It’s very clear that we have reached a new genre of Horror. Films like Se7en influenced the likes of Saw, and Hostel, and we’ve reached some very dangerous territory. These films are gory, bloody, violent and sick, and those are their good points. What makes the Saw series so different is that it has a brilliantly intelligent plot. 2004’s low-budget film Saw was to be the only of it’s kind, but due to it’s massive success in cinemas across the world, a sequel had to be made. Saw was a clever film which had a pretty brilliant twist at the end, and it left people either leaving the screen as fast as they could to the sounds of the doomed character chained to the wall’s screaming, or begging for more. And more came.

In Saw 2, the story revolves around a detective named Eric Matthews who has been trying to catch Jigsaw for some time. He is finally able to find him quite easily, but as you can imagine, this was part of Jigsaw’s plan. They can’t take Jigsaw away yet because there is a situation involving eight people trapped in a house, which can be monitored from Jigsaw’s lair. One of the eight people trapped is Eric Matthews’ son, Daniel. Jigsaw tells Detective Matthews that he will find his son in a safe and secure place if he simply sits and talks with him until the ordeal is over. Meanwhile, the police try to find the house where the eight people are struggling for their lives. In the house, the people find a cassette tape which tells them they are breathing in a deadly nerve gas, and that there are at least eight antidotes hidden around the house. They have two hours to find them, after which the front door of the house will open, and they will be free. Every antidote though, contains a game which the “players” must complete successfully for the antidote. But as with every Saw film, there’s even more to it than that…

One of the best things about the Saw series however, is the “games” or “traps”. These are after all, what the whole film is based around. The people in the house are all there because they have all spent time in jail, so Jigsaw decides it is time to put their dedications to life to the test. Within the house, Jigsaw has set up various situations. For each person in the house, there is a game they will have to play in order to get their antidote. The consequences for failing the tasks vary, from merely not getting an antidote, to instant death. The traps in this film, as with the rest of the films in the series, are very clever. Jigsaw seems to think in worst case scenario, as everything he sets up is so perfect. Either the person is punished, or they walk away alive, it’s as simple as that, each trap works perfectly. But just how many people do walk away alive?

The little booklet that comes with the DVD is much more light-hearted. It contains the chapter names, and advertisements for the films Keeping Mum, Underworld Evolution, The Libertine, Domino, The Long Weekend, A History of Violence, Lassie, The Wedding Singer, Dumb & Dumber, and even dumberer, an advert for Saw 2!

Director & Actor Commentary is a commentary with the director and two of the actors from the film, Detective Eric Matthews and one of the girls from the house. “Jigsaw’s Game” is a three minute look at the motives of Jigsaw’s traps, and a little overview of the film. Kind of pointless if you are like me and you watch the extras after the film! The Next few Special Features are explanations of the Traps, where the ideas for the traps came from, and so forth. The traps looked at are The Head Trap, The Needle Pit, The Hand Trap, and the Furnace. The last Special Feature is Storyboard comparisons of the scenes involving the Death Mask, Jigsaw’s Lair, Needle Pit, and the Furnace. All the extras are really good.

Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
Cert: 18