Saw VI

A clear improvement over its two most recent predecessors, Saw VI has undoubtedly been designed to appeal primarily to the series’ most ardent fans – as the ongoing mythology has grown so dense and convoluted that newcomers to Jigsaw’s universe will find very little here worth embracing. It’s obvious virtually from the get-go, however, that the problems that plagued the fourth and fifth entries have mostly been done away with, and there’s little doubt that Saw VI effectively (and undeniably) breathes new life into the steadily declining franchise. The movie picks up immediately following the events of part five, as Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) continues his attempts at perpetuating Jigsaw’s legacy – which, this time around, primarily involves subjecting a heartless health insurance executive (Peter Outerbridge’s William) to several predictably brutal traps and contraptions. Director Kevin Greutert – working from Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton’s screenplay – does a nice job of sustaining the series’ grimy sense of style without completely veering into unpleasantness, and although the flashback stuff with Tobin Bell’s John Kramer remains a highlight, it’s worth noting that the movie’s other elements generally fare just as well (which was certainly not the case in the fifth installment). Dunstan and Melton’s expected reliance on the tried-and-true Saw formula – the serialized storyline is accompanied by a stand-alone, trap-heavy subplot – is consequently not as problematic as it has been in the last couple of entries, with the absence of Scott Patterson’s Agent Strahm undoubtedly playing a significant role in Saw VI‘s relative success (ie stripped of Strahm’s increasingly tedious investigation into the Jigsaw murders, the film is finally able to move the overall plot forward – albeit minutely). The inclusion of a few less-than-compelling interludes – ie William must decide the fate of six coworkers strapped to a carousel-like device – can’t quite dampen what is otherwise an impressive comeback for the Saw series, and it’s ultimately clear that there’s still a while to go before these movies begin to entirely wear out their welcome.

*** out of ****