THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Torture porn stood tall in the 2000s with the likes of Hostel and The Passion of the Christ. As if that wasn't enough, the Saw franchise wasn't ready to slow down yet.
PLOT
Saw III takes place six months apart from Detective Eric Matthews being reported missing when looking for his son. Detective Allison Kerry (Dina Meyer) discovers another Jigsaw victim that suffered from a trap that appeared to be inescapable. At night, she is abducted by an apprentice. When she wakes up, she is killed from another trap that is escape-proof. Afterwards, Dr. Lynn Denlon is abducted by Amanda Young and is taken to an abandoned meatpacking plant, a new hideout for the mastermind John Kramer. He has now become bedridden due to his cancer worsening. He gives Lynn an ultimatum to help him live until a new victim passes a new game, or she dies. To ensure she'll comply, Amanda puts a collar on her neck if she moves out of range or if he dies before the game is over. Unbeknownst to her, the victim is her husband Jeff. When he wakes up inside a crate, he plays an audiotape that reveals that the tests he must complete the game by two hours or he'll be trapped forever. If he passes in time, he might overcome the grief he consumed after the loss of his son Dylan. He first finds a freezer room, containing a naked chained woman named Danica Scott (Debra Lynne McCabe). She was the witness of the car accident that killed Jeff's son. Because she refused to testify against the driver, a light sentence was given. Jeff reaches for the key to save her from being frozen to death, but he retrieves it when it is too late. His second test finds Judge Haiden (Barry Flatman), who presided over the case. He must retrieve a key by activating an incinerator that'll burn his son's toys or the judge will drown to liquified pig intestines while being chained to a vat. Surprisingly, Jeff activates the incinerator and gets the key in time. The third test leads to Timothy Young (Mpho Koaho), the driver who was intoxicated and resulted in Dylan's death. The goal is to retrieve a key that'll free him from shackles that'll twist his head and limbs the longer it takes to get it. Jeff does grab it, but it's connected to a shotgun trigger. When it goes off, Haiden is killed in the crossfire. In shock of what happened, Jeff is unable to save Timothy in time. As for Lynn, she has to perform an improvised brain surgery on John, since Amanda refuses to take him to a hospital. In a semi conscious state, he reminisces fond memories of him with his wife. During the surgery, Amanda grows jealous of Lynn and refuses to free her when Jeff finishes the test in time. We see flashbacks revealing that not only did she aid him in setting up the game from the first film, but also killed Adam who was left for dead in the dilapidated bathroom. In the present, she holds her at gunpoint and admits to not truly believing in his philosophy. She then reveals that she also created the recent inescapable death traps, along with getting in a fight with Eric Matthews when he got out of the bathroom, not revealing his fate. Just as she shoots Lynn from behind, Jeff appears and shoots her in the neck. As she dies from her wounds, John tells her that Lynn's test was meant for him. He then promises Jeff that he'll call an ambulance if he plays another game: Kill him or forgive him. He says that he forgives him, only to slice his throat with a buzzsaw. Before his last breath, he pulls a tape recorder for him to play. The tape revealed that his daughter Corbett (Niamh Wilson) is also held captive elsewhere and only John knows the location. The film ends as the only open door automatically closes on Jeff, and Lynn dies from her collar after John's heart stops.
THOUGHTS
I recall binge watching this franchise in 2020, to hype myself up for the eventual spinoff Spiral. After enjoying the first two, I had expectations to be made. I found myself relieved to say that we got a third hit in a row. Darren Lynn Bousman and Leigh Whannell appear to be the best duo for this franchise because with one or the other, you still feel a sense of shock factor that Saw is all about. Whether or not you see it coming story wise, you're invested on how it becomes executed. You don't get the best death traps here, but don't forget that it doesn't mean they're not tough to witness. Seeing the pig vat sequence almost made me go vegan, whereas I can't stop thinking about the torture rack whenever I crack my neck. You know you did your job traumatizing the audience when the simple things trigger you. As said before, the theme of appreciating life is intact and it works this time because of new faces. Thanks to the performances of Bahar Soomekh and Angus Macfayden, they play both sides of the coin in terms of depression. While Macfayden shows off the obsessive aspect in Jeff, Soomekh represents the emotionally distant perspective in Lynn. The paths they make create their lack of appreciation with what they have. This sadly makes them perfect candidates for a Jigsaw game that'll make them regain their gratefulness. Considering how things changed for them in an instant, you do feel bad that neither gets a happy ending. The returning Shawnee Smith is at her most unstable as Amanda. You expect her to go too far after knowing her allegiance, but you wouldn't expect her to be as creative as her mentor. So seeing her inescapable traps were definitely a bold way to open the film. As for Tobin Bell, this is the end of his arc as John Kramer, despite returning for flashbacks in the following sequels. The most memorable thing about him is how despite being ill, he was always one step ahead of those he chose to oppose. And that is why he is a memorable antagonist. While I think this sequel is solid, there are some problems that hold it back from being a better one. First off, I thought it was a weird move not having Kerry being the lead in this sequel. While the dual perspective of the Denlons was interesting, I would've liked it if we focused on Kerry going through her own game before suffering from her fate. If that was done, it would've hyped me up to see Officer Rigg go through his journey. Also, how is there no cameras in the hospital when Amanda sneaks in to abduct Lynn? I feel like after the disappearance of Lawrence Gordon, there should have been something/someone to spot her. I was really bothered on the dialogue where Lynn asked who John is but within seconds later, she recognizes him. That was basically a Dory moment where she does and doesn't know something, which was so unnecessary. I mean she doesn't have short term memory loss, so that makes the exchange pointless. While it makes sense seeing Amanda help Kramer with the game of Adam and Gordon because it adds up to the fact that he couldn't have done it alone. My problem is you're ruining the mystery of what made the first film so iconic. The fact that it doesn't stop from here gets irritating. And lastly, I know it's a big whammy that Lynn and Jeff are married but how did Amanda not know that? Kramer has her abduct them but she doesn't do a check up on them out of curious? I know she's unstable but I feel like she should be somewhat self aware. I mean they both have the last name and she could've figured it out through surveillance. Having said that, I still enjoy what's given out of this. To sum it up, Saw III is still a watchable sequel for keeping the message intact and being as gory as expected. If you're getting into Saw, I assure you that you'll enjoy this one along the way.
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