Seen Saw

Last Wednesday afternoon I went to go see a movie called Saw. For those not familiar with the premise, here's a quick synopsis: "Adam (Leigh Whannell) and Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) wake up chained to pipes at opposite ends of a dirty utility room. They soon learn that they have become the victims of the Jigsaw, a serial killer who devises intricate situations to get his victims to kill each other. Pitted against the clock and each other, the two must work to outwit their captor and save Gordon's family, who have been taken hostage by the killer." I must also mention that it was nice to see Shawnee Smith in something new. I'll forever remember her as one of the girls from the 1988 made-for-TV-movie I Saw What You Did... and I Know Who You Are!

I've read multiple reviews, both in local newspapers and online that gave this movie rave reviews, for being very scary and genuinely frightening. The majority of people I've overheard talking about it have compared it to Se7en. If you ask me, I see it (the rampant comparison to Se7en) as just more herding mentality for those who lack an original opinion. With that said, I didn't find the movie all that it was hyped up to be. I'm not saying it didn't have its' moments, but I am saying it didn't cover any new territory as far as I'm concerned. The critics who've deemed the movie "edge-of-your-seat" obviously weren't sitting with me.

Let me preface this next paragraph by saying I am not one of those kind of guys who like to come off as Mr. Badass, who's incapable of being scared. If I find something scary, I'll tell ya. But on that same note, if I don't find something scary, I'll also tell you. With that said... Going into the film, I was apprehensive, expecting lots of gore with a title like "Saw," but there was very little. I'm no gore hound who likes gore for gore's sake (thus my being underwhelmed by Italian and Japanese horror), but I can handle it if the film calls for it.

I liked the look of the film and thought that some of the imagery was creepy, but having seen as many horror movies and thrillers as I have, I also recognized plenty of homages to movies like Black Christmas, Nightwatch, Silence of The Lambs and Deep Red. I saw people in the audience getting squirmish (why I don't know) towards the end when there was a struggle between two characters and a loaded gun. Personally, I felt no tension or genuine suspense anywhere throughout the film. What I imagined was going to happen was more frightening than what ended up taking place.

Another point of the film that many critics have pointed out is how you'll never guess who the killer is, "so don't even try." I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I did. Having read all the reviews, I knew going in that there would be red herrings (as in all psychological thrillers) and having seen enough thrillers, also knew that the most obvious choices are never what they seem. My rule of thumb is: No character is incidental, no matter how insignificant they may seem. And let's just leave it at that.

Overall, the film had a nice look to it, inventive murders, other assorted creepy elements and a promising concept. However, it was also lacking in suspense, ran longer than it needed to and had a lackluster ending that only solidified my lack of chills. Oh yeah, one more for the plus category: Cary Elwes is still pretty. I'd still give him kisses.

Tomorrow: Movie trailers I saw! (Sorry, but I had to get at least one pun in there somewhere)