I saw this movie tonight in the theater and I felt compelled to write about it while it was fresh in my head. I’m going to go light on the spoiler aspect. I will eventually do a legit blog when this is released on blu ray.
So here’s the first thing that needs to be said. If you have seen the whole franchise, or most of it, you should feel entirely at home. To go even further, none of the twists should surprise you. That’s not to say that it’s not well done in regards to the twists.
The hallmarks of the franchise are present, mostly. I must admit, the traps and deaths seemed really bland compared to stuff from Saw 2-6. If anybody sees this and insists on calling this film “torture porn”, you should feel free to backhand them until they are crying. Dumbasses deserve to learn lessons. This film lacks in that department big time, so you will know how dumb somebody is by what they say after viewing this.
Another hallmark of the film is the 2-3 simultaneous stories occurring and the question of when and where is this happening. This could qualify as a spoiler, but only if you have never sen a single film of this franchise prior, in which case, that’s your own damn fault for starting at part 8.
Yes, Tobin Bell is in this. Yes, talk of rights and wrongs are involved. This is still a gruesome morality play and do not forget that. This still tells a story of people who do not listen to the rules and therefore lose their lives. Towards the end, the last game of sorts between a man and a woman is terribly predictable, and yet so satisfying.
The characters are not very enjoyable in this one. I found myself enjoying the redhead, and that was about it, aside from Tobin. I did love some of the shout outs to previous entries in the film. Jill Tuck is referenced, and that pleased me.
In the end, I don’t know how well this will be received. I have an incredibly bias opinion. I liked it. It hit more than it missed. The second half is better than the first due to the storytelling techniques. All of the callbacks were very satisfying. By toning down the gore, it allowed us to focus more on the story, and that is where Part 7 had failed us oh so badly. I know some of you will never truly understand or appreciate the story to this franchise. Some of you simply don’t get it, and that’s fine. Just try not to ridicule something that you don’t comprehend. I am curious if this will be successful enough to get the franchise rolling again. I would be super happy if it did, but if this is the last bit we get, I am happy to go out on this one because Saw 3D was not a very good film.
I do recommend this to the fans of the franchise. I would say to anybody else, give it a chance only if you are positive that you will invest the full amount of time to finish the film because the plot requires that. Right now I feel confident in giving this a 6.5 rating and possibly seeing it again prior to release on blu ray.
All the pictures used in this blog are for review purposes. They are the property of:
- Serendipity Productions
- Twisted Pictures (presents)
- A Bigger Boat
Please go find a copy and support the creators.