i'm waiting to see it, cant wait to be honest
Have you seen it yet? What did you think of it?
I'll try and write a non-spoilery review for anyone who is considering seeing this but isn't sure. A week after 2 viewings I've had enough time to process it all and give an honest opinion on the film.
Saw V is a solid addition to the series. It's not amazing, it's not the best, it changes a few things, and to be honest they could have got away with not making it. You do leave the cinema with a lot of unanswered questions. Apparently these questions will be answered in Saw VI, but I think it's a bit odd to make a film that relies on a sequel that hasn't been made yet to be understood fully and stop it being a quite pointless film.
If the appeal of the Saw films is the traps then this should please any fan. There are some very inventive and gory traps in the movie (however there are also some fairly boring ones that are very obvious and easy to solve)
If you like the "Cherish your life" aspect of the film, and Jigsaw's theory of giving everyone a chance, making someone grateful for the life they live, this movie could annoy you. Several of the people being "tested" aren't given a chance, which isn't what the Saw movies are supposed to be about. On the flip side, even though a lot of the characters that are given a chance appear smarter than usual for this type of film, you quickly realize they aren't and you could spend a lot of time yelling for them to do the very obviously right thing while they do the exact opposite.
There are 2 plots in the film. One of them is a character figuring out what the audience already knows. The other is a set of tests and traps that at the moment seem to have no connection to any of the previous films.
As for the tagline: "You won't believe how it ends".....well no, you probably won't, you certainly won't see it coming. You might figure out what happens but not how. As I said above, IMO the ending has all but ruined the series for me, however it depends entirely on how you feel about certain characters, and where you want the next film to go.
If you have seen the previous 4 films and enjoyed them then you should see this movie, but don't go in expecting anything amazing, and don't expect to have many of your questions from the last films answered (at least not without leaving even more questions)
Overall I'd give it 6/10....but that includes an extra point for being the only film that contains a scene I can't watch.
Purely from a creative viewpoint (acting, directing, cinematography etc) this movie is a cut above the previous movies. David Hackl has proved he's got what it takes to direct. There are some great shots used throughout, and some of the transition shots are brilliant.
Some of the acting in the movie isn't great, but you expect that with a low budget horror. Several performances are stunning though. Tobin Bell is better than ever. Jigsaw is clearly a creepy maniac but he still manages to make you like him, feel sympathy for him, and understand where he's coming from. Costas Mandylor is great as Hoffman. Creepy throughout but also able to pull off the emotional scenes (though I find it hard to have sympathy for him simply because I hate the character,) Scott Patterson as Agent Strahm gave possibly the performance of his career so far (although unfortunately the reviews don't acknowledge this due to some strange decisions by the writers that sometimes make his lines seemed forced and unnatural) Can't go into details about his performance without spoiling the film, but it was haunting and stunning. Plus anyone who risks their life for a movie gets major kudos from me.
Charlie Clouser has once again delivered an outstanding score, including the best remix of "Hello Zepp" to date. Unfortunately it doesn't look like the score will be released anytime soon, instead they have insisted on releasing an album full of songs that are never used in the movie, but that apparently have some connection to the series. There are 2 Clouser tracks on that CD; they are good but not the best from the movie.
The acting, directing, soundtrack etc get a 9/10 from me; just a shame the actual storyline let everything down.
As for Saw VI….the rumours that it could be delayed, even cancelled are worrying. Fan of Saw V or not, I would NOT want the series to end with all those loose ends. Equally worrying is the other side of those rumours, that not only will Saw VI be ready for Oct 09, but Saw VII has been green lit and will be ready for an Oct 2010 release. I already think Saw VI is too much, but they need it to bring the series to a close. VII would be pointless, and would prove that Lionsgate are only in it for the money and don’t care what the fans want.
