Saw V (2008)

Every time I watched the next Saw film, I always fell in love with the next one more. However, this one was a huge disappointment and poorly written. The only things I liked about this film were the plot and the music. Everything else was awful! This film always throws some of the stupidest traps at your face, which are just ideas that came from other films. Who wants to see that? And who's idea was to turn things like electricity and drowning into traps? I will also like to point out that this film doesn't even feel like a Saw film as much as a bad rip off of the Hunger Games.Also the twist at the end was very weak. Basically all that Strahm needed to do was trust Hoffman. Why does this need to be a lesson? Also they made a horrible decision in killing him off so soon. He just came on board the series and didn't have enough time to be a stand out character. This film was very poorly made, and as a huge Saw fan, I hate to say that.

Possibly the weakest instalment of the series and definitely one of the worst sequels in existence, the 5th chapter in the Saw franchise not only discards the basic aspects of storytelling but logic as well, for anything & everything goes in this movie over the course of its runtime without making any proper sense.Once again putting a group of strangers through a series of sadistic tests, Saw V mainly concerns the guy who's been continuing Jigsaw's work following his death and whose identity was unveiled in the previous chapter. The plot focuses on events that led him to become Jigsaw's apprentice and how he's managed to keep it a secret.Directed by David Hackl in what's his directorial debut, the film removes Jigsaw from the front seat and offers it to someone who isn't one bit interesting. The story still relies on numerous flashbacks and barely shows any interest towards events that are unfolding in the present. What hurts it most, however, is the decision to take the centerstage away from John Kramer.The torture devices are upgraded which is not very surprising while violence & gore delve deeper into the sadistic territory which again is to be expected, since this appears to be the only element where its creators choose to utilise their thought process. The twists aren't shocking but lame & uninspiring and the most ridiculously stupid of them all is saved for the final moment.On an overall scale, Saw V continues the downfall of the infamous series, for nothing in it is able to keep the interest alive and even the die-hard fans of the franchise will have a tough time finding something that may justify their time investment in it. A cringeworthy entry that should've been a straight-to-DVD material, Saw V is that torturous Jigsaw test that you have to take if you want to check out the subsequent instalments.

By the fifth instalment of the franchise 'Saw' was infamous; infamous for its abundance of what could be termed sadism. It's no small wonder that the BBFC did not outright ban 'Saw V'. If the British ratings system were tasked with only letting good films be provided to cinemas, then without question 'Saw V' would never have seen the light of day. The creators of the franchise turned not to a Director to complete 'Saw V', but to a production designer for the series. This would account for why Saw V's length feels longer than a month, the acting as torturous as the traps themselves and boring beyond belief. Even the small relief of Tobin Bell's Jigsaw is gone and we are given a dull villain with a complete lack of motivation; horrifying indeed.'Saw V' takes place directly after the events of 'Saw III' and 'Saw IV'. As Jigsaw and Amanda are dead, the only living Jigsaw killer is Detective Mark Hoffman (a grim Costas Mandylor.) He is praised and awarded after saving Jeff's daughter (last seen in Saw III.) However, not everyone thinks him the hero. Agent Strahm (an effective Scott Patterson) becomes suspicious of Hoffman and pursues him. Hoffman is tasked with carrying out Jigsaw's dying request, a further game for more victims. This group of strangers must realise their connection to each other if they are to win their game and survive.How do you rejuvenate a franchise, when its premise is running thin? The answer, you don't. 'Saw V' takes great joy in putting the audience through a test of their own. How many blood splattered set pieces will you endure before you walk out. Watch or leave. Make your choice. Many audience members, even the ones addicted to Jigsaw's twisted traps, will I am sure choose the latter option. You can't blame them. After 'Saw III' I thought I was desensitised to violence. 'Saw V' proves me wrong and shows that I have plenty of puke left. What 'Saw V' does not understand, is that it is the tension and set up that is fascinating in Horrors, not the pay off.Every sickly set piece tries to outdo the other, without creativity, spirit or a brain. Blood is splattered across the walls and all you can think is how worse can it get? As it turns out a lot. Jigsaw is replaced with the unlikable growling Hoffman. He would have been serviceable if the character he was replacing was not so iconic and key to the franchise's success. The supposed story holding together all the gory details is Hoffman's recruitment and eventual loyalty to Jigsaw. But we never feel that Hoffman has the necessary motivation to carry out the horrendous acts of violence that he so frequently does. He is obligated to carry out the tests, but only when Jigsaw is present. Why he continues is anyone's guess. Maybe the screenwriters know?If you thought the acting in 'Saw II' was excruciating, then you haven't seen anything yet. The actors and actresses cannot act, even if they were put in a trap for real, they would be painful to listen to. You get the impression that they were picked up off of the street or the premiere of 'Saw IV'. Horrors are lucky if they have likable characters embedded within them. But when I do not care about the predicament of any of the characters involved you know something went terribly wrong. The only redeeming feature of 'Saw V' is that we see a trap that involves the walls closing in. Gruesome? Obviously.'Saw V' is what happens when you hire a nobody for a Director, leave the casting choices up to a monkey and force random people off of the street to act. The traps sigh inducing, the back story laughable and the film a pain from first frame to the last, Jigsaw it would be best for all of us Horror fans, if you and your apprentices stayed well and truly dead.

Is that Really the Director's Name (David Hackl), or is it some kind of Forewarning or In-Joke?The Summary Line above Quote is from the Sex Pistol's Final American Concert in San Francisco. After only a 30 Minute Gig Johnny Rotten looks at the Audience and says..."Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?" This because the Band, Out of Sync most of the Time, Sid Vicious barely able to Stand Up, Cutting Himself with Razors instead of "Playing" the Bass, and overall just a Disastrous Display of Depravity, the Crowd Booing constantly, the Seminal Punk Band just left the Stage and that was the End, Literally.This Entry in the Never Ending Series isn't much more than a Boring Rehash and seems Out of Sync and Not Knowing when to Leave the Stage, is Repetitive with some of the Lamest Lead Acting ever Committed to Film. Of Interest, at this Point, only to Fanboys and Sadists it is Disappointing and Bad Film-Making to Boot. it is Flat and UN-Inventive, Ends Abruptly, and is the Worst in the Series so far.Yes, so far. It Made Five Times its Budget so Look for Saw VI. Or Don't.