Search - Saw VI (Widescreen Unrated Edition) on DVD

Game On...

Andrew Estes | Maine | 11/03/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Say what you will about Saw and its myriad of sequels. One simply cannot deny how resilient and durable this series has been throughout the better half of the decade. One could say this is the Friday the 13th or A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise of our time, and they wouldn't be wrong. Like such films, the sequels of "Saw" are made on a shoe-string budget, featuring virtually unknown actors, which in turns makes its studio a whole boat-load of money each year, which in turn greenlights the next sequel, narrative logic be damned. Lather, rinse, repeat. You get the idea.



In the latest installment, "Saw VI," John Kramer, a.k.a. Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is still teaching his lessons to the morally corrupt from beyond the grave. With some careful pre-planning and the aid of a mentor or two, new traps are rolled out designed to test the will of its subjects. This time around, the plot takes a page from current events, as we find irresponsible lenders and negligent healthcare companies at the receiving end. No doubt, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan's script requires a grain of salt to take down. For the first time, a "Saw" film gets topical and in turn, it's probably one of the easiest of the six to sit through, barring a rather gruesome opening scene that will have even the most seasoned horror fans squirming in their seat a bit. Fact of the matter is, the film is designed as pure escapism.



Now, having said that, there are definitely a few key issues that make this one of the dullest saws in the toolbox. First off, the left-over plot from Saw V (Unrated Director's Cut) is handled in an almost rushed, haphazard sort of way. It's like they wanted to get the Hoffman saga out of the way in order to focus on the carnage candy. The overall narrative suffers for it, as there are plot-holes abound and many questions still left in the air. Conversely, new twists and turns in the game are unearthed, but for the most part, feel forced and convoluted. The sad fact is that this franchise is running out of steam and is truly starting to show its age.



As it stands, though, "Saw VI" is about as good as a sixth installment in any horror franchise has any right to be. It's not perfect, but the fans who have piled into the theaters in the past to see what Jigsaw had in store for them will more than likely walk away satisfied with this latest affair. It has the brains not to take itself as heavily as its predecessors, but at the same time, sacrifices much of the intelligence and intricacies this franchise has become known for. Enjoy it for what it is, and look out for Eddie Winslow of "Family Matters" fame himself, Darius McCrary in a minor role.

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Major Turn Around

Blaine Inagaki | Florida | 12/31/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I got into the Saw series the year Saw IV was coming out. I don't know what had made me wish to watch the first installment, but I did. And after finishing it I was truly amazed, I was hooked from Saw I. Saw II was one of my favorites because it had alot more interation. Saw III was great, but the first few times, I thought it was a bit slower than what I wanted, which I'm now fine with it's pace.



Saw IV wasn't all what the series needed when it had been released. After all the Saw fans had to deal with hearing people wish they had stopped at III, and also doubting where the creators could possibly go with the story now that John Kramer had passed. Yea...it was pretty slick making the story take place during the time Saw III was playing, but it didn't do what the series needed it to do.



Saw V was a slight improvement, it slowed down alot and allowed you to better understand all that was taking place. But it still didn't have enough redemption to make a full recovery from Saw IV. But nonetheless, I was determined to keep watching the series until the end.



....Saw VI....Of all the films that have been in this series, in my opinion, this by far comes closest to beating the amazement that Saw I gave to it's veiwers than what II, III, IV, & V could have ever done. Opening with one of the most brutal traps in the whole series, this film kicked of to an amazing start. *SPOILER AHEAD* Another thing that made this film well was how it pulled it's victims not from the underbelly of society [prostitutes, arsonists, people having affairs, those wishing the deaths of others, etc.], but from an Insurance Firm/Agency. *END OF SPOILER* It was a very smooth move on the people who helped script the movie to go with such a choice, because although we can think of plenty of kinds of people that would be perfect Jigsaw Victims. We don't necessarily think to place those sort of people at the top of our lists.



Overall Saw VI was a MAJOR improvement for the "2nd Trilogy" of the Saw series, although it left us with some questions, it answered so many that the fans needed/wanted to know the answers to. If you haven't watched any of the Saw films, you need to ATLEAST give the series a chance and watch Saw I. It is truly more than just mindless slasher film.



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