Review #95: Saw 3 (2006)

Cast/Notable Credits:
Darren Bousman (Director): Saw 2, Saw 4

Previous Saw Movies:

Tobin Bell (Jigsaw)
Shawnee Smith (Amanda)
Lyrig Bent (Rigg)
Dina Meyer (Kelly)
Donnie Wahlberg (Det. Matthews)

Angus McFayden (Jeff): Impulse (2008)

Bahar Soomekh (Lynn): Crash (2004), Mission Impossible 3 (2006)

Betsy Russell (Jill): Cheerleader Camp (1987)

Barry Flatman (Judge Halden): The Paper Boy (1994), Cruel Intentions (2000)

Trailer:


Saw 1 Link

Saw 2 Link


Plot:

Jigsaw's back and the movie picks up right after the ending of the second movie. Det. Matthews has gone missing and Det. Kerry has been searching for him. The police come across another Jigsaw crime scene only to find that the victim is not Det. Matthews. While studying the crime scene, Det. Kerry realizes the M.O. on Jigsaw has changed a little bit. This puzzles her a lot. They find an instruction tape and later on that night while she is studying the tape, Kerry is abducted and placed into her own game of survival by Jigsaw and his new apprentice.

Now the duo has abducted a doctor to help keep Jigsaw alive as his cancer illness has become more fatal. Dr. Lynn's objective in her game is to keep Jigsaw alive until the end of another game involving a man named Jeff has ended. An explosive collar has been placed around Lynn's neck while she tends to the ill-fated Jigsaw. If she wonders off or Jigsaw's heart monitor fails, the collar will detonate and her head...goes bye bye.

The second abductee, Jeff, awakes in a wooden crate and has been put to the test for his life and others. Years ago, Jeff's young son was killed in a hit and run car accident. After the man who killed his son has been "let off easy" by the justice system, Jeff has been plagued with revenge and bitterness. Now Jigsaw has captured three key participants in the death of his son and places their lives in Jeff's hands. A woman who had witnessed his death, the judge over the case, and finally, the man behind the wheel, lives all rests in the decisions and sacrifices that Jeff may or may not choose to make.

Surprisingly enough for me, this film was fast-tracked for the next Halloween after part 2. Hey, I'm all for sequels and continuing horror franchises, but I was a little weary to see the quick slap it, tag it, and sell it approach. Maybe if they are gonna make these films this quick, they should probably have a couple of the movie scripts already written, and film some of these at once. Or just put the time and effort into doing the film right. Not that this film is completely horrible, but each of the sequels tends to lower the bar a little more each time. Dr. Hottie, Bahar Soomekh pictured right.

The storyline of the movie was a little "watered down". Some of the twists were easy to predict, and in order for half the sh*t to work, you have to bank on certain things happening. It's like Jigsaw jumped into the future and saw what would happen. Again, common sense in the film prevents over half the deaths.

I give the film credit for the one thing the franchise does well, the traps. At least the cool ones. The traps continue to be the staple in the franchise. Choose sacrifice or death. Unfortunately I think they focus on one or two of them really well, and the rest of the film suffers from lack of focus (or development). Clearly the film makers focused on two good traps, The Rack or "Twisty Tim" and the Ribcage Trap. I know all the traps in the movie can't be grade "A", but these two definitely make the grade. Time was well spent on the design, and operation of the traps. Good Job!

The other traps, I considered a little weak. Don't get me wrong, they were mostly still good, but they're a little unimaginative. The Freezer Room was...blah. I liked the naked chick with hooters, but spraying water on her until she froze to death...YAWN! Boring. The Pig Vat trap, dumb. It had a guy strapped down by the neck at the bottom of a large industrial sized barrel. Grinders cut up dead pigs and their waste went down the chute to the barrel, slowly filling it up with waste thus drowning the guy. That's just gross, not eventful. The Classroom Trap, I thought was one of the worst. Hooking chains to various body parts, and let the victim rip them off before a bomb goes off. Double yawn! Eerie, but boring.

Overall, the film is okay. The Saw franchise is getting a little repetitive in ideas. Stop with the twists already. We all know somethings coming. How 'bout just go out and kill people like a good horror movie does? My suggestion for the series is to take a Halloween off and spent some extra time working on another kick a** script like the first movie.

Misc. Movie Trivia:
-Film opened on October 27, 2006 and made $80.1 million at the Box Office ($33.6 million opening weekend)
-Sent to MPAA ratings board 7 times before receiving a "R" ratings
-1st Saw movie to include nudity