**This review will discuss scenes of intense fictional violence. Reader discretion advised.
Before I actually begin this review, I find it important to note that I, in fact, enjoyed this film. I was super excited to see this franchise return, and it was a good journey. With that being said, there are definitely major issues with this film. And with that, let's begin...
Ten years ago, the team behind the Saw franchise disbanded, stating that they would not return to the franchise unless they had a story to tell...
Now, they are back to tell the story...
That makes absolutely no sense!
While the film delivers what Saw fans desire (creatively diabolical games, a creative twist, and a creepy puppet), the film fails to actually do what it wanted to. The film simply fails in following the lore of the franchise.
Let me explain...
The franchise follows John Kramer, who, after losing his unborn child and being diagnosed with terminal cancer, attempts suicide. When the attempt fails, he finds a form of enlightenment about life, and desires to share this view with others. By forcing them to face their demons, they can, in theory find the same enlightenment Kramer feels.
Kramer takes on the persona of Jigsaw, a serial killer who never kills anyone, but rather gives them a challenge. Prior to Jigsaw, the first games were the bathroom and the reverse bear trap, both featured in the first Saw film. Over time, the traps become more elaborate, and Jigsaw recruits disciples to carry on his mission after his death, but his followers become lost, creating unwinnable games that ensure death for the victim.
Eventually, John dies, and the games seem to cease...
Until Now.
Set ten years after the last installment, the games have returned, with victims popping up at random with the mark of Jigsaw. And what's more, John Kramer's blood is found under the victims' finger nails and the voice recognition software ID's Kramer. Has Jigsaw been resurrected in some way? How was this done?
Answer: It doesn't.
The games we are observing throughout the film are, allegedly, from a game that took place before the original film, and the sole survivor has embraced Jigsaw's ideals and has recreated the games in the present to eliminate a corrupted cop.
Sounds like a classic Saw twist, but there are some major plot holes in the story that can't be ignored:
- The original game took place a Kramer's Wife's family's pig farm. Why is this on the list of plot holes? The bodies from this original game were never found. When they found out who Jigsaw was, they would, realistically, have searched any and all buildings remotely connected to Kramer, meaning these bodies would have been found.
- The Traps are too advanced: This film shows some of the most creative traps Jigsaw ever made, including the "spiralizer". However, why would he have gone from these traps back to something simple, like what is seen in the original Saw film, especially when nobody is pursuing him yet? Answer, he wouldn't.
- The final trap is too obvious. When the cop doesn't return,they will track his car to the farm, find the body, and know exactly who is responsible for the kill. Why? The killer uses a very specific medical laser cutter to kill the cop, one only used by the autopsy team, who would also know of the cop's corruption. This means the killer is busted soon as the film ends, leaving no real room for additional films.
- The Bullet. At the beginning of the film, a man is shot in the chest. The corrupted cop, demanding to know who shot the man in the chest, didn't immediately demand the bullet removed to find out who shot the man. Additionally, the bullet that is baited to frame the corrupt cop has no trace of being fired, nor damage from hitting lungs. These help to bust the claims made in the film.
- The syringe. The second trap of the game is designed for a purse snatcher. She has to choose a syringe. One contain the antidote for a poison injected into her. One is merely Saline. The last is acid, which will kill her. The trap is designed to show how much she values a human life. While the backstory of the trap's victim is fitting of a Saw film, the trap is unrealistic in the knowledge Jigsaw has. The correct syringe is marked 3.54, a reference to the amount of money she took over returning an inhaler to the person she robbed, resulting in her death. How on earth would Jigsaw know that value?
Given these massive fails in the story, which is the main purpose that brought the franchise back, I can't encourage viewing this film from a critical perspective. While the film is well acted, and the visuals are very impressive, the story completely derails the quality of the film. Given this, the best i can give it would be a 3 out of 5, which it does earn given the other elements of film.
What did you think of Jigsaw? Should there be more sequels? Let me know in the comments below.
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