Tags
2000's, Beverley Mitchell, Darren Lynn Bousman, Dina Meyer, Donnie Wahlberg, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Erik Knudsen, Franky G, Glenn Plummer, Horror, Saw II, Shawnee Smith, Timothy Burd, Tobin Bell, Tony Nappo
It was inevitable that a film that was a big success like Saw would get a sequel, and we got one and many more. Today I’m focusing on Saw II, a pretty decent sequel to the smash hit first film. While it doesn’t reach the same impactful level as its predecessor, it still has its moments of surprise and tension to recommend it.
Detective Eric Matthews( Donnie Wahlberg) is a cop on the edge . Once a respected officer, he’s gone downhill of late with the relationship with his young son Daniel(Erik Knudsen) deteriorating and his reputation suffering. He is called onto a case of horror by former partner in both work and personal ways Kerry(Dina Meyer) . The victim , who it turns out is an informant, was put through a horrifying test of his will to live. It’s clear to all that the infamous Jigsaw(Tobin Bell) us behind this grisly scene . What links to this is that his name is scrawled on the crime scene, involving him for an unknown reason. After deducing where Jigsaw is, they come upon a warehouse in which he is residing. Dying from cancer yet still switched on and plotting, Jigsaw( also known as his real name of John Kramer) asks to speak with Matthews. The detective is more interested in bringing him to justice, but Jigsaw gets his attention when he reveals that Eric’s estranged son is one of a group they have been kidnapped and placed in a decrepit house with many traps that could be deadly. The group consists of Daniel, Xavier(Franky G), Jonas(Glenn Plummer), Laura(Beverley Mitchell), Addison(Emmanuelle Vaugier), Obi(Timothy Burd), Gus(Tony Nappo) and surprisingly Amanda(Shawnee Smith) , who is one of the only people to have completed and survived a test from Jigsaw . All have some past time in prison or criminal behaviour to their name. They must all play the games of Jigsaw in order to survive the horror around them. Adding to the terror is the fact that a nerve gas is percolating through the house and will kill the kidnap victims in two hours if they fail to retrieve the antidotes, which are in the house but less than ideal to get without almost certain death. The dying man knows that Matthews has a chequered past and is more than happy to bring it up , which plays into events more than it first appears. It becomes a race against time for the captives and Detective Matthews as the game gets more twisted and unexpected, courtesy of the dying but still crafty Jigsaw.
Darren Lynn Bousman does well on director duties by keeping both stories moving effectively and with a sense of dread in parts. It may not quite have the shocking punch of the original, Saw II still knows how to surprise and deliver some of the horrifying goods. There are more traps here( one involving hypodermic needles is a stomach churner) and the gore is certainly upped in this entry, resulting in some rather stomach churning sequences. And the grimy looking visuals certainly add to proceedings, as do the back and forth between the police/detective thriller and grisly horror parts. Where Saw II falls down is in the character department. Except for Detective Matthews, Jigsaw and Amanda , the rest of the characters aren’t really up to much and most are mainly there to be put through the torturous games of Jigsaw. The fact we don’t really learn many of their names until later on (or in some cases not until the credits) doesn’t help things either .However I did appreciate seeing more of Jigsaw and his scenes with are big highlights and provide some fleshing out of Jigsaw and his modus operandi. The score is a nifty little gem that blends shredded, distorted strings to a thumping bass with unnerving results .
Donnie Wahlberg makes an impression as the troubled detective at the heart of the case. He’s flawed as hell and crumbling, but Wahlberg also sells the hot headed nature and desperation underneath the growling exterior. It’s good to see more of Tobin Bell as Jigsaw and he delivers a compellingly creepy performance. There’s an unnerving calm about him that gets under your skin; his voice rarely rises above a whisper, but it’s super commanding and eerie. The scenes between him and Wahlberg’s Detective Matthews really stand out he draws the him into his twisted game. We glimpsed the character of Amanda in the first instalment and this time we get more of her . The talented Shawnee Smith captures the fear and resourcefulness of Amanda, while also making us question various things about her and if she is all that she seems. Dina Meyer appears again, following her too short appearance in the first film . She’s a no nonsense character and plays that well; plus it was nice have a bit more for her to do than before. And while I stated before that the main characters trapped in the house don’t have much substance, the acting from some of them is still rather good. Franky G is appropriately hotheaded and intense and the alpha male who becomes more unhinged the more he attempts to survive the house of horrors. Erik Knudsen has the bratty thing down as the son of the main detective who doesn’t quite realise what kind of man his father is. Unfortunately the other cast members fail to inject much into their parts and they come off as dull and boring in the process. In particular, Beverley Mitchell just becomes a whining , miserable and annoying presence throughout.
So while not as impactful as the first movie, Saw II still delivers twists , turns and an increased gore factor aplenty to impress horror fans