SAW III (2006)

It’s high time the horror scene got itself a new concept which can be used to produce a credible series of top fright flicks. Thanks to a relatively low budget movie release back in 2003, and a then fresh production company called Twisted Pictures, we now have something that grown-up fans of the genre can be proud of. Uncompromising, simplistic and sickeningly fun, Saw has achieved the kind of winning formula which can be reused again and again with little upheaval to the underlying plot. So that brings us neatly to the third and definitely not final episode in the tale of twisted serial killer Jigsaw and his many contraptions of death and dismemberment.

In Saw III Jigsaw is not alone as his newly revealed apprentice, Amanda stands by his side as his body slowly surrenders to a crippling cancer. As part of Jigsaw’s latest plan, Amanda is instructed to kidnap Lynn, a soulless doctor who is ordered to keep him alive whilst the real meat of the game unfolds. Jeff, a once loving husband and father whose life has taken him beyond the brink of despondency after the death of his son, wakes up in a wooden crate, deep in the bowls of Jigsaw’s labyrinth-like hideout. As he moves from room to room, Jeff encounters various people from his sad past that he see’s shoulder some responsibility for his sons demise and subsequent court trial. As Jeff moves closer to his final confrontation, the tension correspondingly increases by Jigsaw’s bedside as Amanda’s mental control begins to corrode, ultimately leading to a deadly climax.
Fans of the Saw series will know exactly what to expect from Saw III, the unwilling and unworthy get physically and mentally tested in various, usually gruesome ordeals which tend to end with said person being ripped limb from limb with the help of ingenious torture mechanisms which make the thumb-screw look like a device for erotic pleasure. I’m not about to spill the beans and list all the different way’s that people snuff it in this episode, after all that’s part of the fun, but sufficed to say ones to look out for are the chilling cold water torture and the excruciating rack scene which I guarantee will make you wince in pain more than once.

One important element to the Saw ethos is the inclusion of familiar characters and situations that appear throughout the series, lending stability to the proceedings. Unlike other horror saga’s where the main villain stay’s the same but the world around them changes dramatically, Saw is routed firmly in recognisable territory, rarely straying too far from the first episodes grimy beginnings. Whilst this approach could be criticised for its lack of originality, this reviewer feels that keeping a similar formula is just the very thing that makes the franchise so popular. Filmmakers far too often feel the need to meddle with things in an attempt to create something new, but take one look at Freddy and Jason and tell me I’m wrong. David Hackl returns from Saw II as production designer, once again creating the familiar forbidding locations which are associated with films brutal theme. Looking every bit like the location for the filming of a snuff movie, the debris scattered corridors and filth smeared cells are as much a character to the film as any of their unfortunate occupants.

Tobin Bell, who does a great job at conveying the understated evil which embodies the Jigsaw/John character, returns for his third outing as does Shawnee Smith as his unbalanced apprentice Amanda. Dina Meyer and Donnie Wahlberg also re-appear as cops on the trail of our elusive killer whose story elements are tied up nicely during Saw III. All this familiarity goes a long way to mask what is essentially a very simple story based around some very ingenious death scenes. But unlike the Final Destination series, Saw never pretends to be anything other than what it appears, and who can argue with that, after all Saw III opening in U.S theatres over the 2006 Halloween weekend, and thrashed the competition with the best result of the series yet, taking in $34 million. Now that demands a sequel which, predictably enough is in the works.
Lionsgate Home’s UK DVD release is touted as an all new ‘Extreme Edition’, which would appear as a pretty pointless statement considering that the theatrical version never really pulled any punches in the first place. Never the less, it makes for an eye catching cover so mission accomplished in that department. The DVD release runs in at around 109 minutes compared to the 108 minutes of the theatrical version, so don’t go expecting any great additions to the main feature such as a gruesome alien abduction or a victim cameo by Elvis. But once embraced, you’ll find a lot to keep you entertained well after the final drop of blood has been spilt. If you’re into feature commentaries you won’t be disappointed as the Saw III DVD contains no less than 3 versions featuring various production personnel such as director Darren Lynn Bousman, writer/producer Leigh Whannell and director of photography David A Armstrong. Coming onto the real meat of the disk, we have a 9 minute feature called The Traps of Saw III which, as you might have guessed looks at the devious designs employed to torment the films victims. This is actually a very intriguing feature which reveals some interesting detail about the conception of each major set piece. Next up is The Details of Death: The Props of Saw III, an 8 minute feature on various key items used in the film such as Billy the Puppet, Jigsaw’s prosthetic head and maggot encrusted dead pigs. Darren’s Diary: Anatomy of a Director is a 9 minute feature following Darren Lynn Bousman as he commands his army of actors and crew around the set. There are also 2 deleted scenes with the first running in at over 4 minutes.