Saw VI Movie Review

**THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SERIES SPOILERS. ALTHOUGH NO SPOILERS ON THE ACTUAL MOVIE WILL BE PRESENT, SPOILERS OF THE PREVIOUS FILMS WILL BE MENTIONED**

I sorta have a love/hate relationship with the Saw series. The first one, I absolutely loved. Although it was definitely flawed, I admired it for doing something unique. The second one, I thought was mediocre though. Then the third, though an improvement over the second, still wasn't as good as the first one. Then as soon as the fourth Saw started, it all started to fall apart. The story started to make less sense, the traps were getting less intuitive, and the acting was starting to get unbearable. The fifth one pretty much almost ruined the series for me. The plot made even less sense than all of the seasons of LOST and the X-Files combined. All of the traps were lame, and the acting was positively horrendous. Oh yeah, and the fourth and fifth one were sorely missing something that made me love the first one, and like the second and third: THE FRICKEN JIGSAW KILLER! The guy died at the end of the third movie, and he was really someone who could make your spine tingle, especially with a great actor like Tobin Bell. The fact that he wasn't alive in the fourth and fifth one and only seen in a series of stupid flashbacks just ruined all the ones after the third, and I was expecting the worst for this new installment. But actually........it's probably just as good as the second Saw film. Although that's not saying much, it's something, especially since the fourth and fifth were so bad, this one is definitely a step up above the usual splatt-fare.

The movie of course, has barely any Tobin Bell, and although it definitely hurts the film, the new screenwriters and directors found a way to make the new heir to the Jigsaw legacy, Detective Hoffman, a little more devious than the unscary douchey in the fifth one. I still prefer Tobin Bell though. That guy is epic.

Not only that, but this one actually does something that none of the other sequels have ever done: Try something new. Although this attempt is a hit/miss type of thing, I admire that they are at least trying something different. Guess what it is. Saw VI is a horror movie about health care. I s*** you not. Jigsaw is known for displaying moral dilemnas in his torture games, so what better way to display tough choices than to give the seedy underbelly of the government's health care system a little game of their own. Although the social commentary is a little half-assed, their message is evident, and says a lot compared to the fodder of the other sequels.

The traps are definitely a lot more inventive than the stupid ones in IV and V (especially V). Including head device not unlike the one in the first film, that drills itself into people's skulls, the oxygen mask device (a really smart one), and the carousel shown in all the posters. However, there are still a few stuff that aren't as good such as the hanging trap, and the cage maze. The cage maze could've been excellent had it not been for the fact that the characters were so stupid when it came to.... You'll see what I mean when you watch it.

Oh that reminds me of another flaw: The acting. Not all of it is terrible, but still, the main character is pretty bad at reacting, and since he gets the most screen time, it affects the movie a lot. And also, there was this one scene that ripped off of the fourth Saw movie so obviously that it's just plain funny (once again, you'll know what I mean if you've seen the previous ones).

Back to the pros, probably the biggest pro in the entire movie is coherency. Saw definitely has quite a confusing story with many back-plots, sub-plots, and let's not forget that the end of every installment has a twist (Except the fifth one...I never want to consider that abomination of an ending a "twist"). With this one, you are actually able to watch it without knowledge of the previous Saw films. GASP! I KNOW! Although it will still be a tad confusing, the screenwriters added some "short" and "simple" flashbacks (Thank You) to remind the viewers of what happened so they don't feel too lost. And...the twist is quite good. Probably my second favorite twist ending in the series. Half of it rips off of Saw III (Though it's still kinda effective), and the other half is something I didn't see coming. But then again, that's another flaw: It borrows a bit from the previous entries. It improves a bit on them, mind you, but still, not so fresh.

All in all, definitely a big step up in what has usually become a tedious Halloween tradition, and it is turned into something enjoyable, if highly flawed. Saw fans will like it, people who've never seen the previous movies will be "kind of" confused, but will probably appreciate the political undertones, and haters will still be hating. As for me, I'll just give it a 3.5/5. That's all for now...bai.