Saw II

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

Last year’s sleeper hit, Saw, was a smart horror surprise that was gripping, gruesome, and made shitloads of money. Because of that, they'll be pumping out a new sequel every single year until they've turned the Saw franchise into the second coming of Puppet Master. And as far as follow-ups go, this one isn't half bad—but that doesn't mean there aren't elements of Saw II that stink like number two. The murders can be inventive at times (check out the incineration scene), but it's the same old plot: The criminal mastermind Jigsaw is back at it again, manipulating the lives of eight more victims he's got stashed away as the cops close in on him. Of course, this is all part of his grisly master plan, one that the filmmakers have asked critics not to reveal because, according to the press notes, “Saw II is a suspense thriller whose success with audiences relies heavily on surprises and unexpected twists of the plot.” Please. Its success relies heavily on audiences sitting thru 93 minutes of the same thing. Yes, the ending does go for the unexpected, but that’s exactly what we were expecting. Here's hoping Saw III will cut a little deeper.

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