Saw VI
Carl Manes | 08/18/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Lieutenant Hoffman thinks he has gotten away scotfree after framing Agent Straum as the Jigsaw copycat. What he doesn't know is that Agents Erickson and Perez have new evidence that they plan on using to finger the real killer. Meanwhile, Hoffman and Jill Tuck have set the newest game into play, one which will decide the fate of the insurance officer that denied Jigsaw his only chance of survival. If one thing can be said for the SAW franchise, it is that the look and feel of each of the films has remained steadily constant throughout the series. SAW VI is no different, sharing the same putrid color palette, grimy atmosphere, fast-cut editing, and contrived plot devices from before. It would be difficult to enjoy this entry outside of the context of the other films, however, since the plot twists and characters are each build upon the framework established in the previous installments. While some of the reveals are great new expansions to the earlier events, others feel like forced excuses to continue the series. SAW VI takes a bold political stance against the failing health care system in America, and the immoral choices made by the employees of the insurance company are intrinsically tied to this set of traps. Unfortunately, it is difficult to track and follow the expansive number of characters and sub-plots that are left open, and the cuts between the time and continuity in the series can be extremely disorienting. Despite being stuck with these unavoidable difficulties after joining so late in the series, Kevin Greutert is able to create several high-anxiety moments as Hoffman closer and closer to being identified as Jigsaw's accomplice. SAW fans will not be disappointed in the advancement of the storyline, inventive traps, or buckets of blood that SAW VI brings to the series.
-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies"