Tuesday, January 25, 2011

SAW 3D THE FINAL CHAPTER : IS IT REALLY THE END?


3-D has taken the theaters by storm this past year. So much so that everything but the kitchen sink has been tossed at audiences (and I’m not certain that even that hasn’t been thrown). Greek Gods to zombies have found there way to the format so is it any wonder that a horror series jumped on board? SAW 3D THE FINAL CHAPTER supplies that need.

Fans of the film series have loved every gruesome, gory scene offered. But now they had the chance to witness it in 3D in theaters. But with the movie being released on DVD in regular 2D format is it a good movie? Without the comin’ at ya type effects, is it any good? The answer is yes and no.

If you’ve been following the series at all you know that the film began with 2 people chained in a run down old subway type bathroom being provided knowledge of how they had wronged people and given a chance to make a choice, one that would involve some great pain or damage, but that would give them the chance to make write their wrongs.

The series continued in this vein with the main character of Jigsaw, the culprit who was behind the dangerous torture fueled traps that held each person captive, who in reality was John Kramer (Tobin Bell). It seems that John was diagnosed with an inoperable condition and then treated poorly by everyone from insurance agents to police. With nothing to lose, he set out to help people change their lives, giving them an opportunity to become valued members of society or perish in the process. Talk about tough love.

By the time this film opens, John’s last assistant has gone on a rampage and disgraced the original intent that John began with. Sure it was crazy, but Det. Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) has taken it into a whole different direction. As seen in the last film, rather than truly offering people a chance to change, he’s set out on making the traps inescapable. Instead of a chance it is now out and out murder.

It appeared that he was facing death at the hands of John’s wife (Betsy Russell) in the last film, but he escaped and is now searching for her as well as setting up a whole new game for Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flannery). It seems that Dagen claimed to be on of Jigsaw’s victims, profiting from writing a book about his experience and going on to creating self help groups for other victims as well as a DVD of their meetings.

Now Bobby must face Jigsaw for real in the form of Hoffman. And with each new trap we are witness to another form of torture that has the potential to end gruesomely and with much blood spilled. While not quite out and out torture porn, as this genre has been named, the film does have the viewer bear witness to some truly gut wrenching deaths. Perhaps not if you’ve seen the other films, but anyone just now jumping on may turn their head more often than once.

As Hoffman pursues John’s wife and sets in motion Bobby’s trial by fire, the police are hot on his trail. Tracking him through the clues left behind, they narrow it down. But will the get there in time to prevent another death forever linked to Jigsaw?

One thing the movie does offer is the chance for it to truly end. And the surprise ending here was one that caught me off guard and was actually quite satisfying. But it did offer the slightest chance for the series to continue. One can only hope that the makers of this series let it go out on a high note rather than milk it for one last dollar. I mean does anyone really feel the need to pull out JASON GOES TO MANHATTAN? Six films in a series that has only one (in my opinion) truly bad film is something to take pride in.

So if you’re a fan you’ll love this one. If you’ve come and gone, you’ll get a decent solution to the story. The lose ends are tied up nicely by the last minute. The series has a beginning, middle and an end. And the ending offered is satisfactory.

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