Advantages: a great premise, a thriller that actually thrills Disadvantages: suspect acting, some minor scripting problems
Frequent readers of yours truly will probably know that I find all things Hollywood to usually be unsavoury. Of course there are exceptions, we sometimes get a stroke of genuine genius that of course as a result gets over-marketed, over-hyped and over-used by similar films in the next few years ( a la "Matrix" for example). Then of course there are the rest of those films that follow the same general template. In those elaborately garnished murder/thrillers ... ...their last or most challenging case ever only to come across a suspect who is quickly written off as innocent only for you to find out later that he/she was in fact the bad guy. But let's not forget that final 'big twist' which is the one that catches the oh so professional bad guy off guard and leads to his/her demise. I swear there is a film like that on release every other month. When will we see a 'thriller' that actually attempts or even determines ...
DarkMark 12.08.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: Disturbing | Great concept Disadvantages: Some acting
...this film is about.
Saw begins with us seeing two men, Adam (Leigh Whannell, also the co-writer for the film) and Doctor Gordon (Cary Elwes) chained up and locked away in a rather dirty looking public bathroom and to top it all off a dead body is in the middle of the room. At the beginning they have no clue how they got there or, indeed, why but its safe to assume they weren’t out with their drinking buddies and are a butt of some practical joke. ... ...fill up that sub genre. Saw marks another progression, taking torture and suffering extreme and being clever about it. This isn’t the first film to do so, it isn’t making a new sub-genre all of its own here but it’s doing something different from the standard norm we are seeing a lot of lately. Being different and being good are two separate things though. It’s no good thinking you’re clever when you’re not. Luckily Saw manages to pull it off pretty ...
3rdRockSatan 31.10.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: gripping thrilling entertainment Disadvantages: dont care about the characters
I was sent Saw by my DVD rental club in error and did not think that it was the sort of film that I would enjoy, however I thought that I would give it a go.
After 10 minutes i was hooked and had to watch the whole film.
CAST
+++++
Dr Lawrence Gordon - Cary Elwes
Adam - Leigh Whannell
Detective Trapp - Danny Glover
BASIC STORYLINE
++++++++++++++++
Dr Lawrence Gordon awakens from a drugged sleep and is in a dark room. He can hear that there ... ...but I expected a circular saw to feature somwhere in this movie but it doesn't!
I would not call the film gory as it does not show too many horrific things, it is more the idea of what is going on than buckets of blood and gore. It is a very good horror/suspense movie.
As with all good thrillers there is a huge twist at the end of the film, which I was not expecting. It just comes out of nowhere! There are a couple of questions left unanswered ...
kismet 20.03.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: Gripping, cringe-worthy in places, bit scary Disadvantages: 'interesting' acting by some
..."Saw".
From the outset, Saw plunges you into the unknown, initially establishing virtually nothing. To begin with, and for a good portion of the film, we know next to nothing about the characters we are watching. We, like they, do not know where they are, except that they're chained up in a dirty bathroom, and we are given no background on the characters, or why they are in their current predicament. This does an excellent job of making sure you're ... ...we are treated to), giving Saw its 18 certificate. There are some interesting directing tricks in Saw that give it the edge. Look out for the way the action is speeded up during the torture scenes, giving it that sense of urgency it requires. Another scene that was a personal favourite of mine was when we're seeing the last part of Adam's life before he woke up in the bathroom. He thinks there's someone in his apartment, and the electricity has gone. ...
Magdalena 23.09.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: : A great film, good effects! Disadvantages: The story doesn't end!!!!
== Saw (film only review) ==
=== Details: ===
Director: James Wan Release Date: 1 October 2004 Certification: 18 (UK) Runtime: 103 mins The first of 5 Saw films. Saw came out in 2004, and I don't think anybody knew just how big it was going to get. The problem with the Saw series, is that you have to have watched all of them to watch one of them, otherwise you can get very confused by what is happening! Also, at the end of each film you have to ... ...This was the first Saw film, and I have now seen it quite a few times. I like horror films (though I won't watch them on my own!!!!), and the Saw series has become one of my favourites. As with most films with sequels, the first film is the best, although nothing is really "tied up" at the end, not even the story with Lawrence and Adam really, which is a little annoying as it's kind of like a TV show in that you have to wait for the next episode ...
stephbond89 20.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: A good idea, with constant twists and turns Disadvantages: The characters werent developed early enough and you end up not being bothered about them
...lot of good things about Saw and it was with great expectation that I decided to watch it. Especially as it has been heralded as the scariest movie of the year, I take it they didn’t see the Legend of Ron Burgandy. The film has a bit of a different feel to it, which I thought would make it a good film, shame it didn’t turn out that way.
We meet out characters for the first time in a dark room. Adam (Leigh Whannell) wakes up to find himself sat in ... ...of scrambling about and shouting a voice from the darkness tells him its pointless. A short time later the man across the room finds a light switch and we now meet the rooms other occupant Dr Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes). They are both chained at opposite ends of the room with a body lying in the middle surrounded by a puddle of blood.
They soon discover that they are part of a game as they discover two tapes with a distorted voice telling them ...
Andy.mack 21.10.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: It's a gory game alright… Disadvantages: … but it's not played well
Saw [film only]
I wonder what made me watch Saw again; probably I wanted to find out what led to its success and consequently to the sequels that followed. It was a low-budget horror film that was filmed in 18 days only, and probably you won't fail to notice this when you watch it. It begins with the dilemma of two men who don't know each other and who woke up to find each of them tied to a wall by a chain round one foot in a big, dirty public bathroom. ... ...What I didn't like about Saw I is that I felt the game wasn't played well, which is harsh to say considering that it is a life-or-death game, yet this is what appeared to me. It is easy enough to comprehend that the game revolves around one's ability to fight to stay alive. The main character John was diagnosed with cancer, and he is sick of the people who do not "appreciate their blessings". So, he gives them the chance to fight for this life that ...
sottovoce82 27.01.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: Great plot with plenty of twists to hold your attention. Disadvantages: Less than perfect acting.
...a puzzle. Saw opens up, in total darkness with the sound of a man's confused cries for help, upon hearing another man's voice, he realises he is not alone. The bright, fluorescent lights come on and the two men, Adam (Leigh Whannell) and Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) see they have both been chained up in a filthy bathroom with no windows. Neither of the men know how or why they are there and as their eyes start to focus to the bright light they ... ...Mike Butters - Paul
Paul Gutrecht - Mark
Michael Emerson - Zep Hindle
Benito Martinez - Brett
Shawnee Smith - Amanda
Makenzie Vega - Diana Gordon
Monica Potter - Alison Gordon
Ned Bellamy - Jeff
============================
** Saw 2 will be in Cinemas Halloween 2005.
Thanks for reading. ...
lizzy8 10.10.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: Good concept Disadvantages: Bargain basement acting
Two men wake up in a filthy bathroom, chained to the pipes with no idea of where they are or how they got there. There is a corpse holding a tape recorder and a gun. It soon becomes clear that they are being held at the mercy of the psychotic Jigsaw Killer, who has set them a series of tasks. Dr Gordon must kill his cellmate or his wife and daughter will be offed. But even if they complete the tasks they are set, will they escape the room alive?
... ...James Wan, who wrote the screenplay with one of its stars, Leigh Whannell. It relies heavily on twists and turns to keep the audience interested, lining up suspects and knocking them down at a brisk pace. It fills in the background of the characters through a series of flashbacks, each one dropping more information into place like a jigsaw, so their personalities are slowly revealed. The sadistic Jigsaw Killer is kept in the background throughout, ...
afy9mab 18.10.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: Original Thriller/Horror story line Disadvantages: Some of the acting is terrible and some of the plot doesn't quite fit well.
...that seem to be displaying Saw posters all over the ship. "Dare you see Saw?" they question. Well, I'm always up for a dare, and to be honest there's nothing I like better than a good, scary movie, so I was quite keen to check this movie out. After seeing the trailor for it at the cinema I was sold, and so trotted off with some friends to watch it.
First of all, the title will provide you with hours of hilarity as you stand around prodding your ... ...Saw, see-saw...get it? Well, maybe that's just my friends that find that funny, but nevertheless, after much giggling, we finally got our tickets and got our bums in our seats.
The film opens with the audience seeing out the eyes of a yet unknown character as he wakes up to find himself in a bath full of water with a rather non-descript blob floating around the bath above him. He panics and pulls the plug out and drags himself out the bath. He is ...
Guru-On-A-Mountain 07.10.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: Gripping from start to finish Disadvantages: Has been surpassed by the sequels
Saw is an extremely gory horror film from director James Wan who produced the other Saw films & also directed Death Sentence starring Kevin Bacon. It's no surprise that Saw is rated 18 due to very strong violence & language. It runs for approximately 103 minutes. It was released 29th October 2004 & instantly became a cult hit. The budget was set at $1,200,000 & made a whopping $102,917,772 at the box office. The main stars of this film are the two ... ...Lawrence Gordon. Saw has got to be one of the defining horror movies of the decade. It's my favourite horror series & has kept me hooked throughout all 4 sequels, although I was a bit disappointed with number 5 it was still a great film compared to all other horror films it was simply the fact that Saw, Saw 2, Saw 3 & Saw 4 had set the standards so high it was hard to follow. I recently heard that there is going to be a 6th Saw film which I can't ...
Great_reviewer07 15.01.2009 (31.01.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: Some good effects Disadvantages: Wife hid behind cushion for all of film ( is this a disadvantage?)
== SAW ==
=== (film only review) ===
Details: Director: James Wan Release Date: 1 October 2004 Certification: 18 (UK) Runtime: 103 mins I am not usually one to watch horror films but when my eldest grandson came to stay he put this on for us wrinklies to watch with him.
=== STORY ===
Adam and Lawrence, both with shackles on their ankles, and a dead body in the middle of the room. Adam doesn't know Lawrence, or the dead body so his head is full ... ...dirty room ?
Who is this Lawrence? Why is that guy dead!, and who is he? When Lawrence and Adam tell their stories, it turns out they have both been "kidnapped" and taken against their will to this room, and neither of them know how to get out. When they find tapes in their pockets, and a tape player on the floor with the dead man, they both find out they are playing a "game" at the hand of the notorious JigSaw, a phsyco who has been striking for ...
baherbc 10.10.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: Tense, atmospheric and without usual hollywood-like childishness Disadvantages: Some weak acting, and a rather suspect plot
From the very beginning, this film sets itself out as a cold, psychological horror flick, meant to chill the viewer as the terrible events unfold in front of them and keep you hanging on the edge of your seat in suspense.
With twists, frights and a great deal of atmosphere - created mainly by the hollow, cold set - and some surprisingly good tension building we have a film which, quite unusually for a Hollywood film doesn't rely simply on sudden, ... ...and squirming in their seat.
The film starts off with Adam (Leigh Whannell) Waking in a bath in an old, derelict bathroom. It is pitch black and Adam clearly has no idea how he got there. He is not alone, however - with him in this bathroom is another man, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) who, after a short search find the light switch which finally illuminates the room and reveals to us the nature of the place they've awoken, both literally and ...
krakan 20.10.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: Great horror thriller Disadvantages: None
I went to see Saw 3 yesterday and it put my in the mood to watch Saw agaih - can't wait the fourth part of the series, despite the strange cast named so far (Jessica Alba and Goran Visnjic)!
Now this film was released in 2004, directed by a Malaysian called James Wan, on a very small budget (the budget was so low that they couldn't afford dummies, so one of the actors had to lie on the floor for 8 days - if you've seen it you'll know who I'm taking ... ...DVD cover, and the name Saw may give you a clue as to why the squeamish may find this film a bit much!
We start off with Dr Gordon and Adam waking up in a bathroom each chained by the foot to a pipe.
It's a genius way to make a film as it requires minimal props and very little moving around.
Adam and Dr Gordon notice there is a dead body between them, who appears to have shot himself in the head.
They both find tapes in their pockets saying "play ...
iateamonkey 10.11.2006 (21.01.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Advantages: A novel idea, a few grusome scenes Disadvantages: Poorly executed, resorts to cliches
...that shakes up the genre. Saw is one of those movies, it generated a little word of mouth in the months before it’s release and was generally portrayed as a good movie with a decent premise.
You could call it the low budget version of Seven as it has a lot of comparisons to Fincher’s classic thriller. Two men awaken to find themselves in an old bathroom, each of them is chained to a pipe in opposite corners of the room. In the middle of the room ... ...a sick trap. Saw starts off well; the atmosphere is incredibly creepy and very unnerving. However as the film progresses it becomes a muddled and generally annoying film. I say annoying because it’s premise could really have put the audience through the ringer however it soon resorts to cop clichés and general rip-offs of far better films as well as your usual serial killer traits. One of the biggest problems I had was the way in which the film built ...
utero 28.01.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Saw (DVD)
Adam (Leigh Whannell) wakes up in a dank room across from Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) ... more
and the body of a guy who has blown his own brains out. Not a happy place, obviously, and it gets worse when both men realize that they've been chained and pitte...
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Adam (Leigh Whannell) wakes up in a dank room across from Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) ... more
and the body of a guy who has blown his own brains out. Not a happy place, obviously, and it gets worse when both men realize that they've been chained and pitte...
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How much blood would you shed to stay alive? Two men (Whannell and Elwes) wake up in the ... more
secure lair of a serial killer who's been nicknamed "Jigsaw" by the police because of his unusual calling card. Given six hours a hacksaw and a bullet the two...
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Awakening from a drugged stupor, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) finds himself chained to ... more
a pipe in a dingy bathroom, with another man (Leigh Whannell) in the same situation across the room . The men are the latest victims of the Jigsaw Killer, a mani...
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet