Saw Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)October 26th, 2004
SAW
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
James Wan's SAW is an overscripted and claustrophobic horror movie that's fairly effective, but I wish I'd never seen it. This nihilistic drama concerns a serial killer who doesn't actually murder anyone but plays gruesome games with his victims that forces them to kill themselves and sometimes others as well.
The movie starts with two guys and one dead body trapped in a derelict bathroom. Adam (Leigh Whannell) and Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) are each chained to pipes at opposite ends of the large room. In the middle is a bloody corpse with a bashed-in skull. Adam and Larry each have microcassettes with their instructions from an unknown bad guy. Unless Larry kills Adam by six, Larry's wife and daughter will be murdered.
In this SE7EN wannabe of a film, Monica Potter plays Larry's wife, and Danny Glover plays a discredited detective who is investigating the case. A repetitious and tiresome movie, it is filled with moments you'll want to forget and that will make you shut your eyes or wish that you had. I'm sure there's an audience somewhere for this sick sort of story, but I couldn't stomach it.
SAW runs a tediously long 1:40. It is rated R for "strong grisly violence and language" and would be acceptable for older teenagers.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, October 25, 2004. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
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Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
