Review by Peter Syslo
I like the SAW films. They comprise the only true horror franchise in existence, nowadays. You do see a lot of “Part II” of films and you see the prequels of films, but you just don't see a long running series anymore. As I have said in other reviews, the SAW franchise brings me back to the 1980s when you had the “biggies” - HALLOWEEN, FRIDAY THE 13th, and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST. Those are all long-running series and although the films tended to get a little ridiculous in the high-numbered sequels, they were still enjoyable and I would get that “nostalgic” feeling while watching them. The SAW films have been coming out once a year, for the past three years (also reminiscent of the 80s franchises), and I feel that they still continue to be fresh and interesting. I agree that they are really “milking” the idea now, but the strength of these films still lies in scenarios where poor humans are pitted against the evil, killing traps. For me, that is the real appeal of the films; the survival situations are irresistible and I do keep coming back to see more.
SAW V is directed by David Hackl and it is written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. The film stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, and Julie Benz.
Okay. I'll give the synopsis a shot, but the storyline is extremely convoluted and I'll say this much: at this point, you pretty much have to be a fan of the series to understand the story. To put it into the simplest terms, two police/FBI investigators have questionable relationships with the Jigsaw murders; the two opposing investigators mysteriously survived the traps that were set up from SAW III/SAW IV. One investigator named Hoffman (Mandylor) actually assisted Jigsaw with all of the murders, as an inside man. The other investigator, Strahm (Patterson), discovers this tidbit of info by digging deep into records and making the connections. While this is going on, Hoffman has trapped another five victims, in accordance with the final instructions of the recently deceased Jigsaw (the events of SAW III and SAW IV apparently took place concurrently and the events of SAW V follow shortly after). The five new victims have to work their way through five rooms filled with deadly traps. As the five are doing that, Hoffman and Strahm take their opposing positions, they square-off wits, and the whole story leads up to a semi-surprise ending.
Yes, the story of SAW V is unbelievably complex. It is a little easier to follow than SAW IV, but it still is a bit of a chore to follow. I'm not complaining because I would rather an engaging story (that I have to watch again in order to get the details) than an easier story which “short-changes” me. Though, one drawback to it was that it was difficult to gauge what time frame the story was in; halfway through it I first realized, “Oh. That took place a long time ago and we are seeing the aftermath, which is in the present time period, which is after Jigsaw died, which is at the same time when the five are making their way through the five rooms, which is after the events of SAW III and SAW IV”. It's that layered and it's a lot to sort through. As a consolation though, the characters are not as difficult to sort out, as in SAW IV. It's just that the time-shifts, the flashbacks and the flash-forwards really keep you on your toes and watching this is a mental workout (but that's not necessarily a bad thing).
Speaking of the traps, I thought that the storyline of the five victims (making their way through the five rooms) was one of the best parts of the film. The writers do keep coming up with interesting traps and riveting situations, although some traps aren't as clever as others. For example, the point of one trap is that the victims have to insert their hands into chambers with running saw blades and their blood has to fill a beaker to a certain level before the door to the room opens. Thinking of details, you would think that more blood would splatter than would run down a trough to fill a container, but maybe I'm wrong. The portion of the film, with the five, is kind of like a mini version of SAW II but for some reason, the people are a little less annoying – and it is a cool twist when the people realize the whole point of the five rooms. It's a very familiar but surprisingly fresh situation.
Gnawing through the flesh: SAW V wasn't bad at all; it was better than I expected. Maybe the change of director breathed a little new life into the franchise. Not that I didn't like Bousman, it's just that he's done three of the films in a row and maybe it was time for a different touch. Plus, I am actually impressed that the writers have developed a plausible story for the film. Jigsaw died two films ago, yet they are still weaving in untold tales, which tie into his killing “empire”. I think that this type of storytelling is also keeping the franchise alive – the lackluster writing tends to hurt sequels in other franchises. You know when sequel storylines start to get a little crazy - when nieces or nephews of original characters are introduced or when the movies start relying on a lot of pop-culture content, it seems to be the beginning of the end. But, SAW V continues in the tradition of good story-telling and it includes all of what a fan wants from the series: inventive traps and survival situations, gore and blood, the mystique of jigsaw's legacy, and the moral of the story which turns up in twists and turns in the end. As with all of the films, the effects are top-notch, the acting is basically good (with Bell being the highlight), and room is left open for a sequel ( I don't know how the hell they are going to do SAW VI , but I think that Jigsaw's ex (Russell) is involved somehow). In essence, you get what you want out of SAW V and true fans of the franchise will appreciate that. I wouldn't recommend this installment to a newcomer to the series, because they will be lost, but if you are familiar with the films and you like them (as I do), you will leave with your belly feeling full. I give SAW V a 7/10.