said that his comment seemed "too hokey" and she realized he was talking about the "your self storage" in Baltimore. If Jigsaw would have tried something like that, our Saw II detective would have just punched a wall and yelled. He is a failure as a dad, a failure as a cop and in the long run, an easy target for Jigsaw. There is not much sympathy with the viewer.

2. I just couldn't get into the story. I don't know why exactly, but the characters weren't really compelling to me and I just didn't find myself interested.

Overall, it was better than your average horror film, but does not nearly live up to the originality of the first movie. Of course, Hollywood had to make another one because the first made big $$. I believe a Saw III is in production. Oh boy.