Saw II
(2005)
review by Don't Feed the Dead

Not very often do we see a sequel outshine its predecessor, but the folks over at Lions Gate with a little help from Saw's originators have created a mega-horror in Saw 2. Surprisingly, this film hasn't built up any hype what so ever, in comparison to the original (and some other not so great CG fests). Maybe it was better that way, because Saw 2 rips through the audience like a tour de force (what a fucking cliche)!

Picking up shortly after the first left off, Jigsaw is up to his old "games" again as we see an informant set up in a stranded room. He's booby trapped to something referred to as the mask of death, a painful looking device that digs a bunch of unsavory nails into its victim's face as it clamps down. Compared to the previous installments, this game is simple. The informant must dig a key from out behind his right eye to unlock the device and live. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the drive to do the deed and well... he dies. Cue Detective Donnie Wahlberg, NKOTB P.D., who picks his son up from some electronics store after he's caught stealing. Detective Donnie's pissed off at his son's apathetic approach to law abiding and screams at him a bit. So much for good parenting.

Getting a call from his superior, Detective Donnie is called in to take a look at the mess left by Jigsaw. Confirming that the deceased was indeed his informant, Detective Donnie brushes it off until some nightmares give him a hot lead on where Jigsaw might be hiding out. Sure as shit is brown, the police catch up with Jigsaw in an abandoned steel mill, but not before running into some cleverly rigged traps. Before expediting the terminal mastermind, Detective Donnie discovers that Jigsaw has one last trick up his sleeve in the form of a group game. Several people are trapped in a house and being subjected to another of Jigsaw's games. Catch is, one of the crew is the Detective's son.

Following the same theme as the first film, Saw 2 plays up on the survival instinct in today's society being numbed out as folks take life for granted. Tobin Bell (Jigsaw) plays a much larger and impacting role as the audience gets clued in on why he sets people up for these "life games". Beautifully shot and laid out, Jigsaw takes the Detective step by step through the painful process of knowing one's death date and the appreciation it bestowed upon him for living. After a film and a half, Saw's real theme has come to fruition and the point is driven home with a significant blow. Now it's time for Detective Donnie to figure out a way to save his son from the game. But of course, we always know there's sacrifice involved in getting what one wants.

Naturally, there's more gore and action than the first, however, the aspect of Saw 2 that truly stands out is the acting. Casting a group of "no-names" truly added to the mystique of the film as you didn't know what to expect from each character. Aside from Franky G (the gorilla looking guy trapped in the house) the cast puts forth a solid performance, headed up by none other than Donnie f'ng Wahlberg. Unbelievable, but the man actually outshines his brother's performance in Boogie Nights and has definitely solidified a great deal of "street credit" in the horror genre.

As for the "twist" in Saw 2, I would have to say that it was well blended into the film. There wasn't as much a "shock and awe" intent as the first, rather a clever approach to tying in the theme of the film to the madness it displays. Midway through the film you figure out the relationship between the trapped victims, but only until the end do the actions really piece together and complete the story. I was extremely impressed by the storyline, especially since the whole damn film was put together and released in a year's time. Usually, that's a recipe for disaster. However, the only disaster I can see coming out of this film is the reluctance of viewers to see it based on the shortcomings of the original. Saw 2 is THE complete horror film that I've been waiting for all year.