Saw 2
Having loved the first Saw movie, I figured it would be rude not to see the
second. While still not a 'kids movie' it certainly didn't have the edge
the last one had.
If you haven't seen the first one, the basic idea is that people wake up,
after having been drugged and kidnapped, to find they are trapped in
situations designed to test them. Each situation is customized to that
individual person and is usually explained by a scary looking puppet. They
involve things like "in order to find the key to unlock the bear trap around
your neck you must cut open this guy and dig through his intestines." As I
said before, not a kids movie. The first Saw dealt with two guys chained in
a bathroom trying to find the key to get lose. Throughout the movie you
become familiar with who they are, why they were chosen and to some extent
chose them in the first place. It was a very 'budget' horror movie with
a lot of unexpected twists. I loved it!
Saw 2 tries for the same effect as the first but falls a bit short. In this
sequel, it is a group of people trapped in a house trying to get out. During the course of the film, you realize why they are there, how they were
chosen and why. You also learn more about the person who kidnaps and
'tests' these people. While still interesting and worth the watch, it did
not have the life-or-death feeling that came with the first movie. The
people in this weren't restrained just confined to a house. Somehow the
mobility of them took away the desperation you felt in the first film. The
sequel was also very much a 'big budget horror movie done to look
low-budget.' The film quality was trying to look a lot poor than it truly
was compared to the first. Even the acting was trying to be low budget, yet
failing. There were all the dramatic pauses and close-ups associated with
cheap movies but having recognized a good portion of the actors, you knew
they weren't working on a total shoe-string budget.
All in all it was a pretty good movie. Maybe not one you need to see at the
cinema but certainly worth renting when it comes out. Not as spectacular as
the first but still had plenty of plot twists and turns.
I would give Saw 2 an overall rating of B.
Saw 2 gets a grade breakdown as follows:
Story: C. Just not as intereting as the first or perhaps too similar.
Acting: B. Decent but nothing extraordinary.
Visuals: B+. There were a few scenes that were quite disturbing -hypodermic needles, etc.
Originality/Innovation: C. Not as original as the first and almost too
much of a homage to the first without adding anything new and original.
Enjoyability grade: B. How can you not enjoy a movie about kidnapped people
being forced to endure horrible torture?
Overall grade: B. Watch it, you won't be sorry. Just don't expect too much.
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