SAW II
2005 | Dir. Darren Lynn Bousman | 93 Minutes
"Those who don't appreciate life do not deserve life."
Cornering the Jigsaw Killer in his makeshift workshop, a short-tempered homicide detective struggles to maintain his composure when the diabolical mastermind reveals the cop's teenage son is a participant in his latest deadly game. Together with an assortment of lowlifes, including former Jigsaw survivor Amanda, the boy is locked in a derelict house of death traps that is gradually filling with nerve gas.
Written and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, and co-written by Saw co-creator Leigh Whannell, Saw II is a bigger sequel with slightly more polish that's much more ambitious in scale. The narrative within the nerve gas house is compelling thanks to the genuinely amusing cast of miscreants and the inventive traps that gradually pick them off, though the framing story is less engrossing despite featuring a whole lot more Jigsaw. Tobin Bell's Jigsaw is a pleasure to watch as he divulges more of the origin for his warped philosophy, how he came to believe the best way to rehabilitate those who do not appreciate life is by subjecting them to bodily harm, significantly building upon the mythology of the sadistic madman. However, Jigsaw's scene partner, worst cop ever Donnie Wahlberg, is decidedly less engaging, a character best summed up as a monotonous ball of rage. Following suit with the previous installment, the multi-tiered twist ending is pretty mind-blowing, especially since it is sold so well by Kevin Greutert's clever editing and Shawnee Smith's captivating performance. Revisiting the nasty bathroom from the last film during the climax is already a delightful bit of fan service, but the reveal that Amanda is secretly Jigsaw's apprentice really puts it completely over the top in the very best way.
The production design by David Hackl is very impressive, with everything in the nerve gas house looking appropriately rotten and sickly. The needle pit set piece is particularly excellent in how convincingly disturbing the sequence plays out. Editor Kevin Greutert maintains the intense quick cutting aesthetic of the last installment. Although there are still sequences that come off looking a bit silly due to this editing style, there are far fewer sequences of questionable quality this time. Charlie Clouser returns to score the sequel, and his reprisal of the main theme for the twist ending is fittingly souped-up.
With significantly more screen time, Tobin Bell makes the most of it delivering a nuanced performance that is easily the best in the picture. Conversely, Donnie Wahlberg is woefully one-note, and it doesn't help that his Detective Matthews character remains the same hateful cop from start to finish with zero development. Shawnee Smith is phenomenal as Amanda in a greatly expanded role. In addition to Smith's Amanda, the nerve gas house group consists of Erik Knudsen as Matthews' son Daniel, Tony Nappo in a hilariously brief role as sleazy idiot Gus, Timothy Burd as creepy kidnapper Obi, Glenn Plummer as the level-headed felon Jonas, and Beverley Mitchell as squeamish Laura, with Franky G as big bruiser Xavier and Emmanuelle Vaugier as hot-tempered Addison deserving special mention for giving stand-out performances. The cast also features Dina Meyer returning with more to do as Detective Kerry, and Lyriq Bent as Officer Rigg.
With more traps, a higher body count, and more backstory for its boogeyman, Saw II is a decent sequel that expands upon the grimy world established in Saw. For detractors, this is ostensibly more of the same. For fans, this is a worthy follow-up with a twist ending that teases exciting possibilities.
BEST TRAP
Though barely connected to the rest of the film, the death mask trap from the cold open is classic Saw in its simplicity and in its bloody brutality. As the unfortunate police informant with the device strapped to his head, Noam Jenkins does a fantastic job selling the terror of the situation.
FRAGMENTS
- Saw II began as an unrelated script entitled The Desperate written by Darren Lynn Bousman, who was having trouble pitching it to producers who found it to be too similar to Saw, but luckily Bousman's project was picked up by Twisted Pictures and re-written in collaboration with Leigh Whannell to retrofit it as a sequel to Saw
- To date, Saw II is the most financially successful entry of the series in the United States and Canada
- As Detective Matthews, Donnie Wahlberg's excessively harsh delivery of "Well then go!" to Daniel always makes me laugh
- The explanation for the puzzle flesh pieces cut out of Jigsaw's victims, his namesake, as a symbolic gesture is a bit of a letdown though it'd be amusing in a macabre way if he didn't discard them and secretly pieces them together to form some sort of disgusting fleshy puzzle
- Xavier casually pocketing the skin he sliced from his neck is also hilarious
SUPPLEMENTAL STUFF
- Video: Dead Meat - Saw II (2005) KILL COUNT
