2008 Woodie Awards
Gory horror flick leaves mark on box office
By Nick Gligor
Rocket Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/11/05 Section: Entertainment
It's pretty amazing what a bigger budget and better actors can do for a film franchise. The first installment of "Saw" wasn't bad by any means - in fact it was a welcome addition to the stagnant horror landscape. "Saw II" however, takes the story to new heights, while going back and examining the killer Jigsaw's origins. They don't waste any time getting straight to the gore either - we know what we're in for thanks to an extremely fun and grotesque opening sequence.
This time around, Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) lets himself get caught by Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg). What Matthews and the police don't know is that his entire hideout is one big trap. Once Jigsaw reveals he is holding Matthews' son Daniel (Erik Knudsen) hostage in a house with seven other unfortunate victims, it's a race against time to save him. Worst of all, the captives have been infected with a poisonous toxin that will kill them within a matter of hours. All Matthews can do is play by the rules of the game. This is where the nail biting really begins.
The acting has improved significantly from the first movie. Bell takes on a meatier role in the ailing John, AKA Jigsaw. He's creepy and uncaring, yet confident in his work and feels his actions are not without merit. And now that his identity has been revealed, we're able to hear his side of the story.
You find yourself sympathizing for Matthews, who just wants to find his son unharmed. Wahlberg's tense performance only gets better as time ticks on. Shawnee Smith is equally focused as the returning Amanda, who is facing Jigsaw's game for a second time but able to make some sense of them. Emmanuelle Vaugier and Glenn Plummer are also enjoyable as the determined Addison and patient Jonas, respectively.
The only character that really starts to grate on the nerves is Xavier (Franky G). The "I play by my own rules" schtick gets so annoying so fast, that you can't wait for the character to be killed off. Of course, that was most likely the point - and in that - the filmmakers succeeded.
This time around, Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) lets himself get caught by Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg). What Matthews and the police don't know is that his entire hideout is one big trap. Once Jigsaw reveals he is holding Matthews' son Daniel (Erik Knudsen) hostage in a house with seven other unfortunate victims, it's a race against time to save him. Worst of all, the captives have been infected with a poisonous toxin that will kill them within a matter of hours. All Matthews can do is play by the rules of the game. This is where the nail biting really begins.
The acting has improved significantly from the first movie. Bell takes on a meatier role in the ailing John, AKA Jigsaw. He's creepy and uncaring, yet confident in his work and feels his actions are not without merit. And now that his identity has been revealed, we're able to hear his side of the story.
You find yourself sympathizing for Matthews, who just wants to find his son unharmed. Wahlberg's tense performance only gets better as time ticks on. Shawnee Smith is equally focused as the returning Amanda, who is facing Jigsaw's game for a second time but able to make some sense of them. Emmanuelle Vaugier and Glenn Plummer are also enjoyable as the determined Addison and patient Jonas, respectively.
The only character that really starts to grate on the nerves is Xavier (Franky G). The "I play by my own rules" schtick gets so annoying so fast, that you can't wait for the character to be killed off. Of course, that was most likely the point - and in that - the filmmakers succeeded.
