The horror movie genre has seen its fair share of sequels: Freddy Krueger has eight, Jason Voorhes has 12 (including the 2009 remake), and even Chucky has five films to his name. The "Saw" franchise has become somewhat of a Halloween tradition since the first film was released in 2004. The problem is that the franchise is starting to become stale, and the production team needs to realize that. "Saw V" delivers nothing more than what we have already seen: gore, torture and mystery.
The film directly follows the events of "Saw IV" (2007), as Detective Mark Hoffman (played by Costas Mandylor) is revealed as the newest apprentice to Jigsaw (played by Tobin Bell), who was killed off in the third installment but reprises his roll in the form of flashbacks. FBI Agent Peter Strahm, played by Scott Patterson, is left locked in the room where Jigsaw and accomplice Amanda (Shawnee Smith) had been killed by Jeff Reinhart (Angus Macfayden). Strahm escapes the room, only to be put into a trap by Hoffman. This "water-box" trap is seemingly inescapable; the box around Strahm's head fills with water, and the only thing he can do is give himself an emergency tracheotomy.
Now that Hoffman's identity is compromised, he must use his abilities to tie up all loose ends. In another confusing subplot, Jill Tuck (played by Betsy Russell), Jigsaw's ex, receives a mysterious box as a part of Jigsaw's will. The rest of the film also follows a group of five people who are seemingly connected, each working to get past his or her trap.
The traps in the movie do not impress, nor disappoint; they just seem bland compared to some of the other devices that Jigsaw previously used to "rehabilitate" those unworthy of their lives. The first trap shown in the film was not even built by Jigsaw. It was made by Hoffman early in the movie as a way to punish the man who killed his sister. The trap had the man strapped to a table by his neck.
An axe pendulum hangs above him, and the clock starts ticking as it starts swinging. The goal of the trap is for the man to place his hands in vices and have them smashed to bits. It is no surprise then that the film contains brutal, gore-filled scenes including decapitations, disembowelments, electrocutions and self-dismemberment. Of course this film is not for the faint of heart, since each gut-wrenching act is shown in detail as it occurs.
This installment of the series is shorter than all of the previous films, but it should be noted that all of the films have a fairly short running time (the longest being "Saw III," 2006, at 108 minutes). David Hackl, production designer for "Saw" II-IV, took over the director's chair for this installment after Darren Lynn Bousman left to work on his film "Repo! The Genetic Opera" (2008). The difference is noticeable, as Hackl uses less jump cuts and confusing transitions than Bousman. It isn't accurate to say that Hackl is the best director in the series, but he does a good job following in the footsteps Bousman, who directed the three previous films.
The film's acting fails to contain anything worthy of acclaim. Mandylor does an okay job as the new villain, but Bell's departure from the spotlight will ultimately hurt this film. Julie Benz's character Brit is dull and boring, much like the rest of the cast involved in the teamwork traps.
It is hard to criticize a series that has been so groundbreaking and influential in the modern horror genre. Even so, the string of films needs to come to a close soon before the budgets inevitably go up and the revenues go down as the writers run out of twists. Fans of the previous films will enjoy every minute of this one, and it will leave them begging for the conclusion in "Saw VI" (slated for release next year). For most, however, "Saw V" is nothing more than another continuation of a drawn-out franchise. The story can only continue for so long, and with Jigsaw already dead, it might be time to kill the series too.
