Review of Saw V (2008) by Liam C — 06 Jun 2015

Now, more than ever, I really don't understand the negative consensus' these films have been getting, it isn't like I care about the reviews, it's more that I don't understand it. David Hackl's directorial debut, after working on production of the series, 'Saw V', is a very interesting sequel that takes the plot in a very different direction.

Once again the technicals are great and the editing is as great as it ever was; although I did noticed a lack of green and the way the title of the film appears is different than the other films. Instead of just having the title all in one line the title falls back into position with the Roman numeral, it doesn't sound like much but it's just something to note that it is different from the other films, perhaps due to a director change, it reminded me of how 'Star Trek V' had a different title sequence because of director change. Like I said, the editing is good but there was one scene near the end where a character is listening to a tape with another character walking into the room and because of how it is edited, it leads you to believe they are in the same place, the audio even goes lower when it focuses on the person not in the room but it's just to throw you off. The original theme is only played once but it is right at the end where it needs to be.

Once more it has a twisty storyline that explains quite a lot but some of this felt like they went out of their way to explain some things that might not have mattered all that much. I'm not complaining as it is always great to learn more but I'm just pointing it out. I do like the fact the traps start because they are on a timer this time or are activated when a door is closed because I remember previously saying that I didn't really understand how the traps knew when to start, it seemed like a film logic kind of thing. But, hey, there is no point in questioning logic this late in the game. I just don't understand the notion that the story isn't interesting or that it doesn't even have a story, this series is nothing but story. IGN said that the story was less complicated than the previous films, hah. I don't understand the notion that the acting is bad either, as the acting was good once more and it was nice to see Julie Benz here.

The main game that takes place in the film might not seem all that relevant but it does fit, even if some of the dialogue is questionable. I don't really think you'd say to someone that is tied up in the same situation as you are, 'why did you do this to me'; yeah sure it could be a knee-jerk reaction to waking up in a strange place, but still. They also act like bribing is on the same level as killing and it isn't the Charles' fault that the person in the first room died, it's the initial reaction of the other guy, speaking of which Charles really should have kept his mouth shut. I do like that the final people in the last room realise what they have done wrong and have actually learned something but I did originally think that the nail bomb was put there as a red herring, I thought when the 15 minute time limit was up they would be able to leave. I also questioned that people died in that game as Jigsaw says he never killed anyone but that is revealed as well. I also thought that the gates closed behind them when they got into them so there was only room for so many people, it also looked like that person woke up in the bath when they were shocked for the first time.

I thought they would pick up on Hoffman earlier on in the film given what he says when he gives his speech, they show the old cops who gave their lives, at first they only show two but then they go on to show the rest, Tapp didn't look like Glover though, can't say it surprises me. I'm kind of surprised the razor wire place hadn't been dismantled yet, if they were still investigating the area, that's fine but still and when Strahm is working too much they have the lines, ' in who's orders', 'my orders', but it makes sense. I thought the shotgun thing with Hoffman would be that if he survived he would be accepted but if he bit his tongue off he would fail but that didn't work its way in, and I don't really understand how Amanda was rehabilitated, she was crazy the whole time. Lynn's death looked different too.

The part where they first put in their hands into that machine because the webbing of your fingers is just a no no area. The ending of this film really got me because I really cared for that character and felt awful for him, he tried so hard and now his name is just in the dirt, but wow, what a gut punch ending. Hoffman could have said 'game over' but he didn't! 'Saw V' keeps up the quality and this series is still going strong.