Saw III--review

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

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I went to see Saw III today. Review follows:

By far the most gruesome of the trilogy, Saw III lived up to the hype that Saw II failed to come close to. In the third installment, “Jigsaw” (Tobin Bell) is still leading unsuspecting souls through his “games” on his deathbed and is utilizing assistance from his protégée Amanda (Shawnee Smith). You will remember Amanda from both previous installments of Saw (the hooker/drug addict who escaped in the first Saw, and the house-guest who was “running” the game from the inside in Saw II). In this episode, Amanda is the central figure as she is setting up and carrying out the “games” due to Jigsaw’s apparent impending death, and his inability to be physically involved.

Within the first 30 minutes of this film, there are three bloody scenes that far surpass any of the brutality in the first two films. The three instances in the movie’s introduction are little more than gratuitous violence, as they have little to do with the ultimate plot of the film (other than to prove that Amanda’s character does not provide her victims a way out).

The plot of this film is surprisingly good. I never imagined (after the complete bust of Saw II) that the third film would be anything more than a “slasher” flick, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a plot which included aspects of forgiveness, redemption, and choice. The “game” through most of the film twists and turns with an ultimate twist at the end (reminiscent of the first Saw) that left me truly surprised, and pleased with the overall scope of the film. **** The writers left a clear pathway to Saw IV, but with both Jigsaw and Amanda apparently dead, I’m interested to see how Saw IV will be possible.****

If you are fan of horror films, see Saw III. If you are squeamish, STAY AWAY. Overall, I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars Ω