IS SAW 3D JUST THE REGULAR OLD GORE, TRAPS AND ESCAPE ROOM?

That’s pretty much what it is, but that’s not a bad thing if you’re a fan of the franchise. Saw 3D (also known as Saw: The Final Chapter or Saw VII) is a gory sequel that would’ve been really fucking cool watching in 3D, but it’s still a good time by itself.

Outing detective Mark Hoffman as the successor to the Jigsaw killer’s legacy, Jill Tuck goes into protective custody after a failed attempt at killing Hoffman. Meanwhile, a self-proclaimed survivor of Jigsaw’s games must go through a series of tests to save his co-workers and wife.

Director: Kevin Greutert
Cast: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Sean Patrick Flanery, Cary Elwes
Writer: Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan
Release Date (Australia): 28 October 2010
Runtime: 90 minutes/1h 30m
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Language: English

R (for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, and language)

Kevin Greutert’s so-called “final chapter” doesn’t really try to do anything new, with the exception of crafting some epic 3D moments. But if you’re a fan of the Saw movies and you’ve enjoyed every film the franchise has come out with, your opinion probably won’t change with this one. Despite going out with a bang though, it’s probably the best point for this gory, twisty horror movie series to finally retire. It was bloody good fun while it lasted, but seriously, that’s enough now. You can even tell that the writers are becoming tired, because it kind of feels like a renewed copy and paste of Saw VI.

So Saw 3D… or Saw: The Final Chapter… or Saw VII… complicated much? Anyway, the seventh movie brings back the main cast from its recent predecessors, including Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor and Betsy Russell, in addition to a bunch of new people we start to care less about, and it picks back up on its police/law enforcement story whilst a new victim must participate in Jigsaw’s grisly games to save his loved ones. That’s just how the Saw movies go.

As always, there are plenty of grisly traps that are very clever and make you wince, the escape room concept in which the victim “learns his lesson” as he’s put to the test is fun and it feels like watching a man recieve karma, and the half of the film about Jill Tuck and Mark Hoffman is very entertaining. That’s all the material that fans will need in order to get some popcorn and enjoy this movie. You don’t need the 3D equipment and all of that technology to get the most out of your experience.

Even though the franchise has been really enjoyable, it’s still packed with flaws. And unfortunately in this sequel’s case, most of the issues actually stand out a bit more. The direction and editing has always been a hit-or-miss with each of the Saw movies, and nothing’s changed here; viewers can expect more of the quick cuts and grim cinematography. Even though John Kramer is dead, it again feels like the traps and games are all going against his rules, which was also very much the case in the sixth film. But the biggest issue with this movie would have to be the absurdity of some scenes, as well as the return of Cary Elwes. He’s a good actor and there’s no doubt that his performance here is solid, but the menacing presence of his character, as well as how it all plays out with him just doesn’t feel right. And with sequences such as the public trap, as well as the ending twist, the movie is kind of taking some unnecessarily absurd risks.

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