Saw 3D: The Final Chapter (2010) Dir: Kevin Greutert

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Marketed as both 'The Final Chapter' and 'Saw: 3D', this 2010 extreme horror sequel was actually the seventh, and certainly not final, film in the long-running 'Saw' franchise. It was once more directed by Kevin Greutert, who had also directed the sixth film, and seemed to be tasked with attempting to conclude the franchise. Of course, that didn't end up happening, but I was still intrigued by what would unfold, no matter how wacky it ended up being.

For some reason, this one looked a lot tackier than those before it. Apparently this was in-part due to the 3D filming process, which is annoying, considering how brief that cinema craze was. The blood looked too bright and pink, compared to the other films in the franchise. I also felt like the flashback scenes were lit like a cheap detective TV series call back - it was so corny. Additionally, de-aging Tobin Bell by sticking a backwards cap on him was absolutely hilarious, and not at all effective.

This was perhaps the most ridiculous film in the franchise, from a storyline point of view. Any sense of logic and realism had long since left the building, and had been taken over by nonsensical absurdity, but I can't deny I did enjoy it. It also featured one of the more audacious and ridiculous traps I've seen in these films, but it gave us a cameo from the late Chester Bennington, which can never be sniffed at. All things considered, this was a real mess of a film - it felt like it was trying so hard to swerve and twist its audience that it ended up falling flat on its face.

Costas Mandylor represented this film in more than just the significance of his role - his acting was pretty silly and messy, which just about sums up the rest of the film too. His acting in the franchise hadn't been too amazing, but this definitely was one of his worse performances. Tobin Bell once more only featured a little bit in this film, but I still thought his acting was conspicuous for how poor it was, comparatively speaking. The rest of the cast provided average-at-best performances, with the most notable coming from Betsy Russell and a briefly returning Cary Elwes. Sean Patrick Flanery and Chad Donella also get mentions because of how much screentime they had.

Overall, I thought this was a really chaotic and poorly executed film, which seemed to lose focus again and again, instead being fully intent on delivering as many twists and turns, no matter if they actually worked or not. Some of the traps were interesting, but even they took things a little too far, from a logic perspective. Even in a franchise like 'Saw', there needs to be a limit, of sorts. Regardless, I still had some fun watching this seventh film, but it was nowhere near as good as some of its predecessors, least of all the original.