Directed by:
Darren Lynn BousmanCinematography:
David A. ArmstrongComposer:
Charlie ClouserCast:
Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Donnie Wahlberg, Erik Knudsen, Franky G, Glenn Plummer, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Beverley Mitchell, Dina Meyer, Lyriq Bent, Noam Jenkins (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
SAW II finds Jigsaw playing two games simultaneously: one involving eight victims who wake up in a crumbling house and must solve their mastermind’s riddle before their insides are destroyed by poison; and the other with Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg), whose rebellious son is among the eight captives. Also among the abducted is Amanda (Shawnee Smith), who was introduced in SAW as the only victim to have survived Jigsaw’s tests. Desperate to save his son, Detective Matthews resorts, not for the first time, to brutality and trickery. It’s a decision that leads him right into a trap designed by Jigsaw in collaboration with his new apprentice: Amanda. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (8)
John "Those who don't appreciate life do not deserve life" Kramer has set up another game of suffering. The biggest issue was a dislocated jaw from yawning due to the lack of suspension of disbelief and blurring before the eyes from epileptic editing. It tries to revive itself with a crucial surprise moment at the end, in the style of the first one, but I was already too exhausted. Play the song by New Kids on the Block "Let's Try It Again"…
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The film has excellent gore and really makes you feel the pain. That's the end of the plus side, and all we have is a bunch of unsympathetic meat to the slaughter, which is perversely unbelievably moronic in every way and also can't even act. The first installment gets full marks for its quality contribution to the genre despite a ridiculous budget. The next installments will be nothing but calculating, reputation-raping, but the truth is that for all their filth I will watch them. Oh, and the sped-up editing sequence sux.
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No matter how problematic the first installment was, its originality couldn't be denied. The sequel, however, is about something else entirely. I wasn't interested in the contrived victim storyline at all this time, instead I was annoyed that it took away most of the attention from the trapped Jigsaw. His word games and precise cat-and-mouse game far surpass the events in the house, where people behave like lunatics, disregarding all warnings and diving headfirst into suspicious situations without any thought of elaborate traps. It's just a shame that, even though the twist can take your breath away, it takes away a lot of the momentum from the previous events. While tension and surprises shouldn't be forgotten, logic is completely disregarded.
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The first part is an easily forgettable mix of violence and directorial invention. The sequel is similar in that regard, but it also lacks originality and creativity compared to its predecessor. What remains are only brutal acts of murder in all possible and impossible ways, somewhat decent acting performances, and a surprising (which does not necessarily mean very good) conclusion. As a positive aspect, I consider the inclusion of the main villain into the story and the many new intricately designed traps. On the negative side, it follows the exact same narrative structure as the first part, which makes Saw 2 essentially a copy, unfortunately. Not really worth watching – simply once and that's it.
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The second movie didn't hit the right note for me. Unfortunately. I see the main problem as the directing style of Darren Lynn Bousman. The choppiness with really crazy editing sometimes makes your eyes hurt. But even the story itself didn't manage to hook me the way I would ideally have hoped. The acting was probably okay, and Donnie Wahlberg was a pleasant surprise. At least the climactic ending worked for the creators (that's something the Saw series can do). But otherwise, it's a weaker addition to this saga. I give it a 4/10.
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