Saw: The Final Chapter
Year: 2010
Directed by: Kevin Greutert
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor & Betsy Russell
Runtime: 90 mins
BBFC: 18
Published: 18/11/21
Directed by: Kevin Greutert
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor & Betsy Russell
Runtime: 90 mins
BBFC: 18
Published: 18/11/21
I normally like to open my reviews with a bit of an intro, a bit of background, but this one’s going to be a little different because I don’t really want to write it. There are few films I can say that I unequivocally hate, few films that I loathe with every fibre of my being, but Saw 3D, Saw: The Final Chapter, or Saw VII (depends on who you ask, but I’ll refer to it as Saw VII from here on out) is absolutely one of them. If you thought the Game of Thrones finale was bad you clearly haven’t seen this film.
The ending of Saw VI finally ousted Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) as the Jigsaw copycat to the police, and he managed to survive the Reverse Bear Trap placed on him by John Kramer’s ex-wife, Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell). Now in a desperate attempt to get rid of those who are hunting him down, Hoffman starts a killing spree of police officers with his end goal being to find Jill and kill her.
Meanwhile, Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick), a Jigsaw survivor, has written a book about his experience in overcoming Jigsaw’s game and cherishing his life more as a result. However, Bobby is a fake, he has never been in a Jigsaw game. So, when he wakes up in one, he must face seemingly insurmountable trials to save those who have helped him sell his lie, or face losing his wife (Gina Holden), the only person who was unaware of his deceit.
This film makes me so angry that I don’t even know where to begin. How about with what I like, because there’s so little of it. Bobby’s story is good; it could have been great if it had been fleshed out a bit more, but it is by far the most compelling aspect of this film and is an interesting twist on the usual Jigsaw game formula that audiences have become so accustomed to now.
That’s it, that’s all the good I have to say about Saw VII, so I’m going to swiftly move on to everything else.
The ending of Saw VI finally ousted Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) as the Jigsaw copycat to the police, and he managed to survive the Reverse Bear Trap placed on him by John Kramer’s ex-wife, Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell). Now in a desperate attempt to get rid of those who are hunting him down, Hoffman starts a killing spree of police officers with his end goal being to find Jill and kill her.
Meanwhile, Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick), a Jigsaw survivor, has written a book about his experience in overcoming Jigsaw’s game and cherishing his life more as a result. However, Bobby is a fake, he has never been in a Jigsaw game. So, when he wakes up in one, he must face seemingly insurmountable trials to save those who have helped him sell his lie, or face losing his wife (Gina Holden), the only person who was unaware of his deceit.
This film makes me so angry that I don’t even know where to begin. How about with what I like, because there’s so little of it. Bobby’s story is good; it could have been great if it had been fleshed out a bit more, but it is by far the most compelling aspect of this film and is an interesting twist on the usual Jigsaw game formula that audiences have become so accustomed to now.
That’s it, that’s all the good I have to say about Saw VII, so I’m going to swiftly move on to everything else.
First on my hit list are the characters. By this point almost every character that has appeared in a Saw film is dead and it only leaves Hoffman and Jill as the two remaining central characters. Jill is for all intents and purposes the leading lady of this film as well spending most of the runtime with her in police protection from Hoffman. Much like in Saw VI, Jill has so little characterisation done in the previous films that there is no reason to care about her. Plus, now the information that she always knew what her ex-husband John Kramer was doing setting up the Jigsaw games, and even helped out with them, makes her even less likable because it took away what moral superiority she had over everyone else squabbling over John’s legacy.
Hoffman becomes the Saw equivalent to Michael Myers in the film. He doesn’t say an awful lot and spends all film walking up behind people and slashing their throats. He gets a fitting ending that I’m sure fans will appreciate, but it’s a shame to see him reduced down to what he becomes.
Then we have newcomer Detective Matt Gibson (Chad Donella), he’s the guy who Jill goes to for help and the film acts like we know who this guy is, and that he’s had a significant role to play in Hoffman’s life and the Jigsaw investigations, but we have literally never seen or heard of this guy before. All he does in the entire film is follow Hoffman’s breadcrumbs to his death, so it seems like a waste of time bringing in a new character and trying to half arse establish him considering he contributes nothing to the story.
In fact, Saw VII probably has the highest body count of the entire series because Hoffman just kills everyone, and almost nobody makes it to the credits alive. Killing everyone off is certainly one way to end your series, but the way it’s done feels so rushed.
Speaking of rushed, the pacing is another issue of mine. Saw VII utilises many of the same filmmaking techniques present in Saw IV. Whilst the position of the film in the story timeline is very clear, it frequently ignores basic filmmaking practices, and is so sloppily edited together that it’s frustrating to watch. This on top of the full throttle, never a moment to breathe pacing, makes Saw VII so desensitising to sit through. People are being massacred all around but because of how it’s been put together you never have any time to register it, also because most of these people are not named characters (or are extremely minor roles if they are) it has no impact either.
Hoffman becomes the Saw equivalent to Michael Myers in the film. He doesn’t say an awful lot and spends all film walking up behind people and slashing their throats. He gets a fitting ending that I’m sure fans will appreciate, but it’s a shame to see him reduced down to what he becomes.
Then we have newcomer Detective Matt Gibson (Chad Donella), he’s the guy who Jill goes to for help and the film acts like we know who this guy is, and that he’s had a significant role to play in Hoffman’s life and the Jigsaw investigations, but we have literally never seen or heard of this guy before. All he does in the entire film is follow Hoffman’s breadcrumbs to his death, so it seems like a waste of time bringing in a new character and trying to half arse establish him considering he contributes nothing to the story.
In fact, Saw VII probably has the highest body count of the entire series because Hoffman just kills everyone, and almost nobody makes it to the credits alive. Killing everyone off is certainly one way to end your series, but the way it’s done feels so rushed.
Speaking of rushed, the pacing is another issue of mine. Saw VII utilises many of the same filmmaking techniques present in Saw IV. Whilst the position of the film in the story timeline is very clear, it frequently ignores basic filmmaking practices, and is so sloppily edited together that it’s frustrating to watch. This on top of the full throttle, never a moment to breathe pacing, makes Saw VII so desensitising to sit through. People are being massacred all around but because of how it’s been put together you never have any time to register it, also because most of these people are not named characters (or are extremely minor roles if they are) it has no impact either.
But by far my biggest issue with Saw VII, and it does tie into the filmmaking, is that it looks awful. Everything is too bright and the colours are all washed out, add to this that nothing is the right colour anyway and it makes Saw VII look like a cheap fan-made film akin to what the original Saw was developed from. Blood is very clearly pink paint, not even red, a bright baby pink. Plus, what little gore that’s present is very clearly fake because it never looks like what it’s supposed to be.
This horrible look can solely be attributed to the fact that the film was shot in 3D and so colours needed to be adjusted to compensate for how much brightness you lose when wearing 3D glasses. But the problem is that even when watching it in 3D it looks wrong! The 3D is also poorly done, there’s hardly anything that uses it. You’d think that a 3D entry in a series known for throwing blood and guts everywhere would have a great time with this technology, but no, it only uses it maybe once in the entire film and it’s right at the end and it’s all over before you even register that it’s happened.
Saw VII is beyond disappointing. I cannot think of anyone who would find any enjoyment from this film. Newcomers will have no idea what’s happening, and returning fans will be disappointed with the lack of closure. It’s a bad Saw film because it doesn’t even use the premise of Saw films very well, and it’s a bad film in general because it feels like it’s been made by someone who’s never watched a film in their life. The sooner we forget Saw VII ever existed the better.
This horrible look can solely be attributed to the fact that the film was shot in 3D and so colours needed to be adjusted to compensate for how much brightness you lose when wearing 3D glasses. But the problem is that even when watching it in 3D it looks wrong! The 3D is also poorly done, there’s hardly anything that uses it. You’d think that a 3D entry in a series known for throwing blood and guts everywhere would have a great time with this technology, but no, it only uses it maybe once in the entire film and it’s right at the end and it’s all over before you even register that it’s happened.
Saw VII is beyond disappointing. I cannot think of anyone who would find any enjoyment from this film. Newcomers will have no idea what’s happening, and returning fans will be disappointed with the lack of closure. It’s a bad Saw film because it doesn’t even use the premise of Saw films very well, and it’s a bad film in general because it feels like it’s been made by someone who’s never watched a film in their life. The sooner we forget Saw VII ever existed the better.