DVD | Saw II

Rating: R18 – Sadistic Violence.
Duration: 89 mins
Genre : Psychological Thriller
Actors: Donnie Walhberg, Tobin Bell, Dina Meyer, Shawnee Smith
Release Date: Available now.

If you’ve seen the original movie Saw, you’ll know what to expect. If you haven’t and you don’t like intense psychological thrillers, with lots of gore – oh yes, there will be blood – and an audaciously brilliant plot, then stay away from this. It’s not a movie for the squeamish.

Jigsaw is back, and this time the game he is playing is much, much bigger. This time he’s playing with a full house.

Detective Eric Matthews is on the case and they’ve got the notorious serial killer, named by the media as Jigsaw, in handcuffs. But Jigsaw still has the upper hand. On the monitors in Jigsaw’s workspace is live footage from the rooms of a very special house, with one special guest in particular: Eric’s son.

The movie is essentially played over two locations – the taught mind games with Jigsaw and the Cops, and the bloodbath house, full of Jigsaw’s devious and deadly traps. The game is on, and Jigsaw wants blood, but it’s the housemates that have to do the killing, and Jigsaw has got them playing off against each other.

The action is pretty much full on – there are breaks in the pace, but only enough time for you to get your breath back. Visually the film is dark and the sets are grimy and full of nervous potential. The camera work serves to keep the pace going and to keep the viewer on the edge of their seats, however It does delve into cheesiness on occasion, especially with the over use of strobe like sequences, but this doesn’t detract too much from the rest of the film.

The storyline is sheer brilliance – I was worried that they wouldn’t be able to top the first movie, but with the twists and turns of this plot, I’m even excited about the prospects of a third instalment.

If you like your movies to keep your adrenaline pumping, and your favourite colour is deep red, then this is just the guilty pleasure for you. If not, bear in mind the R18 rating and choose something a little tamer.

Food for thought:
What is the value of life? Do we value life? Our life or other peoples lives? Do we really live life to it’s fullest? Do we savour every moment? Do we do all we can to make the lives of others better? These are just some of the questions that you could ask your self if you manage to get through a movie like this.