Saw II

Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, Saw II follows a grizzled detective (Donnie Wahlberg’s Eric Matthews) as he’s unwittingly lured into John Kramer’s (Tobin Bell) latest sadistic game after the kidnapping of his teenage son. Filmmaker Bousman, armed with his and Leigh Whannell’s screenplay, does a terrific job of initially luring the viewer into the proceedings, as Saw II kicks off with an impressively disgusting (and eye-catching) sequence that effectively establishes an uncompromising, brutal atmosphere – with the picture, beyond that point, progressing into an almost predictably erratic narrative. It’s clear, ultimately, that Saw II is at its best when focused on the irresistible back-and-forth between Wahlberg and Bell’s respective characters, as the movie’s main storyline, which details the efforts of several unappealing characters to escape a booby-trapped house, is only able to sustain one’s interest and attention on an intermittent basis. (It is, having said that, impossible not to get a kick out of the cringe-inducing set-piece involving a vat of needles.) The erratic atmosphere is ultimately allayed by the movie’s myriad of appealing, engaging elements, including some terrific backstory for Bell’s compelling character, and there’s little doubt, as well, that Saw II’s twisty, surprising finale ensures that it ends on a thoroughly positive note – with the end result an impressively solid sequel that’s almost as good as its predecessor.

*** out of ****