 Detective Hoffman is seemingly the last person alive to carry on the Jigsaw legacy. But when his secret is threatened, he must go on the hunt to eliminate all loose ends. Following Jigsaw's grisly demise, Mark Hoffman, the final apprentice to the serial killer is deigned a hero. Meanwhile, Agent Strahm continues to track Hoffman while another group of strangers are put through a series of gruesome traps. Storyline: Jigsaw and his young apprentice, Amanda, are dead. But the grisly games continue. 5 supposed strangers find themselves in the midst of the big game, and believe they are in a survival of the fittest competition. Via his now infamous video linked doll, Jigsaw conveys the message that they should ignore there instincts, and ignore his advice at their peril. Meanwhile, agent Strahm wants to prove that Hoffman is an apprentice to Jigsaw, and pursues him as he continues his twisted games. What Strahm does not realize is that Hoffman is testing him all along, and must pass his test in order to stay alive. Written by Nathanael Benson Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman on February 18, 2009 -- Tonight you will see the difference between killing and rehabilitation. --- The Saw series of films represent something of a conundrum for cinephiles. On one hand, there is no denying that the films are, superficially, just the latest seemingly never-ending Horror franchise; a new entry shows up every Halloween just like clockwork. The films also follow the Horror franchise formula precisely -- the first film is easily the best in the series. It's an original, fascinating, and entertaining journey into true terror, structured around a well-constructed plot and good characterization, supported by fine acting from several notables. As the series moved along, through several more entries, it grew less and less novel and more and more gory, sacrificing originality and tension for style and blood. On the other hand, the films deserve an enormous amount of credit for at least trying to construct a true franchise that builds layer upon layer, film after film, all the entries tying in together and telling one cohesive (though not always completely coherent) story. Appreciating the latter films in the series requires at least passing knowledge of the previous entries, with an in-depth understanding of the plots and characters the ideal. As alluded to heretofore, the formula hasn't worked quite as well as it may have. The premises remain intriguing, but the underlying story of Jigsaw seems lost under the elaborate traps and copious amounts of gore. Now, the fifth entry into the series is here. How does it stack up with the previous quartet of grisly Saw flicks? Finally, the Jigsaw murders seem to be solved. The perpetrator, Jigsaw (Tobin Bell, reprising his role from the previous Saw films), is dead. Agent Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson, TV's "Gilmore Girls") has survived the latest deadly trap, and is on the trail of newly-promoted Lieutenant-Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), supposed hero of the Jigsaw case, a man Strahm believes to be carrying on the legacy of the infamous killer. Meanwhile, a group of five individuals awaken to find themselves victims of the latest Jigsaw-style death trap. They seem to be unrelated, but as they begin to discover the identities of their fellow victims, a common thread emerges. In true Jigsaw fashion, their morality and core values are put on trial as they must eschew their belief systems and basic instincts in order to survive. Saw V is one of the better entries in the series, perhaps topping all of them save for the first. That doesn't necessarily make it a good movie, just better in the context of the whole of the series. The film enjoys a creepy atmosphere, plenty of edge-of-your seat tension, and manages to tie up some loose ends from previous films. Saw V flashes back to events that supposedly took place even before the first film, and reveals some secret background information that ties into the earlier films by placing new faces behind-the-scenes of some of the traps. At the same time, the flashback scenes allow for the context of this film to slowly come together and lay the groundwork for subsequent entries. Saw V is easily the most graphic of the quintet, and probably one of the more graphic mainstream movies ever produced. It can be downright disturbing at times, and may be hard to stomach for even hardcore fans of the genre. The film spares no expense, showcasing each death scene in meticulous detail that borders on being too much, and unlike some of the exploitative films of the 1970s and 1980s, for example, Saw V revels in gore that looks excruciatingly real. Audiences need be forewarned going in that they will see images that will stick with them long after the end of the film. Saw V is easily the most graphic of them all, but it also maintains a decent story and palpable tension throughout. The film meshes grisly violence with good characterization and storytelling that will please the series' dedicated audience but will be lost on newcomers, save for those only interested in the gore, who will see the story line as nothing but a hindrance between death scenes. Lionsgate has found a nice niche with the Saw films, combining a level of violence that borders on necessitating an NC-17 rating with a noble attempt to maintain a continuous arc throughout all the films. These films continue to make plenty of cash, and until the revenue stream dies down and Saw apathy sets in, there is no reason to stop making the films and placating the fans. Lionsgate has done it again, releasing a Blu-ray disc that gives fans everything they want, and more. The disc sports a quality visual presentation, a fantastic soundtrack, and a solid supplemental section. Fans of the series will find no reason not to make this disc a permanent member of their Blu-ray collections. Cast Notes: Tobin Bell (Jigsaw / John), Costas Mandylor (Mark Hoffman), Scott Patterson (Agent Strahm), Betsy Russell (Jill), Julie Benz (Brit), Meagan Good (Luba), Mark Rolston (Dan Erickson), Carlo Rota (Charles), Greg Bryk (Mallick), Laura Gordon (Ashley), Joris Jarsky (Seth), Mike Butters (Paul), Al Sapienza (Chief of Police), Mike Realba (Detective Fisk), Jeff Pustil (Bernie). IMDb Rating (04/05/15): 5.8/10 from 76,562 users IMDb Rating (03/28/11): 5.7/10 from 34,853 users
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