Saw - No spoilers

As long as we recognize Lucas is washed up and most TV sucks, we'll all get along fine.
Post Reply
Paul
Posts: 8458
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 5:02 pm
Location: KY
Contact:

Post by Paul »

Saw

My rating: It's a "reach around" better than Cutthoat Island.

Premise: Two men are chained to opposite sides of an abandoned bathroom. (One is a doctor played by Cary Elwes.) They each claim to have been kidnapped by a serial killer called "Jigsaw."
Between them (out of reach) is dead man and a gun. The dead man's blood is poisonous (important later, but by no means a spoiler). Hidden in the room are various clues and items.
They soon discover that their captor wants one to kill the other. This is the killer's way of teaching people to appreciate life. The one alleged survivor of Jigsaw said that she appreciated the lesson she learned.

My review: I saw this movie at "world famous Chinese Theatre" in Hollywood. The last movie I remember seeing there was E.T., so it's been awhile. After leaving the green room we had nothing to do so we looked for a movie across the street. Saw was the most promising thing showing at the time.

I had seen Kiss the Girls for the first time a month earlier, so I kept thinking that Cary Elwes was revising his role from that movie. His acting was terrible in Saw. His stiffness worked in The Princess Bride and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, but not in this movie.

I don't buy who the killer turned out to be. If anyone cares to start a spoiler thread I'll say why.

Watch it if you must. Just don't expect to want to watch it again.
nicola
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:02 pm
Location: ny
Contact:

Post by nicola »

http://www.upcominghorrormovies.com/movies/saw2.php

looks like theres gonna be a sequel, whoohoo
Leisher
Site Admin
Posts: 70466
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 9:17 pm
Contact:

Post by Leisher »

Well, I finally saw Saw.

It was scatterbrained. A great idea that was carried off, but not well.

Little things will annoy you after the movie has ended more than during. Although, one scene in particular with the police is easily one of the worst written scenes in movie history. The scene isn't horrible to watch because its terribly stupid, its just horrible to watch because of the total lack of realism. It makes The Matrix look like a documentary on PBS. How two writers decided to write a scene involving police procedures that is critical to their storyline when neither knows the first thing about them is beyond me.

I agree about Cary Elwes' acting. He phoned it is, as did Danny Glover.

Still, its an entertaining flick with an original type of killer, but it could have been much better.

I also agree about who it turned out to be. The writers obviously understand serial killers about as well as they understand the police.

Still, 6 out of 10. I like serial killer flicks.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
Paul
Posts: 8458
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 5:02 pm
Location: KY
Contact:

Post by Paul »

I'd have liked it better if...
1) There were decent "oh I should have caught that" clues to the killer's identity.
2) There were clues that linked the killer's identity with the killer's MO.
3) The acting was better. Glover was passable. Elwes sucked.
4) The red herring wasn't so obvious that it was an obvious mislead.
Vince
Posts: 8624
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 10:00 pm
Location: In bed with your mom

Post by Vince »

I thought it was quite the mind f**k.

I liked it.
"... and then I was forced to walk the Trail of Tears." - Elizabeth Warren
Leisher
Site Admin
Posts: 70466
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 9:17 pm
Contact:

Post by Leisher »

I wouldn't call it a mind fuck by any stretch of the imagination.

I'd explain why but it'd be a spoiler.




Edited By Leisher on 1104869177
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
Vince
Posts: 8624
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 10:00 pm
Location: In bed with your mom

Post by Vince »

I wasn't talking about it being a mind f**k because of any plot twists, but because of the psychological aspects of it.

It was very disturbing. Very graphic without showing much of anything.
"... and then I was forced to walk the Trail of Tears." - Elizabeth Warren
Leisher
Site Admin
Posts: 70466
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 9:17 pm
Contact:

Post by Leisher »

because of the psychological aspects of it.

It was very disturbing. Very graphic without showing much of anything.


Gotcha.

Yeah, the concept is exceptional it just wasn't pulled off as well as it should have been.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
Leisher
Site Admin
Posts: 70466
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 9:17 pm
Contact:

Post by Leisher »

Just re-watched this and Cary Elwes' horrible acting cannot be overstated. Ditto for the weaker spots of the plot. It's still a fantastic concept, it just wasn't executed very well.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
Malcolm
Posts: 32040
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 1:04 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Post by Malcolm »

Watched the entire franchise last week. Complete shit for seven movies.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Leisher
Site Admin
Posts: 70466
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 9:17 pm
Contact:

Post by Leisher »

7? I thought there were only 5.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
Malcolm
Posts: 32040
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 1:04 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Post by Malcolm »

Nope. Seven, with rumours of an eigth bandied about for a couple years. They tie up loose ends with Mrs. Kramer, Det. Hoffman, Amanda, and Dr. Gordon.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
GORDON
Site Admin
Posts: 56735
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2004 10:43 pm
Location: DTManistan
Contact:

Post by GORDON »

I think I stopped at 3. Maybe saw the 4th one in the theater as a goof. Not sure.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
TPRJones
Posts: 13418
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 2:05 pm
Location: Houston
Contact:

Post by TPRJones »

There was more than one?

Why?
"ATTENTION: Customers browsing porn must hold magazines with both hands at all times!"
Malcolm
Posts: 32040
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 1:04 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Post by Malcolm »

TPRJones wrote:There was more than one?

Why?
They kept turning a profit.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Post Reply