Saw 3D (2010)
The final chapter in the Saw saga, Saw 3D bringing us Saw in the third dimension for the first time, aims to close the franchise on a well deserved high. After all, it wouldn’t be pretty to see a series that has ran for six films prior to look like it was scraping the barrel would it? Unfortunately, it does. Bringing us one final twist to the drama, should Saw 3D be welcomed by the fans of the series as a fitting finale?
The main game in Saw 3D is for the fourth time out of seven a set of challenges faced by one man on his “road to recovery/redemption” in which he must save friends, foes or relatives from having their lives taken by Jigsaw. This time the subject is Bobby Dagen, a survivor of Jigsaw who is using his tale to sell copies of his motivational DVDs. This commercialisation of Jigsaw isn’t kindly looked upon, so he must face the ultimate test to prove himself, and save his fiancée from being incinerated. The set of games that Bobby faces are somewhat disappointing, the standout game being one where he must guide a blindfolded friend across a series of beams.
While Bobby’s game is ensuing Hoffman has turned his attention to Jill Tuck and the business of killing her. Jill becomes paranoid and starts to have nightmares of her slaughtering, while Hoffman has turned into a psychopathic monster whose purpose is to kill. It is disappointing since Hoffman had turned out to be quite the protagonist (in my opinion) in Saw VI, and now he turns evil, not looking the slightest bit human. It would have been nice if this Jill Tuck vs. Hoffman fight had been more of a fight and less like a cat and mouse chase, Jill should have stood her ground with Hoffman more often.
Offering Jill protection is the most Neanderthal of police forces. Detective Matt Gibson (Chad Donella) is welcomed to the franchise inexcusably late, and a bad choice of character to be brutally honest. Far less experienced or tough than his fallen predecessors, the generic detective falls way short of the standard that the ultimate last man standing officer in the Saw series should have. Also, where is Detective Fisk? A case file showed that he was working on the Jigsaw murders since the very first case, he featured in Saw IV and V, so why not have returned a friendly face for the last instalment?
Highlights of this film are a cameo appearance from Chester Bennington (Linkin Park) in a trap that if he fails will triggers a nasty sequence of events involving an out of control car. The first (and only) ever public Jigsaw trap, where a love triangle must decide which lover dies a blade spinning related death, and the appearance of Cary Elews as Dr. Lawrence Gordon, who returns for a very short amount of screen time. Tobin Bell hardly gets a mention either, appearing in one... possibly two scenes throughout the entire film.
The film ends on a ridiculous, farfetched note that barely even makes sense. Some of the scenes are almost laughably bad, one in which Hoffman encounters a police station, which involves plenty of stabbing, is just stupidity. I feel let down by Saw 3D. Apparently its use of 3D cinema is decent but not the best, I however didn’t watch Saw 3D at the cinema. Why even include “3D” in the title, it just throws you off course. Call it Saw 7 at least for goodness sake! Whatever they called it, it wouldn’t have made a difference, this film was really poor.
Score: 3.0
Recommendation: Almost ignore, but maybe a cheap rental if you’re a devoted Saw fan
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