I remember seeing Saw when it came out. I actually saw it three times in theaters in the same day! I was blown away by the atmosphere, the story, and the character development. The film took its time, creating a story where I cared about each character (regardless of their acting prowess) and, when the climax hit, I was actually hyperventilating because it was affecting me so deeply. Dr. Gordon’s desperate need to save his family, no matter what internal strife they were going through, by sawing off his own foot was one of the most horrifying moments I’d witnessed in cinema in years.
Perhaps the best part of Saw was that the traps, although terrifying, were not the star of the film. The star was the story, which built and built, adding layers of depth that created something special, something that still sticks with me. And that’s precisely where Saw II – and the rest of the films – completely dropped the ball.
Saw II focused almost entirely on the traps, shunning the characters and the horror of the story. I don’t get scared from traps, I get scared from people I like watching being put into situations where their lives are at risk. Also, where Saw implied gore far more than it showed it, the rest of the films showed it as much as possible. Again, gore doesn’t scare me. It might sicken me, but that’s about it.
Basically, I think the first Saw was fantastic and is a revolutionary genre film while the rest of the series was straight up garbage.
