Saw 3D (1 Viewer)

Saw 3D (2010)


Kevin Greutert


The seventh and apparently final entry in the series has a group of Jigsaw survivors standing behind one (Sean Patrick Flanery) who has written a book about battling your odds. The only catch is that he's really not a survivor of Jigsaw but soon he's kidnapped and thrown into the game and trying to save his wife. Meanwhile, a detective is trying to find out some secrets from Jigsaw's former wife while also trying to bring down Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) who is still carrying out the deadly games. Thankfully this latest entry pretty much stays away from many of the events in previous films and doesn't have the pressure of trying to make them match up to previous events. I think it's rather refreshing seeing a new stories, although we still get characters from previous movies showing up. I think this is a very good entry in the series and it certainly ends things on a very good note so let's hope it really is the last. I think there's a lot more imagination going on this time around but what also helps is that there's a pretty good story as well. I thought the idea of someone writing a fake book to try and make money only to then really be put into the game was a nice touch and one that makes for some nice drama. Director Greutert does a nice job with all the games but he also manages to build in some nice tension and especially during the final ten-minutes where two different games are going on and we cut back and forth between them. As expected, most people are going to be coming for the games and they are very good. I thought the open game with all the public watching was handled very well and it was a refreshing break because they throw in some nice comedy, which works pretty good considering the situation that the three characters are in. The other games turn more graphic and dark and these include a terrific one with some glue and automobiles. The game played by the survivor pretty much has him going from room to room to face down one friend after another. I thought these games weren't the strongest of the series but the drama in them was pretty good because of the direction and the story working so well. I thought Mandylor, Flanery and the rest of the cast were very good and we even get Tobin Bell in a few scenes. There are a few other guest returns but I won't ruin them for the fans. As I said, the final ten-minutes were very good and they were almost good enough for me to bump this up another half star. With that said, those who against these movies in general aren't going to change your opinion based on this one alone. Those who enjoy the series should have a good time here. As far as the 3D goes, there are several scenes where bodies are getting ripped open and guts come flying out of you. Nice touches but I don't think there's any major reason to have to watch it in 3D if your theater only gets the flat version. Either way, SAW 3D is a good way to end the series but I guess this will really depend on the box office take and how long they want to keep the series dead until a remake comes along and starts it back up.

It's not a great movie but I was satisfied with Saw 3D. In terms of the other movies, I'd say it's on par with Saw V. The movie really picks up for the last 10 or 15 minutes and has a pretty nice payoff. Since it wrapped things up nicely (and answered a question that I've had since Saw II), I hope that they let the series go out somewhat gracefully with this one.

I thought it was good and entertaining but the problem I had was there wasn't really much 3D that was worth the additional admission cost.

I thought it was pretty weak and thoroughly standard stuff ([/b]


This seventh (and last?) installment in the long-running series is very disappointing and by the numbers, and that's a shame if this is to truly be "The Final Chapter", as it's being billed in some ads. I went in expecting something kind of special for the occasion and what I got was completely standard stuff.

The opening sequence was staged in a different venue than had ever been tried before, which I mistakenly thought was indicative of a welcome new direction for the storyline. But my hopes were quickly dashed. I would say that as early as Part 4 I was starting to feel like the filmmakers were just throwing in whatever plot twists they could think of, and making things up as they went along, but nowhere is this more evident and desperate in feel than in Part 7.

I liked where the plot seemed to be going in bringing back some survivors of Jigsaw's earlier death traps, but nothing was followed through with this angle, unfortunately. Instead, a few weak "surprises" were attempted, and the biggest "reveal" at the end came as no payoff to me, because it's easily hinted at much earlier on. There were many questions left unanswered, things that did not really come together, and I felt nothing for the main male victim who's the pawn in Jigsaw's latest game of death, which really made the whole race against the clock rather boring to me. We've seen that routine before, and done better.

As I said, if this is to truly be THE LAST CHAPTER, it is a pretty unsatisfying conclusion. In all fairness, this saga is so exhausted by now that it would be wise to put it to sleep finally once and for all, except that this doesn't end the franchise in a strong enough way. But I think the producers played it safe so they could leave their options open, by NOT labeling SAW 3-D as "The Final Entry" on the title of the film itself. If it makes money, they can continue, or just pull the limp plug here if it tanks. Once fan word of mouth gets around, I would guess even serious SAW devotees would stay away from this one in droves. As for the 3-D gimmick, the effects were really lacking. Several times during the movie I wanted to take off the special glasses, as I forgot I was supposedly watching third dimension. "Game Over," indeed.

Originally Posted by Joe Karlosi

Well, there's nothing in the film itself that says it's the final entry. The title onscreen only said "SAW 3D", although the advertising onsome of the posters claims it'll be "The FInal Chapter". If so, I think this long series has finally run its course so it wouldn't be a bad thing to finally stop the merry-go-round. But at the same time, it would be unfortunate to have this thing go out with a whimper instead of a Bang.

Click to expand...

I think it's a good place to quit since they ended in the same location that it began in and since Hoffman is defeated and won't be Jigsaw's successor and there's no real story threads left hanging anymore.


While the series might not have gone out on its highest note, I do think that it's the most consistently good series in horror history. Even at its lowest, the Saw series never came close to the depths of Friday The 13th Part V, VII and VIII or A Nightmare On Elm Street 2, 5 and 6 or Halloween 5, 6, 7 or 8.


As for the 3-D, I think that's a catch-22. I wish there was more showy stuff (though there a couple of good moments like the white supremists getting torn up by the car or the head trap) but the movie is going to be seen way more at home in 2-D than it will ever be seen in 3-D so I understand why they didn't go for more overt 3-D moments.

Originally Posted by TravisR

I think it's a good place to quit since they ended in the same location that it began in and since Hoffman is defeated and won't be Jigsaw's successor and there's no real story threads left hanging anymore.

Click to expand...

Well, the end location was vey "appropriately poetic", I will give you that. But you and I have seen enough horror movies to know that if they DID wish to have Hoffman continue, they certainly could devise a way to get him out of there. Consider what happend to Jill in this film (which I thought was great) --now, THAT would have been a more suitable punishment for Hoffman, IMO!


>>While the series might not have gone out on its highest note, I do think that it's the most consistently good series in horror history. Even at its lowest, the Saw series never came close to the depths of Friday The 13th Part V, VII and VIII or A Nightmare On Elm Street 2, 5 and 6 or Halloween 5, 6, 7 or 8

Originally Posted by Joe Karlosi

But I would not say that the SAW series was the most consistent at all.

Click to expand...

What series do you think is more consistent? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Saw is the best horror series ever made, I just think that other long running series had some bigger duds in their runs than Saw did. Another feather in Saw's cap is that I buy that all the movies are happening in the same world with the same characters. Continuity is worried about by filmmakers way more today than 20 or 30 years ago but the Friday The 13th, A Nightmare On Elm Street or Halloween movies have such varying looks (from the cinematography to the look of the villain) and a lack of continuity that most of them don't feel very connected to the preceeding movies at all.

Originally Posted by TravisR
What series do you think is more consistent? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Saw is the best horror series ever made, I just think that other long running series had some bigger duds in their runs than Saw did. Another feather in Saw's cap is that I buy that all the movies are happening in the same world with the same characters. Continuity is worried about by filmmakers way more today than 20 or 30 years ago but the Friday The 13th, A Nightmare On Elm Street or Halloween movies have such varying looks (from the cinematography to the look of the villain) and a lack of continuity that most of them don't feel very connected to the preceeding movies at all.

Click to expand...

I don't know. Now you've got me thinking. Probably the SAW films feel consistent because they're all nothing, really. Just Jigsaw with new traps every film and not much story required. In a way, part of me thinks that changes ARE a good thing in a series. I think the HALLOWEEN series was a mess because it went to so many different avenues. I am fond of the F13 series, and I don't mind that they eventually tried to get Jason out of the camp setting and go elsewhere (I just wish some attempts like MANHATTAN and GOES TO HELL had been better with using those ideas).

Horror series also need not be limited to the last few decades. I liked what they did with the Universal Frankenstein series at least for the first four or five movies.


I guess we have to talk about what is meant by "consistency"? If it's "they stay the same way", that's not necessarily a good thing. And it can't be quality, as the SAW films have varying degrees in quality (at least for me):


SAW 1 (***1/2)

SAW 2 (***)

SAW 3 (***)

SAW 4 (*1/2)

SAW 5 (**1/2)

SAW 6 (***)

SAW 7 (**)


I do agree with you that special care is taken for the "continuity' with the SAW series. It may well be the best series "continuity-wise".

I never had a chance to see 3D films.But I know it will give you a strong feeling and can make people can go into the films better. My life is very common, and maybe a little boring for someone.I know I should open my eyesight to enjoy the beauty of life.

Joe, I don't have time to go through each of your points but I'll touch upon a couple that stood out (especially when I read them in Louisville this weekend but couldn't reply):


Well, there's nothing in the film itself that says it's the final entry.


The studio, writers, director and other production members said it was the last so I'll believe them until the next is out. Considering that this does wrap everything up, I say end it for a decade and then do what you want be it a remake or just starting with a new killer. We shall see.


Not to offend you here, but a "very good" rating is usually ***1/2 . Your **1/2 rating is just "above average". Would you agree, ratings-wise?


You answered your own question in your quote. I said very good for this series. This is a "B" horror series and the seventh film at that. If someone asked me to recommend "very good" movies to them then there are at least 5000 that I'd recommend before the best movie in this series.


There was another slight plothole I didn't understand. Here we have Jigsaw going to a book signing, but I was wondering how this guy got around so well with his deadly cancer as he was busy setting up all kinds of torture devices with his accomplices?


Well, putting a brain to this series would need a bullet with it if you were looking for logic IMO. It would be impossible for one, two or three people to come up with all of these traps. It would take years to do all of this stuff and God knows no one would have the time. If this psycho was really out there building this stuff, surely people would notice large trucks bringing in all the materials that it would take to build these traps.

Did you really get the feeling anything was new here?


I certainly thought the director tried to do more than just quick edits and death scenes. I found there to be some real tension at the end and I thought the teeth scene was one of the more effective ones in the series. As for as "new", technically there wasn't anything "new" since the first one and even that wasn't anything ground breaking. It's a series about torture.

So the movie made $24.2 million in its opening weekend. Is that considered good for this series, and does it mean they may consider SAW 8, I wonder?

Saw 3D did better than Saw VI but it wasn't up to the level of the previous sequels (and don't forget that the gross is boosted a little because there was an extra $3 or $4 added on to every ticket for the 3-D). That being said, I bet Saw 3D cost well under $15 million so, like all the other Saws, Lion's Gate is going to make tens of millions of dollars with this one too.


My hope is that

Carey Elwes

won't want to come back so even if they do another sequel, it could follow a Jigsaw copycat and start its own plotlines rather than being a direct continuation of the series and its characters.

I have watched saw 3d movie and it has entertained me a lot.