Jigsaw Says Fifth Time’s the Charm
It’s the weekend before Halloween 2008 and Saw V has opened in movie theaters across the nation. Although John “Jigsaw” Kramer has been dead for two films already, his work lives on (and will for at least one more sequel as Tobin Bell has signed on for the sixth installment of the series which should premiere next year if tradition holds). Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) is carrying on Jigsaw’s game while Special Agent Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson) continues the hunt.
Hackl Brings More Gore, More Guts, More Blood and More Backstory
The movie plays with the constructs of time, characterization and the medium of blood, guts and gore like the previous films. Although the director is new (David Hackl is a previous Production Designer on the second, third, and fourth installment of the Saw series), he has a real knowledge of the story. The audience receives more in-depth information about the relationship between Hoffman and Kramer, learning how long their association has gone on and how significant the ties really are.
Also making a re-appearance is Jigsaw’s lovely ex-wife Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell). She is given a mysterious box after her husband’s death. Although the audience doesn’t learn the contents of the box, we can surmise what they are and know they have something to do with the game that is currently a-foot and know that they will factor into the sequel somehow.
Hoffman is juggling the clean-up from Jigsaw’s death and his new promotion with the pressures of beginning a new game and the fact that Strahm is hot on his heels. How Hoffman does it may not surprise you, but it will probably disgust you.
Does the Saw Formula Still Work?
Some critics complain that Saw has lost some of its brilliance because it’s become ‘formulaic’. It’s losing its audience. Saw was beaten at the Box Office by High School Musical 3. It’s not as relevant as it once was. Well, sure some of those pieces of information may be true, but this is also true. Saw is also one of the best movie series to ever come out of the horror genre ever.
It is intelligent, well-written, horrifying and masterful. The cast, crew and creators of the series have put a great deal of thought, effort and work into building a world that draws many of us in each time a new movie comes out. Jigsaw doesn’t kill for the love of it as he tells Det. Hoffman in this movie. He finds murder ‘distasteful’. He believes in rehabilitation. He believes in rules. That only by facing one’s mortality can he/she truly find the value in his/her life. It is by almost losing one’s life that one can find its worth.
In a way, therefore, Saw transcends horror and becomes sort of a morality play by which we all learn a bit about the darkest parts of ourselves.
Let the games begin...again!
Deanna Couras Goodson - I am a freelance writer and content contributor to several online sites such as Tourneyblog, Bettingpro and more. I am a web content ...
