Review - Saw 2

Hello again fear mongers. Mr B and I decided on an impromptu horror double bill when hanging out last night and now Im sharing the resulting thoughts, views and opinions with you faithful few frighteners. Stay tuned for a special piece on Texas Chain Saw Massacre (the remake) in a style you haven’t seen before but first our more traditional thoughts and my review of the first film we watched, Saw 2.
I was surprised I talked Mr B into this but my excitable descriptions of pieces I recalled (I remembered quite digging this before) convinced him, so in the disc went, we munched on petrol station snacks, as has become the norm, and the logo’s played, much to Mr B’s approval, oh how things went downhill from there.
The film opens with a trap in progress (SPOILER ALERT – If you haven’t seen Saw 2 and ever plan on coming to it fresh then stop reading right now!). This involves a hapless victim having to gouge out his eye to retrieve a key to a death “mask” laden with spikes which will snap shut on him in a few seconds. Supposedly this is his poetic justice for having used his peepers to spy on people as an informant. I’m not ashamed to say I still think this scene and trap are incredible, you truly feel for the guy and put yourself in that horrendous position, the first thing through my mind being that I couldnt do it, pondered every time I see him reach for the eyeball with a blade. This also struck me as quite clever, it’s misdirection in a sense since you’re expecing an Un Chien Andalou style eye slicing but it doesnt happen, you’re left reeling as a viewer, disgusted by the idea of it but wanting it to happen so the poor guy can free himself, it’s almost cathartic and relieving when the mask snaps shut, reminiscent of a scene in Mask of Satan, a reference for the hardcore horror fanatics. Mr B looked nonplussed here but his opinion wasnt shared so on we ploughed.
We next launch into exposition setting up the cop characters, once Mr B had got over who both actors were (despite initial disbelief that it was Marky Mark Wahlberg’s brother and the chick from Starship Troopers) he concentrated, regretting it later but that’s to come. There was some hand wringing and excitement when we finally got to the meat of the story, meeting our protagonists all trapped in a house together. Lets deal with these sections of the film first...
Most of the traps Mr B found ridiculous, and it has to be said they dont hold up to logical analysis or scrutiny. I forgive a lot due to the fact the people here were clearly never meant to leave the first room but as Mr B pointed out with regards to a different matter its human nature not to sit around when you think you’re dying. That said he did visibly flinch twice, something I have NEVER seen him do as a hardened horror nut, due to his dislike of needles in one case, I forget the second.
It was during the more “police procedural” parts with Jigsaw and Detective Matthews that Mr B really expressed his distaste of what passed for a plot, completely disregarding the villains motivations and “logic”, its hard to disagree in part but I still find it cool at times in the series, and its not necessarily what they are about.
In conclusion not as good as I rememebered but still a worthy effort, some effective moments of emotional affectation, good plot beats and twists for me, and a few great traps and gore moments. My personal score...

*** (3/5)



MM