Dodge_Sniper
Active Member
Ok, so I saw SAW VI at a midnight showing, and I figured I'd give my review of it, in case anybody is planning on seeing it and wants any idea of what it's about or anything. There are going to be spoilers, but I'll warn about them before I hit them.
So, right off the bat, I'll say that this movie is definately better than SAW V. If SAW V let you down(I'll admit it, it wasn't the best, and I was rather disappointed with it), this one will make up not only for SAW V, but SAW IV even. It's much more like the style the first three movies had, in terms of camera work, story line, character development, and even gore. In all honesty, the first 5 minutes of this movie(Hell, the first 30 seconds) had more gore than the last two movies combined. It really is rather disgusting, so don't bring your kids to this movie, and if you're squeamish, avoid it. As I've said in past years' reviews, this isn't your typical slasher flick, and it's not a movie you should see if you're looking for a fun, easy scare for Halloween, and you're not wanting to have to pay attention; In short, this isn't Halloween or Friday The 13th. SAW VI has the most required knowledge, and you'll need to pay attention a lot. If you haven't seen ALL of the SAW films, don't bother. This movie references things back all the way to SAW, and even before SAW, much like SAW III and SAW V did. Also, the CGI is much better this year; It's not as obviously fake as last year and the year before, and the blood looks more realistic this year. As far as flashbacks go, there are a lot more, and they're longer, and more in-depth, in relation to what they explain. You can and probably will get lost in the flashbacks, and forget about the main story line while you're watching them. Now, onto the spoilers.
[SPOILER ALERT!]
If any of you saw the VH1 show "Scream Queens", you already have an advantage. Tanedra Howard, the winner, makes her cameo in the first 5 minutes. And if you are curious, yes, she does survive. Not to sound racist or anything, but she's actually the first black character I've seen survive in the SAW franchise, and her role isn't exactly a small role either. She has quite a few lines, which help build up to the actual start of the movie, and help give a great intro before the SAW VI title card. Not to mention, her and her partner's trap is among one of the sickest traps in the SAW franchise. As far as how the traps work out this year, it's more like SAW-SAW III. They get back to the head traps, the small-but-effective traps, and the team traps. As far as the main trap of the movie goes, it's absolutely insane, and very clever. The test subject not only has to test other people(As in SAW III), but he has chances where he himself can get hurt and must survive a test(As in SAW III/SAW IV/SAW V), and he also has chances where he must rely on other test subjects to make the choice as to whether or not he lives or dies(As in SAW/SAW II/SAW IV).
The flashbacks this year bring back a lot of old characters, as well as many new faces. They also jump back to scenes we've seen previously(Such as the Seth Baxter Pendulum Trap; SAW V), and build on them. For instance, one of the running story lines this year is that Hoffman must set a game into motion when the FBI closes in on the fact that he may be the new apprentice. In one key scene, the FBI goes back to the Pendulum Trap, and unscrambles it, finding out that it was actually Hoffman who recorded the tape for this trap, and just scrambled his voice(Using a device similar to what Jigsaw used in SAW IV with Cecil's Knife Chair Trap) to make it sound like Jigsaw's. For the fans of long-deceased characters, and if you've read the rumors, yes, Amanda does make a come-back, it's true. Her flashbacks also aren't just for the hell of it. They contribute substantially to not only SAW VI, but the previous films, explaining things that we couldn't figure out. And if you're wondering, yes, they finally reveal not only what the letter in SAW III was about(The one that made Amanda freak out and ultimately kill Lynn), but they also reveal what was in the box in SAW V. The downside to this: They give us something new, an envelope that Jill posseses, and slides into a mail-slot in a door somewhere, and the contents of it are unknown as of now.
The traps this year are much more hardcore, and as I said, more graphic. At the same time, they can be quite simple, yet very deadly. One trap(If you've seen the trailers or one of the posters, you know this one) is called the Carousel Trap. Six subjects ride the carousel. Only two may get off, if the person playing the game chooses to injure himself to release the two he chooses. The catch: There is a loaded shotgun with six rounds that must be fired to stop the carousel. If the player injures himself, the shotgun aims towards the roof, and fires, and that person is spared. If not, the shotgun cocks itself, takes aim, and fires at the victim on the carousel, continuing this process until all six rounds are spent. The traps this year not only cause pain to the victims, but they also carry an emotional element to not only the victim, but the player involved(As in SAW III/SAW IV). And the traps this year vary from taking up entire rooms which cause a huge about of gore and destruction, to being very small, but still being extremely graphic. Fans of the first SAW(Primarily fans of Amanda and the Reverse Beartrap) will be very pleased to know that the Reverse Beartrap makes another comeback(SAW III was it's last on-screen appearance since SAW). It's more like the Reverse Beartrap 2.0; a person(Who will remain unamed to avoid spoiling the ending to the movie) places this Reverse Beartrap on a test subject(Again, who will remain unamed to protect the ending), and has 45 seconds(Via a digital time on the backr as apposed to the original analog timers), and there is no escape(Although I will say that not only does the person escape the device, but we also finally get to see the Reverse Beartrap firing and destroying the right half of the test subject's face. Very gruesome experience). This was probably one of the most interesting parts of SAW VI.
Some fun trivia for long-time fans that have followed the series and have a good deal of knowledge is that we find out what is in the SAW III letter and SAW V box(As I stated before), and we find out whether or not Amanda and Hoffman knew about each other being Jigsaw's apprentices. They also bring back a very special and important character from SAW III/SAW IV/SAW V that was thought to be dead(When I include SAW III, I don't mean they were actually in SAW III, I just included it because SAW III and SAW IV were basically a continuation of one entire movie. You'll understand if you've seen both of them), and no, they aren't a ghost, and they aren't resurrected somehow. They really are alive, it was just someone who's death wasn't actually seen(Much like Dr. Gordon or SWAT Commander Rigg).
I haven't seen SAW VI for the second time yet, and I saw it last Thursday at midnight, so I'm sure I'm forgetting some things, but as far as a SAW movie goes, this one dominated what SAW IV and SAW V kind of let down. SAW VI marks a huge come-back for the franchise, and it's definately up there with SAW, SAW II, and SAW III. I haven't heard yet if this is the last movie or not(And as always, they left it perfectly open for another sequel), but it ended on a note that not only leaves the franchise open, but it could end here and make sense, and if it did end with SAW VI, I'd be extremely pleased. It was an amazing movie, and highly worth every penny I spent on the ticket(Which is now on my wall in my room). If you're even considering the slightest bit about seeing this SAW movie, do it. And see it as close to opening day as possible. Don't wait for the DVD. Jigsaw dominates on the big screen this year, and it's much better than SAW IV/SAW V, and makes up for some of the ground lost with the last two movies. And if you've seen the tagline "The game comes full circle", it's very true. The game does come full circle.
SAW VI - In Theaters Now
So, right off the bat, I'll say that this movie is definately better than SAW V. If SAW V let you down(I'll admit it, it wasn't the best, and I was rather disappointed with it), this one will make up not only for SAW V, but SAW IV even. It's much more like the style the first three movies had, in terms of camera work, story line, character development, and even gore. In all honesty, the first 5 minutes of this movie(Hell, the first 30 seconds) had more gore than the last two movies combined. It really is rather disgusting, so don't bring your kids to this movie, and if you're squeamish, avoid it. As I've said in past years' reviews, this isn't your typical slasher flick, and it's not a movie you should see if you're looking for a fun, easy scare for Halloween, and you're not wanting to have to pay attention; In short, this isn't Halloween or Friday The 13th. SAW VI has the most required knowledge, and you'll need to pay attention a lot. If you haven't seen ALL of the SAW films, don't bother. This movie references things back all the way to SAW, and even before SAW, much like SAW III and SAW V did. Also, the CGI is much better this year; It's not as obviously fake as last year and the year before, and the blood looks more realistic this year. As far as flashbacks go, there are a lot more, and they're longer, and more in-depth, in relation to what they explain. You can and probably will get lost in the flashbacks, and forget about the main story line while you're watching them. Now, onto the spoilers.
[SPOILER ALERT!]
If any of you saw the VH1 show "Scream Queens", you already have an advantage. Tanedra Howard, the winner, makes her cameo in the first 5 minutes. And if you are curious, yes, she does survive. Not to sound racist or anything, but she's actually the first black character I've seen survive in the SAW franchise, and her role isn't exactly a small role either. She has quite a few lines, which help build up to the actual start of the movie, and help give a great intro before the SAW VI title card. Not to mention, her and her partner's trap is among one of the sickest traps in the SAW franchise. As far as how the traps work out this year, it's more like SAW-SAW III. They get back to the head traps, the small-but-effective traps, and the team traps. As far as the main trap of the movie goes, it's absolutely insane, and very clever. The test subject not only has to test other people(As in SAW III), but he has chances where he himself can get hurt and must survive a test(As in SAW III/SAW IV/SAW V), and he also has chances where he must rely on other test subjects to make the choice as to whether or not he lives or dies(As in SAW/SAW II/SAW IV).
The flashbacks this year bring back a lot of old characters, as well as many new faces. They also jump back to scenes we've seen previously(Such as the Seth Baxter Pendulum Trap; SAW V), and build on them. For instance, one of the running story lines this year is that Hoffman must set a game into motion when the FBI closes in on the fact that he may be the new apprentice. In one key scene, the FBI goes back to the Pendulum Trap, and unscrambles it, finding out that it was actually Hoffman who recorded the tape for this trap, and just scrambled his voice(Using a device similar to what Jigsaw used in SAW IV with Cecil's Knife Chair Trap) to make it sound like Jigsaw's. For the fans of long-deceased characters, and if you've read the rumors, yes, Amanda does make a come-back, it's true. Her flashbacks also aren't just for the hell of it. They contribute substantially to not only SAW VI, but the previous films, explaining things that we couldn't figure out. And if you're wondering, yes, they finally reveal not only what the letter in SAW III was about(The one that made Amanda freak out and ultimately kill Lynn), but they also reveal what was in the box in SAW V. The downside to this: They give us something new, an envelope that Jill posseses, and slides into a mail-slot in a door somewhere, and the contents of it are unknown as of now.
The traps this year are much more hardcore, and as I said, more graphic. At the same time, they can be quite simple, yet very deadly. One trap(If you've seen the trailers or one of the posters, you know this one) is called the Carousel Trap. Six subjects ride the carousel. Only two may get off, if the person playing the game chooses to injure himself to release the two he chooses. The catch: There is a loaded shotgun with six rounds that must be fired to stop the carousel. If the player injures himself, the shotgun aims towards the roof, and fires, and that person is spared. If not, the shotgun cocks itself, takes aim, and fires at the victim on the carousel, continuing this process until all six rounds are spent. The traps this year not only cause pain to the victims, but they also carry an emotional element to not only the victim, but the player involved(As in SAW III/SAW IV). And the traps this year vary from taking up entire rooms which cause a huge about of gore and destruction, to being very small, but still being extremely graphic. Fans of the first SAW(Primarily fans of Amanda and the Reverse Beartrap) will be very pleased to know that the Reverse Beartrap makes another comeback(SAW III was it's last on-screen appearance since SAW). It's more like the Reverse Beartrap 2.0; a person(Who will remain unamed to avoid spoiling the ending to the movie) places this Reverse Beartrap on a test subject(Again, who will remain unamed to protect the ending), and has 45 seconds(Via a digital time on the backr as apposed to the original analog timers), and there is no escape(Although I will say that not only does the person escape the device, but we also finally get to see the Reverse Beartrap firing and destroying the right half of the test subject's face. Very gruesome experience). This was probably one of the most interesting parts of SAW VI.
Some fun trivia for long-time fans that have followed the series and have a good deal of knowledge is that we find out what is in the SAW III letter and SAW V box(As I stated before), and we find out whether or not Amanda and Hoffman knew about each other being Jigsaw's apprentices. They also bring back a very special and important character from SAW III/SAW IV/SAW V that was thought to be dead(When I include SAW III, I don't mean they were actually in SAW III, I just included it because SAW III and SAW IV were basically a continuation of one entire movie. You'll understand if you've seen both of them), and no, they aren't a ghost, and they aren't resurrected somehow. They really are alive, it was just someone who's death wasn't actually seen(Much like Dr. Gordon or SWAT Commander Rigg).
I haven't seen SAW VI for the second time yet, and I saw it last Thursday at midnight, so I'm sure I'm forgetting some things, but as far as a SAW movie goes, this one dominated what SAW IV and SAW V kind of let down. SAW VI marks a huge come-back for the franchise, and it's definately up there with SAW, SAW II, and SAW III. I haven't heard yet if this is the last movie or not(And as always, they left it perfectly open for another sequel), but it ended on a note that not only leaves the franchise open, but it could end here and make sense, and if it did end with SAW VI, I'd be extremely pleased. It was an amazing movie, and highly worth every penny I spent on the ticket(Which is now on my wall in my room). If you're even considering the slightest bit about seeing this SAW movie, do it. And see it as close to opening day as possible. Don't wait for the DVD. Jigsaw dominates on the big screen this year, and it's much better than SAW IV/SAW V, and makes up for some of the ground lost with the last two movies. And if you've seen the tagline "The game comes full circle", it's very true. The game does come full circle.
SAW VI - In Theaters Now
