Saw 3: A Cut Above the Rest

The ingenious thing to me about the first "SAW," movie was that it completely broke from the horror movie formula. Written by James Wan and Leigh Whannell (Wan directed it and Whannell starred as Adam) came up with a truly original idea. There was no crazy hockey masked killer carrying a machete or chainsaw hacking up teenagers. There was no camp scenario; someone running through the woods (usually female) who we all know is destined to fall down only to find the killer standing in front of them. How did he get there by the way?

They never show the killer running. There was no death scene where are hero apparently kills the 'monster,' only to put the weapon down, walk over to the bad guy to see if he's really dead, and ultimately get his ankle grabbed. THE KILLER ISN'T DEAD!!! Thankfully, fun as all of that may be, none of this appeared in SAW.

The basic story of 'SAW,' for those who haven't seen it is: there is a serial killer on the loose, nicknamed Jigsaw (played beautifully by Tobin Bell) by the police, because of the 'tests' he puts his victims through. The gist of these incredible scenarios: What would you do to save your own life? What extreme would you endure and would you sacrifice the life of another to save your own? Of course, they are extremely bloody and gory, unimaginable by the normal human psyche. Admittedly, "SAW," was the first movie in a really long time that you could actually hear a pin drop in the theatre.

The audience being mesmerized by what they were seeing on the screen. A few had to turn away, I watched a couple walk out (because of the graphic nature) and I, sat there motionless. By the end of the film, and I won't play spoiler for those who haven't viewed it, I distinctly remember sitting there saying out loud, "What the - - was that?" (in a good way) A sure sign of a good movie is even days after seeing it you're still thinking about it and just can't shake the feeling.

I wasn't that impressed with "Saw 2." Sure, it was the same formula, but for me, it was a bit muddled. Too many 'participants,' in the game. The thing about the first one was, it all boiled down to the first two victims you saw. They were the connection to everything else going on. And getting Danny Glover in the film didn't hurt either. The second film, though all the victims fell into place, and Donnie Wahlberg did a good job as the cop, lacked a bit of the awe of the original. Admittedly I was glad when a couple of the victims bought the dust.

They were beyond annoying. I was pulling for Jigsaw. Obviously capturing the lighting of the first 'anything' is difficult. It's possibly harder when you're dealing with a horror film and its subsequent sequels. Though "SAW 2," was also written by Leigh Whannell, this time also with Darren Lynn Bousman (who also directed it) it didn't quite meet its potential. It did register high on the blood meter though. One of the tag lines was, "Ah yes, there will be blood." So much for false advertising - none here.

"SAW 3," is actually every bit as good as the original. With the tour-de-force of writers Leigh Whannell, James Wan, and director Darren Lynn Bousman, we find 'Jigsaw' on the brink of death. Yet, he still finds the strength to weave more torturous tests for his victims. Helped by his apprentice, Amanda, played by Shawnee Smith, "SAW 3," is genuinely creepy. She was actually one of Jigsaw's victims in the first installment, a survivor. What isn't known until later in the film is - not is all at it seems. Jigsaw with Amanda's help kidnaps a doctor to keep him alive for one more brutal test. But this time around, there is a very human connection between the two. Again, as in the first, the blood and gore are just beautifully brutal. I know an odd use of the phrase. But horror buffs will get exactly what I mean.

There's a way in film of shooting gore, it's either cheesy or a work of art. Bravo to the Special Effects department on this film. There were a few times, I myself, had to turn my head. But I still spied the shot from the corner of my eye. This trilogy of films is like watching a magician perform. While you're attention is deflected to their right hand, the art of the trick is in their left. It's all right in front of you the whole time. Whether it's just that we're not paying attention to the correct thing, or we're focusing on what we see and hear in front of us, be assured, there's something coming at you from your left. And when it hits, you'll be shaking your head and saying, "I can't believe I missed that."

If you're a horror fan, you can't do better than SAW 3. It opened at number one at the box office with $33 Million - its budget is estimated around $12 million. For a horror film to open in this spot, and its word of mouth by fans and critics alike being 'a must see,' it's defiantly worth your time and money. But don't say I didn't warn you. If blood by the buckets load isn't your thing, you may want to check out something else. I'm sure Jigsaw would understand.

By Tina Mrazik