Saw II Blu-ray offers decent video and solid audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
Jigsaw is back. The brilliant, disturbed mastermind returns for another round of horrifying life-or-death games. When a new murder victim is discovered with all the signs of Jigsaw's hand, Detective Eric Matthews begins a full investigation and apprehends Jigsaw with little effort. But for Jigsaw, getting caught is just another part of his plan. Eight more of his victims are already fighting for their lives and now it's time for Matthews to join the game...
Those that don't appreciate life do not deserve life.
Anyone going into a Saw film expecting a deep and meaningful movie with in-depth
character study, clever writing, and decent plot twists is going to be in for a surprise: they may
very well get those things. Make no mistake, neither Saw nor this sequel are award winning, archive
quality films, but they do offer deeper meaning and insight into the characters and their motivations
than do most films of this ilk. The character of Jigsaw is an intriguing one. We get a killer with
perhaps the most elaborate motivation yet for a movie psychopath: he kills hoping his victims will
live. He's a cancer patient, dying, with no hope of survival. He wants people to experience sure
death and, should they escape its clutches, begin to appreciate the gift of life. He's sadistic, and
every moment he's on screen I want someone to put a bullet in his head, but as far as story and
purpose, Jigsaw's is perhaps second to none in horror cinema lure.
A face even a mother couldn't love.
Saw II begins with an unexpected twist. Jigsaw (Tobin Bell, reprising his role from the
first
film) finds himself in police custody only minutes into the movie. Leave it to him, however, to
use
this to his advantage. He's devised yet another clever scheme to test the mettle of the lead
detective now working on his case, Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg, Annapolis). Matthew's son, abducted by
Jigsaw, finds himself part of a gruesome game of survival as he and several other prisoners,
including the character of Amanda, the lone survivor from the first film, must
find their way through a house of horrors. They are all stricken by a deadly nerve agent that is
curable only with the antidotes he's strategically placed throughout the house. He won't make it
easy. The antidotes turn up in ovens and various other demented traps. As the plot thickens,
one of
the prisoners becomes a hunter, doing anything--and killing anyone--who gets in the way of his
freedom. Jigsaw's plan finally comes to fruition as the identity of two key players, along with the
common bond between the others, is revealed.
You won't be hearing anyone calling up the makers of Saw II onto the dais to accept an
Academy Award, but this movie easily kills off a boring Saturday night with a few friends. Its
quick 90 minute runtime keeps things moving along at a brisk pace and the sadistic story and
violence are just enough to keep gore fans happy but not enough to turn away those with
weaker
stomachs.
The movie features quite a bit of quick cuts and frenetic filmmaking that's really not my style, but
the decent story line more than makes up for any technical differences I had with the
filmmakers. The movie stays true to the basic structure of the first film, retaining a mixture of
horror, mystery, and thriller elements rather than becoming a "how far can we push the gore
envelope" type movie. Thankfully, the Saw franchise hasn't fallen into this trap--yet. I
hope it doesn't because even though these aren't great films, or even films I see myself revisiting
until the distant future, I love the refreshing approach they bring to the genre. The clever story
line and intricate detail of its structure proved exhilarating as I watched the stories of the first
two
films unfold.
Saw II is prsented in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio. This 1080p image demonstrates some
intrinsic flaws, but on the whole it is a good one. The image is quite grainy, and
the black level issue once again rears its ugly head. For instance, there is a scene near the end of
the film where a character
finds himself trapped inside a pitch black room. As the door is closed on him and all light removed
from the frame, the image inexplicably and unnaturally brightens to reveal more detail than should
be there. The image is drab and the colors suffer as a result, but I believe this is more due to
artistic choices rather than a faulty transfer. This movie has a unique look to it that doesn't lend
itself particularly well to looking bright, sharp, and defined as we have come to expect from Blu-ray.
Nonetheless, it looks good for what it is.
The Blu-ray disc of Saw II, like it's predecessor's Blu-ray disc, does not contain a lossless or
PCM uncompressed soundtrack. Fortunately, Lionsgate does provide a very good DTS-ES 6.1
soundtrack as well as a Dolby Digital 5.1 EX track. The DTS track creates an impressive and
immersive
sound experience. Surround channels envelop the viewer in sound, be it the screams of the
victims, loud musical cues, special effects, or simple ambience. All of the activity from both the
front and the rear soundstage blends well with the film. There are never any trite or gimmicky
effects. While bass is hard hitting, it's neither ever present nor overly bombastic. In other words, it
is used to good effect and rumbles appropriately. Dialogue sounds just fine, but it seems to be
recorded at a slightly lower volume, but that holds true for the track as a whole. I found I had to
turn this one up a few notches higher than where I usually leave the volume. A few points must be
knocked off for the lack of a lossless option, but as far as lossy tracks go, this one is very good. It
has that theatrical "umph" to it that is powerful, clean, loud when needed, and not overly processed
or phony. All in all, this is a good track.
Unlike Saw, Saw II offers viewers several supplementary materials. Leading
things off are two commentary tracks. The first features director Darren Lynn Bousman,
production designer David Hackl, and editor Kevin Greutert. This proves to be a nice, light,
commentary track. They have no qualms about pointing out goofs and continuity errors in the
film and enjoy poking fun at the movie and at one another. The participants obviously enjoyed
making not only the movie but also this track. Even though there is quite a bit of technical
jargon thrown into this track, these folks make it interesting to listen to. I don't normally
recommend overly technical tracks to those who are not students of film, but this one is an
exception. It's definitely worth a listen. The second track consists of executive producer James
Wan and writer/executive producer Leigh Whannell. These participants bill this commentary as
"the new film school," a lighthearted jab at Robert Rodriguez's excellent special features on his
DVDs. These
participants also take the opportunity to enjoy themselves as they discuss the film with us and
they are obviously fans of the film and the genre. We become privy to some nice background
information on the movie and series, the decisions that go into a horror sequel to make it as
successful as possible, and we also hear some humorous insight into the characters, especially
Jigsaw.
This is another great track that fans of the franchise will eat up.
Moving along, we have The Scott Tibbs Documentary (1080p, 15:57). This is a very odd
mockumentary, filled to the brim with foul language. This piece supposedly serves as a bridge
between Saw II and Saw III as it picks up where Saw II left
off. He also creates his own crude Jigsaw-esque trap and attempts to escape from it. This
documentary proves to be a decent mockumentary but it's only recommended for
hardcore Saw fans. Gregg Hoffman: In Memoriam (1080i, 6:32) is a brief look
back at the life of this man who founded the Saw franchise. The Story Behind the
Story (1080p, 3:43) is a much too brief behind the scenes discussion about both the first
and second films. Finally, the usual Lionsgate Blu-ray montage piece wraps up the special
features on this disc.
Like Halloween II, Saw II is a worthy follow-up to a film that is beginning to gain
both cult and critically acclaimed status. This movie continues the story in logical fashion, doesn't
lose sight of its roots, and spins a tale full of scares, intrigue, and suspense. While this is a horror
film at its core, Saw II is also a psychological thriller and mystery movie. As fas as horror
sequels go, they don't come a whole lot better than this one, but that's still not high praise
considering its competition. While this Blu-ray disc may not be reference material, both the audio
and video quality should suffice for most viewers, and fans of the franchise will be pleased with the
included supplements. Saw II is a recommended purchase for fans of the series.
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