Review: Saw 3

So now comes the third consecutive Halloween with yet another visit from everyone's favorite ironic torture-master -- and the result is a bloody good time for those movie fans who appreciate copious doses of horrific torture mixed in with a satisfyingly dark sense of (very twisted) morality. Yes, it's Jigsaw time again, a brief moment of rejoicing for those who enjoy a "body count"-style horror flick that's got just a little bit extra going on in the brains department -- and in the horror genre, "just a little brains" is a whole lot more than most of the flicks bother to offer.

Probably best recommended only to those who already like Saw and Saw 2, Saw 3 delivers more of the same mayhem, plus an appreciable dose of dark chills, morbid thrills, and just enough in the "ultra-sick morality tale" department to keep the brainier horror geeks happy. And while it's certainly not destined to go down in history as a brilliant piece of filmmaking, Saw 3 represents the closure of a horror trilogy that, hell, manages to stand head and shoulders above most of its contemporaries -- unless you happen to consider the Part Twos of Freddy, Jason and Michael to be really excellent pieces of horror -- which I don't.

The plot this time around focuses on a dejected-yet-brilliant female doctor who is kidnapped by our lovely villain(s) and forced to keep the tumor-afflicted Jigsaw alive while a new victim wanders through a warehouse filled with devious and deadly pieces of machinery. Fans of the whole series will delight in the few new pieces of "backstory flashback," most of which manage to add a few juicy shades to an already colorful saga. Call the Saw series a soap opera for the vicariously bloodthirsty and you're halfway to understanding the appeal of these flicks. The (remaining) cast members are all present and accounted for -- at the beginning of Act I, anyway. Series regulars Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Dina Meyer and Donnie Wahlberg contribute some grim good times, while newcomers Bahar Soomekh and Angus MacFadyen do a fine job of screaming, shrieking and wincing at the appropriate moments.

And solid points to the Saw-makers (Darren Lynn Bousman, Leigh Whannell, James Wan) for trying to push the envelope each time out, not only in the Gore & Terror department, but also where things like irony, creativity and motivation are concerned. (Plus you gotta love those multiple-twist endings, no matter how outlandish they might be.) Trash the Saw movies all you like, and you'll probably make some valid points while doing so, but there's no denying that the movies have a lot more of a brain that, say Final Destination 3 or The Grudge 2. There's a reason that this series has exploded at the box office while other sequels wither on the vine -- and it's not just because of the physical nastiness and the perpetually rusty torture devices.

Boasting some of the harshest and most creepily creative dispatches of the entire series, Saw 3 ends the (opening) trilogy in fine fashion. The fans will get everything they're expecting, and then some, while enjoying a few dark twists and turns that they probably didn't see coming. It's basically a popcorn movie, albeit one that's geared for movie geeks who love to see the envelope pushed and the characters punished. Frankly I see these flicks as cathartic exercises, gloriously dark and vicious little roller coasters that allow us to exorcise some inner demons and burgeoning frustrations while scarfing down a coke and some extra-buttery popcorn. The real world's a pretty nasty place, and I find it a little comforting when a piece of fiction can get even nastier than the evening news. For all its ugliness, brutality and shrieking pieces of mayhem, I left Saw 3 feeling like I'd just gone through a particularly effective therapy session. One with bear traps, buzz saw blades, and a whole lot of impromptu brain surgery.