The Sandspur

Issue date: 11/11/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Courtesy of Lion's Gate Film SAW RETURNS TO TERRIFY: If you thought the first movie was frightening you'll find the sequel is brilliant.

With film remakes rampant in Hollywood these days, especially in the case of horror films, it is impossible to find a quality, original horror film capable of horrifying and repulsing its audience sufficiently. "Saw II" can without a doubt qualify as a high quality horror genre screenplay, leaving even the skeptical terribly unsettled upon exiting the theater. Although it stays very true to its original, the sequel is more revealing. While "Saw" was a blood-fest, "Saw II" is a blood-fest with a storyline; the explanation to all that was left unsaid in the first film.

Starring actors, Donnie Wahlberg ("The Sixth Sense," "Dreamcatcher"), Shawnee Smith ("Saw"), Tobin Bell ("Overnight Delivery"), Franky G ("The Italian Job"), Glenn Plummer ("The Day After Tomorrow," "Poolhall Junkies"), Dina Meyer ("Saw"), Beverly Motchell ("7th Heaven"), and Timothy Bird ("Cinderella Man," "Resident Evil"), "Saw II" begins a new tale of senseless torture and massacre for a "sensible" reason.

A killer who doesn't murder; the ultimate paradox, the catch to his crimes is that he makes them kill themselves. "Saw II" reveals the not-so-shocking return of Jigsaw (Bell), and with a purpose; to teach those that don't appreciate life to learn to or to die. True to its predecessor and its previews, "there will be blood." For those equally repulsed by torture, this is a film where many a head turn will be necessary. But even in utter disgust one cannot deny the brilliance in the premise, even the second time around.

This time the experimentation is on a larger scale with seven victims waking up in a place they've never seen before, a booby trapped shelter where no one will find them. The game is simple; a deadly nerve gas capable of causing its victims to bleed to death through every possible avenue of doing so, is released through the vents in the shelter. The time it takes for the poison to enter their systems completely and kill them is two hours. The doors to the shelter are timed to open in three. The victims must use the subtle clues to find the anecdotes hidden throughout the many rooms. But there is a catch you might say to the obtaining of any anecdotes and horribly cruel sacrifices must be made, so the directions must be taken carefully into account. However, the anecdotes have to be found or all of them will die. Meanwhile, a formerly hardcore cop, Eric Matthews ("Wahlburg") and his team finally catch Jigsaw. Unfortunately, one of the victims is the Matthew's son and everyone has to play by Jigsaw's rules or there will be no hope for anyone in that house.

The connections seem simple at first, even ridiculously obvious, but in the end they come together in equal incredible detail, even more so than in the first film as the purpose and full history are revealed. As Hannibal Lector before him, you can hate Jigsaw for his indescribably sick and twisted experimentation but you can't help but be in awe of his brilliance. Every detail is covered to the very last seemingly insignificant one.

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