DVD Review: Saw VI
Saw VI (2009)
Studio: Lionsgate
Directed by: Kevin Greutert
Cast: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Costas Mandylor, Peter Outerbridge
Review by: Marc Patterson
The first thing I’d like to do is to clear the air on where I stand with this long running franchise of horror. Simply said, I’m not a fan of the Saw series of films. I’m not dissing them, or pissing on them, or saying that they are bad. Okay. Part four and five were bad. Dreadfully so. But generally, I don’t find these films to be my slice of the macabre. I did enjoy the original film, so much so that I upgraded my DVD copy to Blu-ray. The original took the idea of what a cleverly written slasher could be to an entirely new level. It was, as they say, groundbreaking and (gulp – dare I say it?) game changing. That said, by part five I don’t believe the series had anything new left to say. If you ask me I think it ran out of steam right after the closing credits to part two. So by the time part five came around the franchise had boiled itself down to an ultra-convoluted plot line that served nothing but to showcase increasingly tiring bits of torture porn. We get it already. The Jigsaw Killer wants to HELP you. This is therapy, not murder.
Enter Saw VI.
Saw VI took a pummeling at the box office from the new kid on the block – Paranormal Activity, but for those of you who DID go see Saw VI you know that this film was a return to form for this tired old franchise. Showcasing smart writing, and great kill-sets, this was truly the Saw film that we should be seeing every October. Part VI begins with a gut wrenching scene where two corrupted mortgage brokers, one of whom is portrayed by Tanedra Howard (the winner of VH1′s original series Scream Queens), must compete against each other in a nasty game of self mutilation to survive. Happy consolation prize to you Tanedra. Watching you hack off your body parts will haunt me for the rest of the evening.
Now that everyone is into the Jigsaw spirit of things again it’s time to kick off the sixth installment proper-like and dig into the story. But first, the question must be begged – Can you watch Saw VI without having seen all the prior films? I would say no. I mean, you could. But it sure wouldn’t make a hell of a lot of sense in the grand scheme of things. So, if you haven’t seen them, do so. Or at least get some good CliffsNotes. Without going through the long and winding road that would be called catching you up we’ll take into assumption that you HAVE seen all these films, and proceed with the remainder of the review in such spoilerish fashion. Please make note, I will not spoil this film for you, only the prior ones.
Picking up where things left off in part five Agent Strahm is dead. Jigsaw AKA John Kramer is dead. Amanda is dead. Goddamnit, but there’s not but a couple of folks alive. No matter, the games shall continue. The brooding Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) is very much alive, and the only real remaining successor to Jigsaw. We re-visit that lock-box of John Kramer from part five and now explore the contents as the final plans of Jigsaw are laid out to play. This final game goes after the high ranking insurance executive William Easton (Peter Outerbridge) that denied Kramer’s claim, ultimately signing Kramer’s death warrant. With him in this carefully constructed game are six of Easton’s key lackeys. There’s certainly a healthy dose of heavy handed sub-text regarding the mortgage crisis, and the current state of health care in America. So much so, it hardly qualifies as sub-text. Hell, it’s written right into the plot. Upping the tension in the film is the FBI who is tightening a noose around Hoffman’s neck. Sure, they don’t know they’re after Hoffman yet, but they do know Strahm is dead, and that he’s being made to appear alive.
I think I echo the sentiment of every horror loving fan when I say that Saw VI finally got it right again. Hell, for a guy that admittedly doesn’t like the franchise it got me interested in seeing what could happen next. I already credited the film for its smart writing. This is evidenced in the careful balance of creeping tension into the main plot with the cat and mouse game between the FBI and Hoffman, while simultaneously filling in some backstory on John Kramer, and dousing the audience with some non-partisan commentary on our current affairs. The way this was structured around the centerpiece of explosive violence and meticulously designed traps was brilliant. That being said, I can’t help but criticize the film for its grand departure from the simple bare-boned games that defined the first film to the elaborate rat in a maze style traps that are mind boggling to behold. Impressive? Sure. Realistic? Far from it. It seems that with every installment the ante is upped. What’s next? A barbed wire and razor blade theme park? As smart as this film may have been, and as big of a jump back to the roots of what made Saw so refreshing, it still reeks of pushing the outer limits of possibility. There’s a distinct feeling that there’s really not much left to explore, which leads me to my next point…
In terms of the DVD packaging I have to address the tidbit that’s been circulating the horror sphere like a rampant case of herpes. That being the post-credit bonus scene added into the Unrated DVD. The scene is short, but it really messes up our nice and tidy universe with a twist not many could see coming. For those of you who haven’t heard about it, or seen it, I’m not going to talk about it. First rule of review writing: You don’t talk about the spoilers. But I will say it was a real mind-fuck and got me looking forward to what’s going to happen in part seven. But I mentioned pushing the limits of the story line, didn’t I? Plot wise the franchise is running thin, and even a good idea, such as what was hinted at in this final bonus scene, represents a regurgitation of roles. Given that part seven will be in 3-D we can only hope that it won’t be gimmicky and will retain the intelligence that has finally returned to the series.
Packaging wise, this DVD does justice for the fans. I’m not the kind of guy that needs to be bogged down with excessive extras. One or two good commentary tracks, a making of, and I’m pretty much good. This DVD gets you covered in those areas with two commentary tracks – one from the producers, another from director Kevin Greutert, and writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton. Add on trailers, music videos, and two additional features – Jigsaw Revealed and The Traps of Saw VI – and you pretty much have the definitive DVD edition.
For fans of the franchise this is a must see film. But if you’re a fan of the franchise you don’t need me to tell you that. You probably have picked up a copy, or have plans to do so shortly. If you’re not a fan, then I have to ask – What the hell are you doing still reading this review?
Oh – and if you want to read our theatrical review from Bryce Holland, who actually IS a fan of the series then do so here.
