To those that have grown to love and hate the Saw series, here it is. The final Saw. How much you will like the end of the series depends on how you go in thinking about it. Here's some advice: Don't think about it so much and watch the movie. Also, stop expecting it to change. It won't.
In this one, a self-help motivational speaker is a survivor of Jigsaw's traps, and launches a book to promote helping others. But there are secrets to be uncovered from both him and the others involved from the previous installments, and will be pitted against, you guessed it: traps.
There's a whole lot of death here. A LOT. The body count registers more then any of the others, as far as I can tell. Hoffman himself is as dangerous as any trap. Most of the traps are OK, but there is one in particular that takes place in a junkyard garage that is gruesomely well done. The 3D effects? It was fine. Rather then doing a quick conversion, the producers actually implemented the 3D effects from the start. Some were very well done, others were very minor and simple, but at least not overdone. Still, I could have seen the movie in 2D and given it the same rating.
What makes Saw so appealing to me is the fact that the writers go that extra mile to tie up loose ends, filling in details of the past. It's obvious that they are making it up as they go along, and if you do wind up thinking too hard about it, it's absurd. Thinking back, so are most horror series movies. As usual, it's best to have seen the previous Saws in order to understand what is going on. Sure, this 7th Saw has its share of problems: a few too many unnecessary flashbacks, not enough screen time for the two big returning actors (John & Dr. Gordon) & timing issues. (The clock shows only 5 seconds left, why are they still working on it 20 seconds later??!)Another bothersome thing to me is that somewhere along the way, they tossed out "teaching the wrong-doer a lesson" and moved into "just kill anyone in the way" in order to progress the story. I think it could have worked without that, and it gave a bad feeling somewhere in the pit of my intestinal tract. But in the end, these are minor issues. You go see a movie like Saw to see who's the backstabber, how did he/she do it, and is person X going to make it out alive, not for sentimental crap. Those that continue to want to see a different movie, or a Saw that is aiming for an Oscar are in for a big disappointment. If after Saw 4 you were tired of it, don't be silly. Stop watching it and stop wasting your time.
I've also seen comments on how flipping back and forth from one story line and character to another is confusing. The previous Saw did this too. Well, I was never lost. It was easy to follow, and it made it all the more exciting. Seriously, if you can't handle fast-paced action sequences, slightly complex multiple story lines, and huge amounts of blood, go watch something slow and boring like Paranormal Activia, or whatever the hell it's called. Yes, director Kevin Greutert wanted to do PA2, but why? I do recommend Saw 7 over it.
In this one, a self-help motivational speaker is a survivor of Jigsaw's traps, and launches a book to promote helping others. But there are secrets to be uncovered from both him and the others involved from the previous installments, and will be pitted against, you guessed it: traps.
There's a whole lot of death here. A LOT. The body count registers more then any of the others, as far as I can tell. Hoffman himself is as dangerous as any trap. Most of the traps are OK, but there is one in particular that takes place in a junkyard garage that is gruesomely well done. The 3D effects? It was fine. Rather then doing a quick conversion, the producers actually implemented the 3D effects from the start. Some were very well done, others were very minor and simple, but at least not overdone. Still, I could have seen the movie in 2D and given it the same rating.
What makes Saw so appealing to me is the fact that the writers go that extra mile to tie up loose ends, filling in details of the past. It's obvious that they are making it up as they go along, and if you do wind up thinking too hard about it, it's absurd. Thinking back, so are most horror series movies. As usual, it's best to have seen the previous Saws in order to understand what is going on. Sure, this 7th Saw has its share of problems: a few too many unnecessary flashbacks, not enough screen time for the two big returning actors (John & Dr. Gordon) & timing issues. (The clock shows only 5 seconds left, why are they still working on it 20 seconds later??!)Another bothersome thing to me is that somewhere along the way, they tossed out "teaching the wrong-doer a lesson" and moved into "just kill anyone in the way" in order to progress the story. I think it could have worked without that, and it gave a bad feeling somewhere in the pit of my intestinal tract. But in the end, these are minor issues. You go see a movie like Saw to see who's the backstabber, how did he/she do it, and is person X going to make it out alive, not for sentimental crap. Those that continue to want to see a different movie, or a Saw that is aiming for an Oscar are in for a big disappointment. If after Saw 4 you were tired of it, don't be silly. Stop watching it and stop wasting your time.
I've also seen comments on how flipping back and forth from one story line and character to another is confusing. The previous Saw did this too. Well, I was never lost. It was easy to follow, and it made it all the more exciting. Seriously, if you can't handle fast-paced action sequences, slightly complex multiple story lines, and huge amounts of blood, go watch something slow and boring like Paranormal Activia, or whatever the hell it's called. Yes, director Kevin Greutert wanted to do PA2, but why? I do recommend Saw 7 over it.