Editor’s Note: This was originally published for FANGORIA on October 28, 2005, and we’re proud to share it as part of The Gingold Files.
If I say that I found Saw II to be pretty much as good as the original, bear in mind that I found the first film a mixed bag, and the sequel contains many similar strengths and weaknesses. The style is the same, and so is the gambit of having the victims be responsible for their own deaths. The chief differences are that there are a lot more potential bodies than before, and Jigsaw is no longer a voice on a tape recorder but a front-and-center presence.
While Jigsaw’s mystery may be dissipated, actor Tobin Bell makes a strong impression as the madman, who (after an opening death setpiece that inverts the famous jaw-trap bit from the previous movie) lures detective Eric Mathews (Donnie Wahlberg) into his lair. Mathews has split from his wife, has a contentious relationship with his teenaged son Daniel (Erik Knudsen) and in general has a screwed-up existence—which makes him a prime target for Jigsaw, self-appointed punisher of those who don’t appreciate their lives. He confronts Mathews with a bank of television monitors which reveal Daniel trapped with seven other people in a house that has been sealed shut and laden with booby traps. The group has been exposed to a deadly nerve gas, and only by playing Jigsaw’s “games” will they be able to secure an antidote and survive to escape.
The movie intercuts their torment with that of Eric, who becomes increasingly anxious as Jigsaw calmly taunts and verbally challenges him. Bell, clearly relishing his increased screen time but resisting the urge to go over the top, creates a distinctive and intriguing persona for this villain, who is sickly and dying physically but still possesses a diabolically sharp mind. (As in the first film, though, it helps to not contemplate how a person in his state—or anyone, for that matter—could singlehandedly construct the elaborate death traps and environments that Jigsaw does.) This, combined with Wahlberg’s earnestly played desperation, helps keep memories of The Silence of the Lambs at bay during their lengthy faceoff—until a late-film plot twist lifted directly from the Jonathan Demme classic.
Meanwhile, back in that house, the assorted players argue and freak out and, disappointingly, rarely attempt to think their way out of their situation, even though Jigsaw encourages them to do so on one of his taped messages. The motley crew, in addition to Daniel, is large enough that they’re not given much time to develop distinctive personalities; instead, they’re defined by how they react to the situation. Some of them do not act wisely; instead, they let their desperation get the better of them and fall victim to Jigsaw’s traps one by one. A few of these moments are among the squirmiest situations seen on screen this year, particularly a setpiece involving Amanda (Shawnee Smith), the subject of the aforementioned jaw-trap torment whom Jigsaw has re-abducted for another round, and a number of hypodermic needles.
On both aesthetic and visual levels, Saw II is definitely all of a piece with its predecessor. Director Darren Lynn Bousman, seamlessly easing into the milieu created by Leigh Whannell (returning to co-script) and original director James Wan (now an executive producer), adopts the same aggressive visual and editing approach, aided by the edgy score by returning Charlie Clouser. Also back is cinematographer David Armstrong, whose harsh overhead lighting allows for few shadows to hide in and occasionally turns the characters’ eyes into dark, skull-like sockets. Since, curiously, the makeup FX artists on these films have rarely gotten their due, let me also give a nod to Francois Dagenais, who contributes very convincing and messy prosthetic and blood work.
What Saw II lacks, in common with the first movie, is the sense of relatability that distinguishes the best films in the very crowded serial-killer subgenre. The housebound characters are all so screwed up (and defined by the fact that they’re screwed up) and generally take such thoughtless approaches to their own salvation that it’s hard to truly sympathize with them. In addition, Jigsaw’s schemes continue to be so complicated that there’s little of the “this could happen to me” terror that allows other murder movies to get under the viewer’s skin. The methods by which the people will succumb to their fates, rather than the question of whether they’ll survive, becomes the true point, on the way to the resolution of Eric and Jigsaw’s story.
This plotline ultimately leads to a finale that—once again, just as in the previous entry—provides Saw II’s unquestionable high point. Not only does it contain a neat surprise that makes perfect sense yet can’t be seen coming, it also brings the story full circle back to its predecessor, complete with a reprise of Clouser’s highly effective music from Saw’s climactic reveal. Whatever you consider the pros and cons of this franchise, there’s one thing you can definitely say about it: The filmmakers know how to send an audience out buzzing.
