 ***PLEASE NOTE: A Blu-ray 3D disc is only compatible with 3D Blu-ray players.*** Tagline: In Heart-Pounding 3D (Shot natively in 3D) Witness the last diabolical act of a legend as the final pieces of Jigsaw's puzzles are revealed... As a deadly battle rages over Jigsaw's brutal legacy, a group of Jigsaw survivors gathers to seek the support of self-help guru and fellow survivor Bobby Dagen. But Dagen hides his own dark secrets, ones that will unleash a wave of unrelenting terror and suffering in this heart-stopping finale to the most successful horror movie series of all time. Storyline: Detective Matt Gibson chases the psychotic Detective Mark Hoffman while Jigsaw's widow Jill Tuck tries to kill him as assigned by her husband. However he escapes and Jill meets Gibson and offers to sign an affidavit listing the murders committed by Hoffman. In return, she requests protection. Meanwhile, the prominent Jigsaw survivor and leader of a support group Bobby Dagen is abducted with his wife and friends and forced to play a mortal game to save himself and his beloved wife. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, January 20, 2011 -- Our minds will heal, but these scars will never go away. "Blood and guts and lots of it in excruciatingly graphic detail, oh, and a completion to the series." That's pretty much the summation of Saw 3D, the seventh and, supposedly, "final chapter" in the grotesque series of films that have spilled more blood, it seems, than the entire 1980s Horror genre combined, all without raising so much as a peep from those same people who decry violent video games as corrupting the minds of America's youth (and there's even a pair of Saw video games out there for those who can't get enough slicing and dicing and intestine-spilling and head-smashing and eye-gouging and all of that other bloody carnage goodness that have become series staples). Regardless of the surprising lack of outcry from those people who normally vocally bemoan such things, the Saw series has fascinated fans for several years -- every Halloween, in fact -- with a new chapter in what is a surprisingly complex and, in several ways, psychologically-challenging storyline. Unfortunately, these positive attributes seem overshadowed by the overwhelming amount of graphic violence that's slathered on the screen in all but the very first Saw movie, a movie that's certainly not for the squeamish but was held together more by plot than gore. Now on the seventh entry, the series has tried to maintain that same level of thematic intensity while also cranking up the gore-o-meter well beyond anything anyone could have imagined back when Leigh Whannell and Cary Elwes were trapped in a dingy old bathroom in 2004, the result a handful of movies that have a good story to tell but delve so far into excess that they're alienating viewers who might otherwise want to give Saw a go. Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery) is a self-help guru and best-selling author who's written about surviving his ordeal with the infamous Jigsaw killer in his book "S.U.R.V.I.V.E." Now a major celebrity who makes the talk show rounds and even hosts an intimate gathering of other Jigsaw survivors, Dagen is living the big life, reaping the rewards of his endeavor, even landing himself a "trophy wife" named Joyce (Gina Holden). But wait a minute. In which previous Saw movie did Bobby survive his test? Aha! There's the catch. He never was a Jigsaw victim; he's just smart enough to capitalize on Jigsaw mania and make himself rich off of manufactured suffering and a make-believe story of heroics and a life changed for the better. Even from the grave, however, Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) has a plan for this fake. Jigsaw's minions have kidnapped those in Bobby's inner circle -- including his publicist, his lawyer, and his best friend -- and placed them in traps in which Bobby must in some way hurt himself to save their lives. At the end of the bloody trip through hell on earth is his wife whom he must save by putting himself to the ultimate test. Meanwhile, authorities close in on Jigsaw protégé Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) who is himself out to get Jigsaw's ex-wife, Jill (Betsy Russell). Saw 3D wraps up the series and plays on its deeper themes -- more on that in a moment -- but what fans are going to want to really know about it: how's the gore? Well, subjectively speaking, of course, it's not quite as grotesque as Saw VI -- the image of the woman chopping off her own arm in that one is tough to top on the squirmy factor -- but there are plenty of sadistic and "inventive" traps in this one. Oh yes, there will be blood, and plenty of it. How's this for a roster? Smashed heads, bodies sliced in half, bodies pulverized, bodies ripped to pieces, a jaw torn off, eyes poked out, skin ripped off, a body melted, and even teeth pulled for good measure, the latter releasing a geyser of blood that's somehow greater than what spewed from Clarence Bodicker's neck when RoboCop gave him the middle finger. Shoot, there's even a mutilated torso that's not even a victim of a Jigsaw killing; it's just kind of there for some extra ooey-gooey footage, the poor thing torn to shreds by some random explosion that's mentioned in passing. The film follows formula, with some of the traps and characters not connected to the main storyline but just appearing for good measure (the opening three-saws trick and the racist who loses his skin, though the latter does tie in loosely with the plot), but most of them follow Bobby Dagen as he tries to free friends and co-workers from one deadly trap after another on his way to finding his wife. It's pretty standard stuff, visually: an industrial, dark, and decayed look frames most of the movie. All that's really new here are the traps and the additions and conclusions to the storyline. Saw hasn't been -- and, in some ways, still isn't -- just about the violence. The series has prided itself on its ability to create a continuing storyline through all seven films -- as convoluted as it may now be is beside the point -- and that effort has been rewarded by quite the financial haul for a little Horror series that's certainly become the definitive genre icon of the 2000's. Still, the first thing that comes to mind when Saw is the subject is the untold gallons of blood the series has spilled, but, surprise, Saw and its sequels would have worked without the gag-inducing excesses that have become series staples. There's a downright good story behind the violence. What does it mean to really live? What will people sacrifice for the ones they love? What will they endure to atone for their sins? These are good questions ripe for exploration, and each of the films have in some way been constructed around that premise. Here, the lead character is a man who capitalizes on the retrospective positives of Jigsaw's cruel games by selling himself as some new-wave self-help guru who has embraced what has always been Jigsaw's M.O.: that not just surviving, but mentally thriving after having lived through his trap can turn a life around for the better. Of course, his is the greatest sin of all: reaping the rewards without having actually suffered to earn them. That's a nifty little premise to round out the series and a fine way to bring it full circle, capitalizing on the running theme that's been a companion throughout the films, even if it has become drowned out in favor of the on-screen nastiness that seems to know no end. Saw 3D also wraps up a few loose ends and in several other ways also comes back full circle to the first film; best to let those surprises remain so for the series' most dedicated fans to discover firsthand. There are two types of people in the world: those who can stomach this amount of gore and those who cannot. Saw 3D is a terribly gruesome film -- vile, in fact -- but it's par for the course for the series. All that keeps these films from having absolutely no redeeming value is the storyline, and for the viewers who want to indulge in a moral, psychological, and spiritual mind game, there's one that's really worth investigating buried behind the copious amounts of gore. Saw would have been a much better series if the violence hand't been so in-your-face; it's grotesque and difficult to watch, but more power to Lionsgate and the filmmakers for going all out and giving people what they want to see. Saw 3D and its predecessors are kind of like the Horror equivalent of Basic Instinct; both this series and that film get bum raps for their excessiveness, but behind the violence and, in Basic Instinct's case, the sex, lie some pretty solid stories that most viewers might be surprised to find are actually there. As for Saw 3D and its cohorts? Forget the story if the violence is too much; it's good but not worth the gore. These things push the envelope about as far as it can go, and viewers should know their limits before going in. For those who want a good story and don't mind gore, give the franchise a shot, and for viewers who just want to see people mangled in 52 varieties, well, Saw's the ticket. Lionsgate's 3D Blu-ray release of Saw 3D is spectacular. Fans might be disappointed by the lack of extras, but both the 1080p transfer and the 7.1 lossless soundtrack are superb. Recommended for fans of the franchise only. [CSW] -3- Although the acting was poor there was a certain amount of suspense waiting to see if anyone would survive a trap. There were also tons of blood, guts, and gore. This may have been the goriest of all the Saw movies. Although some reviewers gave the theater 3D a poor rating the 3D Blu-ray review said "Saw 3D delivers a dazzling 3D experience". As the Blu-ray review also said "It's all anything fans could want in a Blu-ray 3D release, and it's easily the best among the albeit limited crop of ready-to-buy live action 3D titles on the market; it's a shame that the movie's grisly content is going to limit those who might otherwise buy it." So I am considering getting the Blu-ray 3D version even though I have no idea of why I would want to watch it again. [V4.0-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box. Cast Notes: Tobin Bell (Jigsaw / John Kramer), Costas Mandylor (Det. Mark Hoffman), Betsy Russell (Jill Tuck), Cary Elwes (Dr. Lawrence Gordon), Sean Patrick Flanery (Bobby Dagen), Chad Donella (Det. Matt Gibson), Gina Holden (Joyce Dagen), Laurence Anthony (Det. Rogers), Dean Armstrong (Cale), Naomi Snieckus (Nina), Rebecca Marshall (Suzanne), James Van Patten (Dr. Heffner), Sebastian Pigott (Brad), Jon Cor (Ryan), Anne Lee Greene (Dina [as Anne Greene]). IMDb Rating (04/05/15): 5.6/10 from 58,933 users IMDb Rating (03/28/11): 5.7/10 from 34,853 users
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