Saw 3D: The Final Chapter Review

Written by: alex1176   

For the record, I've seen every "Saw" movie on opening day. And today, I just saw "Saw 3D" in 3D. Don't believe "The Final Chapter" subtitle for a second. It concludes with another open-ended ending. Kevin Gruetert's follow-up to his "Saw VI" is an improvement over the last entry. It's not as violent and the emphasis is on the mystery rather than backstory. But at this point, who cares besides the die-hard fan?

I have to admit, I didn't like "Saw VI" at all. It was a cruel, ugly film that had about as much appeal as a "Faces of Death" video. While the movies have always included torture and self-mutilation, "Saw VI" amped up the voltage of its violence to a disturbing point. I was sickened by it. This sequel plays out very similar to "Saw VI" except the violence is a bit more cartoony thanks to the 3D aspect. Like "The Final Destination", the graphic gore that splatters everywhere is made to be a visual effect that "pops" out of the screen. I saw this film in 3D for only 8 dollars. Needless to say, the effects are very subtle and you'd be missing nothing if you decided to see it in the standard format. "Beowulf" and "My Bloody Valentine 3D" are still the best of the 3D films I've seen.

As stated before, "Saw 3D" works better than part VI because it deals more with its own story rather than flashbacks. This is more a self-contained story about Detective Hoffman than anything relating to Jigsaw. Tobin Bell recieves top billing, but he's in it for only a few minutes, which translates to really only one scene. It was abit of surprise for me. And it was also surprise that I kind of liked it. It's an okay movie, certainly not the best of the series, but an improvment over the last one. And maybe even better than part V. By going with story over violence, Gruetert rescues the movie from being another gory graphic film. And it was written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunst (who did the last three movies). Of course, that being said, I wouldn't see another one. Lions Gate should leave it alone. But you can bet in a few years, "Saw" will come back again (I'm hoping it won't).