Saw II (Widescreen Edition)
by Darren Lynn Bousman
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Actor: Beverley Mitchell, Donnie Wahlberg, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Franky G, Tobin BellDirector: Darren Lynn Bousman
Brand: LIONS GATE HOME ENT.
Writer: Darren Lynn Bousman
Producer: Daniel J. Heffner
Producer: Greg Copeland
Producer: Gregg Hoffman
Producer: James Wan
Producer: Jason Constantine
Writer: Leigh Whannell
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 93 minutes
Published: 2006-02-01
DVD Release Date: 2006-02-14
Audience Rating: NC-17
Studio: Lions Gate Films
DVD Reviews of Saw II (Widescreen Edition)
DVD Review: "Those that don't appreciate life do not deserve life."
Summary: 4 Stars
That mischievous scamp Jigsaw's back, continuing on with his own, twisted version of `You Bet Your Life' by putting people of his choosing through the grinder, forcing them to choose between life or death, the former always seeming to require some form of bodily mutilation, either to one's self or to another, while the latter generally involves a spectacularly gristly demises, guaranteeing a good time for viewers no matter which way it goes. Co-written by Leigh Whannell (Saw) and Darren Lynn Bousman, the latter also directing here, Saw II (2005) features once New Kid on the Block singer Donnie `Donnie D' Wahlberg (The Sixth Sense, Dreamcatcher), Tobin Bell (Mississippi Burning, Saw) and Shawnee Smith (Summer School, Who's Harry Crumb?), the last two actors both reprising their roles from the original film. Also appearing is Franky G (Wonderland), Glenn Plummer (Showgirls, The Substitute), Dina Meyer (Dragonheart, Starship Troopers), Emmanuelle Vaugier (40 Days and 40 Nights), Erik Knudsen (Tribulation), and Beverley Mitchell ("7th Heaven").
After a killer opening sequence involving a half-nekkid man fitted with a particularly nasty piece of headgear, we meet police detective Eric Mathews (Wahlberg). Seems Eric's life isn't going all that great...he's separated from his wife, his son Daniel (Knudsen) despises him, and his career has taken something akin to a nosedive straight into the porcelain (he now rides a desk)...and things are about to go from bad to worse, as the serial killer known as Jigsaw has taken a personal interest in Eric, so much so he engages Eric in a game, one that involves his son being trapped in a dilapidated house in an undisclosed location with a bunch of social miscreants (including Amanda, from the first film, played by Ms. Smith), slowly being poisoned by some type nerve gas, while all of their activities are being fed through surveillance cameras connected to monitors within Jigsaw's lair. In order to counteract the poison, those in the house must participate in certain challenges, as successful completion allows access to an antidote, but if you've seen the first film, you'll know said challenges most definitely involve great sacrifice (usually of one's own body part). As Eric and Jigsaw go back and forth (a good deal of Jigsaw's past is revealed), those in the house learn that they all have something in common, that is when they aren't getting something severed off in a devious trap or puking up blood due to prolonged exposure to the nerve gas. As time runs out, the situation within the house takes a turn for the worse (one of the group decides it's a `only the strongest survive' type situation), and things aren't looking good for Eric's son, forcing Eric to use some `old school' information extraction methods on Jigsaw to find the location of the house. Eric finally gets Jigsaw to come clean (sort of), but then again, given his penchant for elaborately planned scenarios, it could just all be a part of the game...
First off let me just say this is one filthy, nasty, mean spirited horror film, loaded with disturbing imagery (that's about the dirtiest bathroom I've ever seen this side of the gas station down the street) and lots of blood and pain (and blood). Is it the nastiest piece of work I've seen? Not by a long shot, but it definitely holds it own. I really enjoyed this movie, and I thought it was an excellent example of what a sequel should be for this type of film, one that not only expands on the original, but also reveals a good deal of information with regards to the main, connecting character, that being Jigsaw, played most excellently by Tobin Bell. We learn his name, his past, and the motivation behind why he does what he does...and I have to say, in listening to him, his reasoning doesn't seem all that far-fetched, as many people do take that which is most precious to them, their lives, for granted, not fully appreciating what they have until they're forced to face their own mortality (having your head stuck in a bear trap set to a timer will certainly go far in helping you reevaluate your life choices). But then again, it is our unalienable right to disregard our gifts and live a life of slovenly leisure should we choose to do so...but I digress. As far as the performances go, I thought most did well enough (I found Eric's son to be an annoying little prat) considering there wasn't really enough time to spend on any one character given the number of them running around combined with the film's seemingly short running time (it says 93 minutes, but it felt more like about an hour and twenty minutes). The real fun here is the various traps, as Jigsaw continues his grand, social experimentation, `testing the fabric of human nature'...the opening sequence, featuring a vicious head trap (slightly different than the one featured in the first film), is worth it alone for seeing this film, as it's about the most tense five minutes I've spent with a movie in a while. If'n you're squeamish about needles, you've got a real treat in store for you here...also, that suspended hand trapping device was particularly nasty, although I have to say, the person who fell for it was none to bright. Seemed to me a normal person would have figured out the danger after putting one hand in, and would have opted against inserting the second, but, when you're doped up silly on nerve gas, who's to say what one might do? As far as the direction of the film, Darren Lynn Bousman doesn't seem to have the overall smooth finesse of James Wan (who directed the first film), but he definitely knows what he's doing, and he does it very well (what's really impressive is this was his first, big feature). Bousman keeps things moving along at a frantic pace, barely allowing for one to catch one's breath. My only real misgiving about this film was at the end...there's a decent revelation that comes about, followed by an overly lengthy recap sequence where we get to rewatch all the stinking clues dropped throughout the film, perhaps in an effort to strengthen (or help explain) the revelation itself. This isn't an uncommon device, one that I feel sort of suggests the filmmaker feels their audiences are none too bright. Problem is here (for me, at least), it wasn't really necessary, was way too long, and served only to eat up screen time. All in all, if you liked the first one, then you'll most likely dig this follow up.
The picture, presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1), looks excellent, and the audio, available in both Dolby 2.0 Surround and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX Plus comes through perfectly. As far as extras, there's a audio commentary track with director Darren Lynn Bousman and actors Donnie Wahlberg and Beverley Mitchell, three featurettes titled `Bits and Pieces - The Props of Jigsaw' (4:35), `Jigsaw's Game' (2:58), and `The Traps of Saw II', which is made up of four parts, each discussing a particular trap. Also included are storyboards and a conceptual art gallery, English and Spanish subtitles, a theatrical trailer for the film, along with advertisements/trailers for other Lion's Gate DVD releases like the special edition Saw 2 DVD set, Three... Extremes (2004), Audition (1999), Ultimate Avengers (2006), and Tamara (2005).
Cookieman108
By the way, seems Darren Lynn Bousman is busy working on Saw III, scheduled for a 2006 release, probably around Halloween, if production goes well.
Description of Saw II (Widescreen Edition)
JIGSAW IS BACK! THE BRILLIANT DISTURBED MASTERMIND WHO WREAKEDHAVOC ON HIS VICTIMS IN 2004'S SAW IS BACK FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF HORRIFYING LIFE OR DEATH GAMES. DVD FEATURES AUDIO COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR AND ACTORS, THE PROPS OF SAW 2, AND DECONSTRUCTING JIGSAWS TRAPS!Bestsellers in DVD
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