Saw III (2006) Dir: Darren Lynn Bousman
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Last year, I rewatched and reviewed the first two films in this iconic horror franchise, but I never got around to continuing on. Finally, though, I was able to watch this third installment, once again directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. I like these films, but I know they're not without their faults.
The cold open for this one definitely wasn't as strong as the previous two films, but it certainly still felt like a 'Saw' opening. From there, the film doesn't take long to get all kinds of gory. It won't surprise anyone to know that the violence is both explicit and gratuitous, such is the way with torture horror. In that regard, the practical effect work was very good.
Visually, it was clear to see the increase in scale, especially when compared to the first film. There were some pretty good looking shots here and there, although, I won't pretend like these films are exactly known for their cinematography. They have some repeating shots and editing techniques across the films, but that's about it.
This third film is where the wheels were beginning to fall off for the franchise, unfortunately. It was starting to get stuck in its own tropes and traps. That said, this film still has its strengths. The relationship between the two main characters is really quite interesting to see, particularly with how it developed.
Storywise, I like the way everything links up with the other films at various points. It meant there were several cool moments, particularly during one particular flashback sequence. The two main arcs each had potential, and while they weren't all that bad, neither one executed as well as it could've been. It was fine for a casual viewing though.
Tobin Bell gave probably his most consistent performance of the franchise to this point. That said, he only had so much to do, which meant he only had to focus on one particular type of delivery. That said, credit where credit is due, he did well here - he's an iconic horror character for a reason.
Shawnee Smith was another to return to the franchise, this time with a very significant role. I wasn't so convinced by her acting though, if I'm honest. She did too much, if anything. I felt like she was parodying her character at points. I felt as though a more measured performance, in some scenes at least, would have served her better.
As far as the smaller roles went, I thought that both Angus Macfadyen and Bahar Soomekh were a little inconsistent, but both had some really solid scenes towards the end of the film. It was also nice to see both Donnie Wahlberg and Leigh Whannell return for some brief scenes.
Overall, I think it's a fair assessment to say that this was the weakest of the three 'Saw' films I've seen thus far. It definitely had its positives, but the weaker narratives meant that I wasn't hugely interested beyond a casual level. For a one-off watch, or a casual watch - perhaps with friends, this serves it's purpose well though.
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