Saw III: Director's Cut – DVD Review

Film, Reviews

Available at Amazon.com

Director

Darren Lynn Bousman

Cast

Tobin Bell Jigsaw
Shawnee Smith Amanda
Angus Macfadyen Jeff
Bahar Soomekh Dr. Lynn Denlon
Dina Meyer Kerry

DVD Release Date: October 23, 2007
Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 121 Minutes on 2 discs

The Movie

Through one solid continuing storyline over the course of three films, the creators of the Saw franchise have successfully put forth what is essentially a six-hour feature. Every character is connected with reoccurring plots coming back in the third film to explain why certain things happened in the first. Sure, there are other trilogies such as Star Wars and Scream that have done great jobs of continuity, but Saw does something different. It picks up exactly where the last film concludes and starts right from there. Never letting years go by or having to catch the audience up on things that happened in between. A beat is never missed and an event is never unseen.

Jigsaw is getting sicker by the day and currently on his deathbed, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to get people to appreciate the lives they are given. The only problem is that he now can’t do everything on his own. He needs help to complete his dastardly deeds that are looked at as murder by the police and others. Yet to him they are nothing more then messages being sent for he never actually completes murder. The choices are there for the victims and they are killing themselves. And with the help of his apprentice Amanda, Jigsaw can continue his work.

Amanda has learned from the lesson she was taught in the first film and now sees the genius that Jigsaw truly is. She doesn’t want to lose her mentor, though, so she kidnaps Dr. Lynn Denlon to play the game. Lynn is a doctor that can’t stand what she does for a living and is not happy with her home life whatsoever. She too has had things great in her life but chose not to respect them and done things that weren’t quite ethical. Jigsaw has made her an offer in which she can save his life, and by doing so, save hers.

In the meantime, she is on a time limit that is in conjunction with another poor soul playing the game. A man named Jeff lost his only son to a car accident thanks to a reckless driver, and he has relived it everyday since. Shutting out the world and his family, Jeff can do nothing but think of the revenge he wishes upon those responsible. Now Jigsaw has given him the opportunity. Jeff is put through a series of tests in which he can exact revenge upon the witness that did nothing, the judge that gave the killer his freedom, and the man that took his son. But in order to win the game, Jeff must decide to seek out the revenge he has wanted for so long or to offer forgiveness for those who have wronged him.

It is a race against time and the choices to do what is right in their lives. Jeff must find his way out and make his choices in only a matter of two hours. Which then is the same amount of time Lynn has to save Jigsaw’s life. Amanda meanwhile is getting more nervous by the second as her mentor’s life slips further and further away. But as everything seemingly ties together, it shows that there is a much bigger game being played and everyone is involved.

With this franchise, it is truly quite hard to figure out which one is my favorite. I think when all is said and done, the first film sticks out in my mind the most, but the two sequels are very close to it. Saw III does a little something better than the second film though in that it goes back to the original premise overall and that’s limiting the amount of characters involved. Saw had a few here and there but it was mostly about two men in a bathroom with a “corpse” in the middle of the floor. Saw II involves a great number of people working together and while it worked well, it still seemed a bit overcrowded. Here we are down to mostly Jeff and Lynn working against the clock and being focused on. It made for a much better feel that lets viewers associate with them a bit more.

The acting here is what really sets it apart here because Angus Macfadyen is simply phenomenal in his role as Jeff. The poor man goes through every single emotion imaginable while truly making the audience believe he is torn between revenge and forgiveness. There were numerous times I found myself thinking, “No way in hell would I let the person that killed my son live.” But you never quite know how you’d react unless put in that situation. Macfadyen really pushes forth both sides of the equation here and shows the struggle he faces.

Everyone did a tremendous job in Saw III and it culminates with the villains. Tobin Bell is excellent as Jigsaw and Shawnee Smith has really developed her character of Amanda into a formidable villain from the weak victim she once was. Dealing with not only turning into the tortured soul she now is “helping” others, but dealing with her own pain of possibly losing Jigsaw is portrayed perfectly in the way Smith can act out on her aggressions but fall back into her emotions. Saw III is not only another ride that will make you cringe on the outside, but also the inside. Playing with your emotions and your stomach; it’s surely to make you think twice about how you live.

The Video

The film is shown in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and looks great. Be warned if you’ve never seen a Saw film before that a lot, and I do mean a lot, of the film takes place in the dark. So if all you can see is a flashlight for a while, there’s nothing wrong with your television. That’s how it is meant to be. But they pull it off nicely and everything looks great.

The Audio

The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround or 6.1 DTS-ES Sound and both are very good to watch the film in but the 6.1 DTS-ES is fantastic. Every creak, twitch, and rusty turn of the traps and rooms can be heard all around you. There were a few times I cringed a bit more then I did when I first saw the film in theatres because it all sounded so much closer.

Special Features

Audio Commentaries – There are three commentaries in all and each of them is very good. The first is from actor/writer/etc… Leigh Whannel all by himself. This is a fantastic commentary that takes you through the first three films from beginning to end and what his intentions, as well as the others he has worked with, were all along. Seeing as Whannel will have no part in the fourth film or any thereafter, this was a bit of a fitting goodbye.

The second is with director Darren Lynn Bousman and actor J Larose who played Tony in the third film. They give a nice back and forth throughout discussing different backstage things that went on during filming and Bousman actually fills viewers in on parts of the film that were put back in for the unrated version.

Last but certainly not least is a “villain’s commentary” that is with Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith. This is by far my favorite commentary throughout the entire franchise so far because it is just a lot of fun to hear the two of them talk about the films from not only an actor’s standpoint but also as the characters they played. Hearing Bell talk normally is a weird change too but very cool.

Jigsaw’s Plan – A trivia game that lets you answer questions and move on to the next level. The questions are rather simple and if you’ve seen all three films then you’re certain to get them right.

Hydrovibe “Killer Inside – Messed Up World (Remix)” Music Video

Choose The Death – This is a really cool feature that goes through every death in the film, and some from the second, and describes it in great detail. From how it was thought up, to the set and trap design, and all the way to how the filmmakers wanted it to look when all was said and dead.

Looking Tortured – Here is a “how to” featurette with the make-up artists from Saw showing fans at home how to look like their favorite victims. Using common items found at hardware stores, pharmacies, and Halloween shops will let anyone look battered and bruised easily and quite cheaply.

Filmmaker Faves – The directors, writers, producers, and others tell their favorite deaths, lines, moments, escapes, and more from the Saw franchise. These are all text-based and are quite lengthy making for some interesting reads.

Saw IV Sneak Peek – This is not a trailer for the fourth film but a four minute clip. I’m not looking to give much away but it involves two men connected by a chain around their necks. They are in the same room and have no way of communicating with one another but need each other to survive.

TrailersSaw II: The Uncut Edition, The Descent, Chicago Massacre: Richard Speck, Night Of The Living Dead 3D, and Captivity

The Inside Pulse

It is October and time for Saw; there’s no other way to put it. With the fourth film’s release imminent, you might as well catch up on the story if you’ve never seen it. Or perhaps you simply are hoping the new special features are worth it. Well they are. That is, the commentaries are most worth picking up this DVD even if you’ve already purchased Saw III‘s original cut because they are just great to listen to. Some of the other features are enjoyable, but now owning both copies; the special features on the original cut do deliver more. Still, the film is not to be missed and the extra gore and random moments included in this director’s cut make it even more worth it. For those that have never bought any of the films, there is a Saw Trilogy set available as well. It includes all three special edition DVDs in the set and is very much worth it. With a creepy puppet, horrific deaths, and theme music as memorable as that of The Exorcist, how can you go wrong?

The DVD Lounge’s Ratings for Saw III: Director’s Cut
CATEGORY
RATING
(OUT OF 10)
THE MOVIE

9
THE VIDEO

9
THE AUDIO

9
THE EXTRAS

8
REPLAY VALUE

8
OVERALL
8.5
(NOT AN AVERAGE)