After seven films, the never-ending ‘Saw’ horror franchise
finally ended in 2010. A leader in the ‘torture porn’ genre, its bloody visions
raked up a mountain of ghoulish dollars. Whether people enjoyed watching
that sort of thing didn’t matter as the series became one of the most
profitable horror franchises ever. That’s why we now have ‘Jigsaw’, the
eighth gory extravaganza. Proof that money can resurrect any stagnant
movie series, it shows one should never believe a movie’s ‘final chapter’ is
really the end.
A decade after his evil reign ended, serial killer Jigsaw
(Tobin Bell) is back. That’s what the police are led to believe as a new
series of murders fitting his pattern surface. They are baffled as Jigsaw
met a definitive end with his deadly earnest killings seemingly concluded after
his death. Unfortunately that’s little comfort to new victims including
Logan (Matt Passmore) and Halloran (Callum Keith Rennie) who are trapped in one
of his wicked torture chambers with death their only merciful escape.
It would be simple slamming ‘Jigsaw’ as violent rubbish but
that’s taking the easy way out. Whilst the violence is more subdued than
usual, it’s still ghastly to watch. To its credit ‘Jigsaw’ harks back to
the original concept of the ‘Saw’ series. This outing is more mystery and
suspense than endless gore as characters try to discover who is behind the
slayings. The answer isn’t easy to guess as the script makes an effort in
building on the established mythology with genuinely surprising twists.
The traps Jigsaw’s victims navigate are very hellish and
part of the grotesque ‘fun’. The creativity gone into crafting new vile
ways to kill might be concerning but the overall story maintains
interest. There are plot holes galore if you think too hard but the
franchise has never been known for its amazing story-telling. The
performances are reasonable even if the actors mostly just react to events than
instigating them. Bell has a grand time returning as the evil disciple of
carnage with his calm and frosty demeanour almost as chilling as the traps he
sets.
‘Jigsaw’ might not provide a charming night at the cinema
but devotees should admire it. Whether this is ‘the end’ again remains to
be seen. Only box office dollars will tell if Jigsaw returns for more
brutality with the prospects of further sequels scarier than the series’ main
antagonist.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 6
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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Patrick Moore's Movie Review is an alternative look at movie
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