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What's the Story, Mornin' Glory?
Saw 2
(2005)
Detective Eric Mathews' (Donnie Wahlberg) life is falling apart. He's being investigated within the police force, his wife is making their divorce as unpleasant as possible, and his son is a budding criminal. One day Eric is called to a crime scene by his ex-partner where he IDs an informant who was killed by a death mask. A piece of skin in the shape of a jigsaw is missing from his back, which is the calling card of the Jigsaw killer. While his ex-partner is the expert on the Jigsaw, "Look closer Detective Mathews" is scrawled on the ceiling of the crime scene. Eric refuses to help, but that night he remembers something and he helps SWAT raid an abandoned factory where they come face to face with the Jigsaw killer (Tobin Bell). The killer taunts them to check out another problem in the opposite room. There a monitor shows a group of people in a room. The Jigsaw informs him that if he doesn't find his son in 2 hours the boy will die horribly. Meanwhile the group of people in the room are informed via tape recorder that they're playing a game. They must find keys around the house to unlock places that hold the antidote to the poisonous nerve gas that they've been inhaling since they were put into the room, but in order to find the keys they must find out what they have in common. They must also find the combination to a safe in the room they started out in. Each person has the number somewhere in the back of their mind. They have 2 hours to take the antidote and 3 hours before the metal gate blocking the exit is raised. Who has the strongest will to survive and find the antidote? Will Detective Eric be able to rescue his son in time?
You Learn Something New Everyday...
 Drug dealers just don't understand.
There's nothing wrong with beating up cripples.
Zing!
"The only door you know how to open is between your legs!" -Xavier to Addison.
Survey SAYS...
First and foremost (and excuse my language)...what the fuck is up with the drug dealer? Why can't he work with people and say "Hey there's numbers on our necks, lets put them together! Teamwork!"? Instead he feels the need to bash people's brains in to get the number. Why is that at all necessary? Like, I know he's a drug dealer, but why does he have to be such a sucky person? Or what he does to Amanda? If I were in that situation I wouldn't do shit for the guy. I'm aware that the reason they're in that situation in the first place is because they're horrible people, but still. Isn't the point that they have a tiny shred of decency within them and they can be saved if they have the will to live?
Speaking of which, while I thought that Saw 2 was an awesome movie I was disappointed that there was less "game" being played and more just running away/murdering each other. It played well into the end, but listening to the tapes, finding out about each other, working together, the puzzles...those are the elements that really interest me about the Saw series. That's the part I looked forward to the most. In fact, we only learn the pasts of 3 people, which is kind of weak. I'm sure that they didn't want to make the exact same movie twice, but with the formula that Saw is using, it's one of those rare cases where it actually works. I would've liked to learn more about the players, but that wasn't the point of Saw 2. Also, you have to factor in that Saw 2 was originally an entirely different movie, but the script was accepted after the first Saw had been released and it was so similar that they decided to change the script to fit into the first movie. Interestingly enough, Saw 2 was actually written first and no one would plck it up because it was considered "too gruesome".
One of the best things about Saw and Saw 2 is the fact that you can't guess who's going to die, who's next, who's watching, who's involved, etc. There's something totally original about that. It's nice to have a killer who's reason isn't about "The system failed me, so I punish you." Very refreshing. Although the concept of the hunted being mildly deserving of their impending punishment isn't new it also brings an originality to the series. So, yeah the first one may have been mildly over acted *coughcaryelwescough* and the second was lacking a little in the "game" department and character development, but they are both original and awesome. The best part of both of these flicks is the foot slam to your balls type of ending. I thought Saw 2 was going to be lame, but I was pleasantly surprised and you'll probably be too.
Like its counterpart Saw 2 isn't actually scary. It's more of a thriller. They really advertise it like a gruesome horror story, but really it's not particularly bloody or horrible. It's more of a puzzle movie where most of your attention is focused on who's doing what and why. Although, I do have to say the needle pit scene was pretty awful. Like, there's a special place in hell for any one that's ever done that to anyone. So, if you're not into horror movies then you can still check this one out. There's only one cheap scare in the whole flick. Also, could anyone else not stop focusing on the fact that Donne Wahlberg looks almost identical to Mark Wahlberg? It was totally distracting. Like, I know he's not famous, but he looks like someone famous (and duh, I know they're bros). So, if you like baseball bats with nails in them, low blows to the ego, sequels that are actually good, Last House on the Left references, and irony, then this is the flick for you. As for us, we give Saw 2:
That Wasn't so Bad Was It?
I was left Feeling: Surprised (but not as surprised as I was after the 1st Saw)
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