Saw: The Final Chapter   Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Sean Patrick Flanery and Cary Elwes Lions Gate Home Entertainment UK RRP: £19.99 LGD94210 Certificate: 18 Available 07 March 2011

The Jigsaw killer is dead, but an accomplice continues the elaborate killings. A feud between the self-appointed protégé and Jigsaw’s wife takes a deadly turn. Meanwhile, Bobby Dagen, a so-called survivor of a Jigsaw trap is doing a promotional tour of his book. He’s a courageous hero to many people, including his new wife, but he’s also a fraud. He thinks he’s cashing in and being clever; however, it isn’t long before he gets on the wrong side of the new Jigsaw, and finds himself fighting to save everyone he cares about. The original Jigsaw’s widow has revealed the identity of the current killer to the investigating detective. She is under police protection, but elsewhere there are lives to save. There is a final twist that no-one suspects - least of all the killer...

It seems as though Saw has more instalments than teeth (do you see what I did there?). The original was innovative, tense and compelling. It was structured in an ingenious way, although all it seems to be remembered for is the violence. There was a reason for everything that happened. The Jigsaw killer was, in effect, playing God. He was dying of cancer, and so singled out individuals who were effectively throwing away their life and challenging them to fight for it; to make something of their life or die trying. Let’s be honest and say straight away that practically all of the sequels were pretty abysmal. The strength of the story was lost in favour of increasingly more violent and gory traps.

I will say that there is a certain closure here, although I wouldn’t be half surprised if we haven’t seen the last of the Saw film series. Both the Jason/Friday and Freddy/Nightmare films were brought to a close, only to be resurrected shortly afterward. There are some elaborate and violent traps, but you just don’t sympathise with anyone in the film. I liked the twist right at the end; it brings the entire story full circle, and proves the foresight of Jigsaw. I’ll say no more.

Extras include two commentaries, deleted and extended scenes, music videos and a trailer.

6

Ty Power