By Philip Ellwood, November 7th 2005
‘Dare You See Saw?‘ baited the tagline on the advertisements for the box-office surprise hit ‘Saw‘. A year on it‘s no surprise that a sequel is ready to hit the cinemas. The first film worked mostly due to the originality of the premise so it was with great interest that I went to see the sequel.
‘Saw II‘ sees the notorious serial killer Jigsaw back to torment more people. This time instead of locking them in a bathroom, he has locked 8 people inside a run-down house. As the eight victims wake up they realise a dangerous gas is being pumped into the house. Their only chance of survival is to participate in the games setup by Jigsaw to secure an anitdote and escape from the house.
To say any more would be to give too much away. The film works because it surprises constantly and doesn‘t allow the audience to feel comfortable for a second. If you saw the first film then you‘ll already know what kind of experience you‘re in for. The games are sick and twisted, the body count is high and the stomach-churning gore is set to maximum. I had to turn away from the screen several times and I‘ve seen a lot of horror movies in my time!
The set pieces are effective and the torture that the victims go through is horrific. For some reason the film is utterly compelling. I found myself glued to the screen and the ending is absolutely fantastic. If you see it coming then you must be a psychic! I was completely shocked and spent the last 15 minutes absolutely gobsmacked.
The acting isn‘t Oscar winning but it doesn‘t need to be. The storyline and the twists are more than enough reason to go and see the movie. Donnie Wahlberg (he of New Kids On The Block fame) is the only real ‘name‘ in the movie and he puts in a convincing performance.
All in all ‘Saw II‘ is not for the squeamish and if the trailer has scared the life out of you already then you‘d best avoid. If you‘re a fan of the first film or just a horror fan in general then go and check this well-above average fright-fest.
Cast
Tobin Bell
Director - Darren Lynn Bousman
Distributor - Lions Gate Films
Certificate - 18
UK Release Date - Friday 28th October 2005
Celebrities Worldwide Rating - 8 out of 10
David Jensen Photography:
https://www.davidjensen.co.uk/
