Review: Saw V (2008)

[tom elce]

Saw V (2008)
1.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Tom Elce
Directed by David Hackl
Cast: Costas Mandylor, Tobin Bell, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell,
Julie Benz, Meagan Good, Mark Rolston, Carlo Rota, Greg Bryk, Laura
Gordon, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfadyen, Mike Realba, Lyriq Bent,
Athena Karkanis, Justin Louis, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Glover, Bahar
Soomekh, Tim Burd, Niamh Wilson, Tony Nappo, Mike Butters
Rated: R (MPAA), 18 (BBFC)

A series that stood virtually complete with the third entry, the "Saw"
saga put the proverbial nail in its own coffin with the rank "Saw IV".
And in a more creatively-minded movie world, that would have been that
for Lionsgate's reliable cash cow. Yet this specific production
company isn't interested in artistic integrity nor an abundance of
logic, and while all human instincts pointed towards allowing this
series to truly die, their executives weren't about to miss out on
dollars aplenty. Thus, "Saw V" is born.

Clunky, mediocre and never ever scary, this latest installment sees
David Hackl - second unit director of the last two entries - take seat
in the directors chair, with the jarringly untalented Marcus Dunstan
and Patrick Melton once again taking up screenwriting duties. Their
focus primarily on relaying what made Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas
Mandylor) - revealed to be Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) accomplice in the
conclusion of the last film - come over to the dark side, this
uninteresting, plodding story broken up ocassionaly by their version
of "Saw II", in which Julie Benz's wig gives a more memorable display
than the actress herself.

"Saw V" is certainly horrific, but not in the way intended.
Atrociously acted, hyperactively shot and edited, inanely written and
completely lifeless when compared to the first three entries at the
least. Whereas the original movie kept the plot moving forward in a
way that surprised and energized the viewer, this latest is but an
insufferable slog through territory covered previously with a whole
lot more fire. There is no joy and no intrigue in watching the pieces
connecting Detective Hoffman to Jigsaw's gruelling games, as the movie
meanders along at the same sluggish pace, affording us a lead villain
of no apparent interest and a central performance by Costas Mandylor
that couldn't look more bored and defeated were the actor to really
try for it. Worse still, something at least partway similar was
glimpsed in "Saw III" regards Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith), so the
journey the director/screenwriter partnership takes us on feels like
repetition regardless.

And then there's the ending; Having equipped the film with the tagline
"you won't believe how it ends" the marketing people are at least
aware of the sole driving force of the series. Alas, the conclusion to
"Saw V" is so empty, worthless and unsurprising that it actually
stands to make the film worse (whereas the endings to the previous
films, even the poor "Saw IV", at least went out with a shot in the
arm). There is no payoff to be had in the closing three minutes, as it
simply amounts to another brutal flytrap only this time scored to the
recognisable theme music of the series as opposed to the thud-like
sound effects experienced previously. The ending, simply put, isn't
anymore an event than the soul-defeating eighty minutes that proceed
it.

When Tobin Bell's John Kramer got his throat slit by Jeff (Angus
Macfadyen) in the ingenious closing moments of "Saw III", he died and
took the series with him. Unfortunately, Lionsgate - quickly becoming
the most creatively bankrupt studio around - didn't (or wouldn't) get
the message. The result of which is that the puzzle the original
villain has now successfully put together is so spectacularly
elaborate that it no longer borders on ludicrous, but has plunged off
the edge of the logic-driven world. With no surprises and no pay-off,
"Saw V" doesn't even live up to the basic expectations set by its
brethren, credible solely for a gloomy aesthetic and a couple of
sadistic torture implements that still fail to compare to what we've
seen in the previous films. The Saw series was always headed in an
insipid and uninspired direction as soon as Lionsgate okayed "Saw IV".
With "Saw V", it moves ever closer to the bottom of the barrel.