Each new installment of the "Saw" trilogy gets gorier and gorier. Of course, nothing quite lives up to watching a leg get sawed off for the first time in "Saw;" however, "Saw III" definitely makes it difficult to keep your eyes open through its entirety.
"Saw III" begins where the second installment left off. A police officer has lost Jigsaw's game and is locked in the cellar. What will become of him? Well, viewers hear his agonizing moans, brace themselves for the inevitable and close their eyes — the first five minutes of the film open with a bang.
Unlike the first films in the trilogy, the main "players" are not introduced right away. Rather, we see many of resident psycho Jigsaw's crime scenes and learn that the games were enacted in a slightly different manner; each game is impossible to win. Begging the all-important question — is this the work of Jigsaw or a copycat?
We last left Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) practically on his deathbed. He is suffering from a brain tumor, which is the reason behind his sadistic games. He is dying, but what angers him the most is seeing people that are perfectly healthy live their lives in meaningless ways. These unlucky people are chosen by Jigsaw to be taught a lesson in life appreciation.
The main characters in this morbid "game" are a married couple consisting of a numb, aloof doctor named Lynn (Bahar Soomekh) and Jeff (Angus Macfadyen), an angry father seeking to avenge his son's death.
The rules of the game are simple: live or die trying. Each player must suffer though agonizing tests in order to remain alive. Jigsaw's "game" is meant to teach them to embrace the privileged lives they lead.
As with the others before it, there is a major twist in "Saw III." Jigsaw is not acting alone. He has a new protégé, who just so happens to be a character we've met before. Remember the girl who gets stuck in the reverse bear trap in the first one? Enter Amanda (Shawnee Smith), Jigsaw's new accomplice. As one of the few survivors of Jigsaw's lethal games, Amanda obviously suffers psychological trauma. She is an unstable person and is very easily manipulated by Jigsaw.
The psychological thrills of "Saw III" get into full swing as the unfeeling Lynn is captured. Her game is to keep Jigsaw alive while her husband (unbeknown to her) finishes his game. An explosive collar is forced upon Lynn, and if Jigsaw dies before Jeff succeeds, the collar will detonate and destroy her as well. Jeff, meanwhile, faces a group of negligent people connected with the hit-and-run of his son. His challenge is to forgive these people and eventually save them from a Jigsaw-esque fate. It's a race against time, and it's ticking fast; Jigsaw's health is quickly deteriorating.
Amanda is used as Jigsaw's pawn to physically carry out these horrors. She is now the one who rashly lunges out of closets in the creepy pig mask; she is the one who binds the victims to their traps, and she is the one who is to carry on Jigsaw's mission.
As the film progresses, however, viewers witness the fragility of Amanda's character. She becomes more and more unstable, which adds more complexity to the plot.
Then comes the unexpected twist. However, the psychological tension that was especially present in the first installment is lacking in this one. Each "player" faces abominable challenges, but the viewer's pity for them just isn't there. Perhaps the main reason we don't want them to die is because we can't take another dose of gore, not because we care about them.
Amanda's character is the most detestable, which is exactly how she is supposed to be. Once her involvement is revealed, we see that she was also responsible for the game with the cop. His response to her antics — "You're no Jigsaw, bitch" — couldn't be truer. Amanda lacks the intrigue of Jigsaw that has, quite possibly, made him one of the most notorious killers in the entire horror genre.
It is this intrigue that allows Tobin Bell to steal the show yet again. He depicts Jigsaw as some sort of twisted saint. Most horror movies don't teach a "moral lesson;" however, Jigsaw's game is to make unappreciative people realize how lucky they are and to go through life being thankful for everything they have. Granted, he is a sadistic freak, but he has a point somewhere in his twisted mind.
Ironically, one of the goriest scenes of this movie is not done to one of the players, but rather to Jigsaw himself. In order to save his life, Lynn must perform an operation on Jigsaw. Let's just say that viewers will take a twisted pleasure out of watching part of Jigsaw get mutilated (that is, if they can keep their eyes open the whole time).
Overall, the positives of "Saw III" outweigh the negatives. The third installment keeps up the continual story and reintroduces many of the characters in the first two. However, it seems like after this installment, the "Saw" trilogy may have run its course. Although the twists worked, they were slightly weaker than the first two. If another "Saw" is made, it will have worn out its welcome.
"Saw III" is definitely worth the trek to the nearest movie house. However, squeamish people probably won't appreciate the gore in this film. For the diehard horror movie fans with strong stomachs, "Saw III" sure won't disappoint.
Grade: 3 out of 5.
