Good afternoon, House of Madness residents:
How do you feel about sequels? Do you get weary thinking that they'll cast a dark shadow over one of your favourite films, or do you long for more sequels simply because you have an appetite for more of the same? It's definitely rare when a sequel lives up to the original, and it's super rare when multiple sequels can keep you engaged and wanting more. In the case of the "Saw" franchise, numerous sequels have been mediocre at best, yet somehow they managed to save the best for what's probably not the last.
Jigsaw aka John Kramer (Tobin Bell) has had a story to tell for a long time, and even though we've sat through nine feature films until this point, we know very little about him, what motivates him, or what simply makes him tick. John has just found out he has terminal brain cancer, and isn't taking the news well. He has joined a support group, but even through talking with others, he's still not ready to accept his fate. One day, John runs into an old acquaintance from his therapy group, and learns of a highly aggressive treatment with an over ninety percent success rate, and heads off to Mexico to try and extend his life to the fullest. Such operations aren't cheap of course, but as we learned in his interview process that he's a formal civil engineer and architect, money is rather secondary for John; it also gives us a little insight into how he's been able to devise all of his complex traps and devices, which keep us coming back film after film.
The operation is a raging success, and once John has taken the time to fully heal, he should make a full recovery and be able to enjoy a long and prosperous life. The problem with things seemingly being too good to be true, is often they are, and people don't do good for the simple novelty of it, and are too often motivated by ulterior intentions that benefit no one but themselves. John is about to discover this first hand, and will concoct his most fiendish and brutal set of death traps yet - do you want to play a game?
"Saw X" is a breath of fresh air in a franchise that needed to navigate its way out of the smog, as "Spiral" was certainly a step in the right direction, but wasn't enough to satiate the appetites for some good old fashioned Jigsaw brutality. As for Jigsaw himself, it was refreshing to finally get some backstory, and learn what makes our favourite villain tick, while also showing his human side of the coin and not just leaving us thinking he's pure evil. In a franchise with ten films to its credit, I'd normally be rolling my eyes insisting enough is enough (Yes, Im looking at you, Fast and Furious), but with how much I enjoyed this installment, why not buckle down and give me ten more? If the games are still fun, let's play!
Madness Meter: 7/10
NB
