Review: Saw II

Saw II (2005)

The second Saw film had quite a bit to live up to but it’s not as if the first Saw hit perfection. Saw effectively ended on a cliff hanger with Dr. Lawrence Gordon crawling away with his bleeding leg, and that bathroom door closing to the sound of Jigsaw’s “Game Over”. So it isn’t as if this film was particularly difficult to write a storyline for, since all they need were more traps and more character development on behalf of Jigsaw (which the film actually does superbly).

The main storyline to Saw II is centred on seven people who haven’t been appreciating their lives enough, and the son of Detective Eric Matthews, a troubled officer who leads the new group of police protagonists trying to track down Jigsaw. The group of eight awake in a worn down house, with poison causing through their veins (a terrible Saw cliché), and the only way to survive is to find one of the hidden antidotes. One antidote is in a safe in the starting room, but the clues to the combination don’t initially mean much and only come to light at the end.

The characters in Saw II are some of the best the series has to offer. The group of eight are diverse in terms of personality, with some quiet thinkers and others maniac aggressors. The most likeable character is probably Jonah, who seemed to be more interested in the survival of “the group”, rather than just himself. Amanda returns from the first Saw, to face another test from Jigsaw and adds experience to the group as well as being one of the “good guys”. Detective Matthews and Officer Rigg are also introduced to the series, Matthews obviously has more developed character as he is in the focus of the story, but expect to see Rigg in the next few Saw films.

One of the things I most enjoyed about Saw II was John Kramer’s (Jigsaw) character development as a cancer patient who attempted suicide. His goal in life is revealed and more about why he tests people is told. Unfortunately, the traps of Saw II just don’t cut it. The biggest negative about this film by far is the lack of creativity in killing. Ironically, the best trap is probably the first which is merely an intro, and involved a man named Michael trying to break free from a metal Venus flytrap around his head.

Overall, I enjoyed watching Saw II. Although Jigsaw’s character development, the stellar cast and the quite brilliant twist at the end still make this one of the better Saw films, the lack of any great traps hold it back from being the best. Gore is abundant however, particularly in one scene at the end, and bear in mind, this is definitely better than the later entries into the franchise. I recommend buying this film if you really liked Saw I, and renting it if you’re on the fence.

Score: 7.0  

Recommendation: Buy if a Saw fan/Rent if not sure