Movie-Holic

Saw V is one of the those movies you either like or you don’t. Actually, the entire Saw series is one where you either like them or not.

I would quite classify them as horror movies, but more like gory movies. There is blood. And a lot of it.

There’s also broken limbs, entrails, brains, and other gruesome things that you shouldn’t see come out of a body in violent ways. If you’re not familiar with the Saw franchise of movies, well that pretty much sums it up. Blood, limbs, entrails, brains, goo.

I actually like Saw and the subsequent sequels. I don’t watch them for the gore aspect so much as I just have to see what incredible trap is going to be waiting for the poor fools who have to go through them. That’s really the only reason to watch this installment.

Saw V picks up immediately where number four ends. Pretty much normal for the series and I like the continuity that it brings to the movies. And from there it’s really a back and forth story line. I found myself pausing the movie a few times to figure out where in the timeline I was. It all comes clear at the end, but I still felt a little disoriented throughout the movie and that kind of messed up the movie for me.

The acting was fair… come on, it’ not like Costas Mandylor is Russell Crowe. He’s plods through the part with his usual plodding. I do have to say that I actually liked Tobin Bell’s role this time as Jigsaw/John Kramer better than any of the previous. He picks up on his “humanality” that we saw in part 4 and broadens that out more in this one.

Then there is the latest unlucky contestants in the newest trap. We find out that this is taken care of by the one who takes after, and actually has been helping Jigsaw all this time, his death. Five new victims who have done some rather unpleasant things in their life, all connected, and need to see the error in their ways. These roles must be very hard to play because you are in some pretty precarious positions (even if it is only a movie) and you have to actually act. To make it look like you’re cutting your hand off and show the emotion involved has got to be tough. And I think this new crew does a great job.

The intricate game (trap) aside, I found the movie rather slow. Of course, it probably didn’t help that it was 10 pm and I was battling a nasty head cold at the time, but I couldn’t wait for it to get over. The battle between Detective Hoffman (Mandylor) and Agent Strahm (Scott Patterson) was a little nauseating, if not childish.

The flashbacks got to be annoying, although did add some good insight into what was going on. I would have preferred a much more linear timeline.

If you are a fan of the Saw series then I think you’ll be pretty satisfied with this one. Yes, they tend to get a little worse each time, but it is still worth seeing. If nothing else than to add to the story and clear up a few loose ends.