SPOILER WARNING!
After the death of Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) and Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith), things in the world of torture and murder are presumed to change for the better. However, what police are not expecting is that a third accomplice has been in play this entire time. S.W.A.T. Commander Lt. Daniel Rigg (Lyriq Bent) has been present through most of Jigsaw’s horrific acts, and he now finds himself in the middle of one of his intense games. He learns that his close friend, Detective Allison Kerry (Dina Meyer), has died, and his former and current associates, Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) and Lt. Mark Hoffmann (Costas Mandylor), are being held hostage as part of this game. Rigg is tasked with letting go of the past and allowing things to play out naturally, but can he win Jigsaw’s game?
For the first time in the Saw franchise, Leigh Whannell did not play a role in writing a script for the film; he produced the film and helped manage the content from somewhat of a distance. While his role in the film does not technically have any bearing on the film, it seemed that the script strayed from those of the first three. More than before, the film moved more toward a mystery than the three that came before it.
There was always an element of mystery in the series, Jigsaw was always the obvious choice for who was in charge of the mentally trying games, but, since his passing, it is unclear throughout the course of this film who is the mastermind behind everything. With the introduction of new characters and brief cameos by former characters, the ensemble created a cohesive story that transcended the entire series. Former players of Jigsaw’s game helped piece together why things happened in previous installments and allowed audiences to make more sense of Jigsaw’s (and his cohorts’) pasts.
Saw III lacked the intense twists and turns that kept audiences on their toes and ultimately caused that installment to fall short of expectations. Writers Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan and Thomas Fenton created a story that upped the ante and was full of twists, turns and red herrings. As the film progressed, audiences were delighted to see a series of unexpected twists, only to be followed by some of the most unexpected turns of the franchise.
Every moment of the film was exciting, and there was clear progression as viewers watched. Blood and gore, were, as usual, a huge part of the film, and the film, as a whole, lived up to the standards of the Saw franchise. However, this film was such a huge step up from its predecessor that it was truly a delight.
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