Saw: The Tenth Anniversary Re-Release

It's hard to believe that the Saw film franchise has been around for 10 years.  In that time they managed to churn out 7 total films (of which I think I saw four...maybe five, I can't remember) and go from one of the hottest events of October for modern horror fans to the bargain bin.  By the time Paranormal Activity came along and gave people something completely different, I think people wanted a break from the ultra-violence and convoluted story lines.  It's now been 4 years since a new film has been released and Lions Gate decided to celebrate (and possibly test the waters a bit during) the tenth anniversary of the release of the original with a limited theatrical run.

My girlfriend and her buddy had a bit of a tradition of going to see each Saw sequel around Halloween so when it was announced that the original would be gracing screens again they were stoked.  I went along for the ride as well, making me one of apparently very few that went out to support the re-release.  Our theater was completely empty aside from us and a couple of young kids (without supervision who very possibly could have snuck in).  It was a matinee on a Saturday which might account for some of the empty seats but being only the second day of release I expected more people.  I'm sure Lions Gate did too but they only came up with around 315 bucks per theater according www.telegraph.co.uk.  Doesn't bode well if they really were gauging interest in a new installment in the series. 

How does the movie hold up?  Not bad, but I wouldn't say too great either.  The overall experience, especially the "twist" at the end, was still satisfying to me but some of the other components didn't age well.  The acting and editing were my main gripe I guess.  Leigh Whannell, who created the concept with director James Wan and wrote the script, is regrettably featured in way too big of a role for a debuting actor of his talents.  He just can't really cut it in some of the more intense scenes, but surprisingly Cary Elwes, who WAS a professional actor at the time and had been for years gives an at times cringe worth performance too.  Tobin Bell, as Jigsaw in a very limited role, and Danny Glover give good performances but they don't get the screen time Whannell and Elwes do.  The editing also doesn't sit well with me, way too much "kinetic cutting" and camera shaking during a lot of the flashbacks for my taste.

The main strength of the movie remains the concept and the twist.  I'm a big fan of movies that focus on characters stuck in situations and how they have to deal with it so a movie about two guys stuck in a room and not knowing how they got there is right up my alley.  I firmly believe that had the movie not become the huge success that it did it would be looked back on now as an unsung classic by horror fans. Unfortunately, the constant retconning and increasingly convoluted storyline of the cash-in sequels betrayed the simplicity that made the original so enjoyable. 

If you haven't seen it in a while and remember it fondly, I'd say you could find worse ways to spend two hours than checking it out again while it's on the big screen.  As for if we will ever see another entry, I guess time (and more likely money) will tell.  If they could recapture what they had with the original I might give another one a shot. - TG