Saw III (www.the-usher.com)

"This is your game"

As Jigsaw (Bell) struggles to hold onto his life he kidnaps a doctor to keep him alive so he can finish his work. His final game is his most cruel and intricate yet, as he tries to teach a man who only lives for revenge the gift of forgiveness but as Dr. Lynn Denlon (Soomekh) has to resort to drastic measures to keep him breathing, it becomes evident that there is more to Jigsaw's last game than even his new apprentice Amanda (Smith) knows.

The 'Saw' movies have been the shining light in Hollywood horror for the last few films but can the final chapter in the trilogy begin a whole new game?

In 2004 Jigsaw became the horror icon for the new millennium. A serial killer who never actually killed anyone, Jigsaw would offer his victims a choice to live or die but they have to face incredible pain and suffering to win his game and survive. Each game was an ingenious trap or device that the player would have to overcome. This became one of key signatures of the movies and the other was the twists and turns of the overall game that Jigsaw was playing.

After the spectacular and unexpected twist at the end of the first film, fans expected more of the same with the sequel and Saw II delivered just that in 2005. While the second film didn't have the same impact as the first because you where expecting the twist, it did advance the story. Now another year has passed and the story continues, straight on from the climatic events of the second movie but the structure of this movie is slightly different.

Jigsaw/John Kramer is on his deathbed but he has one final game that he needs to play and of course he is the only person who knows the goal and can calculate the outcome. Again this is twisted and cruel but it is the victim who has to choose if they live or die. The man who has come to the attention of Jigsaw this time is Jeff, a man who is consumed by revenge after the death of his son three years earlier. He has to go through the most arduous of mental and physical tests to save himself and ultimately much more than he ever imagined. Again expect some twists and turns along the way but this movie ties everything together and will have fans gripped to the very last moment.

The 'Saw' movies have never been filled with big name stars or future teen idols. Dina Meyer and Donnie Wahlberg return to investigate Jigsaw. Shawnee Smith returns for the third time as Amanda and she really gets the chance to push the role further. Newcomers to the franchise Bahar Soomekh as Dr. Lynn Denlon and Angus Macfadyen as Jeff bring some new fear to the third film. Tobin Bell again steals the show as Jigsaw. Every scene he graces will fill you with fear, as the actor proves again that he can play an exceptional villain.

'Saw III' brings the trilogy full circle. This proves that Hollywood can actually produce good, well-written gory horror without relying on remaking classic 70s films from the genre. It also makes a change from the usual masked maniacs killing teenagers or mutants that American filmmakers seems to be obsessed with. Fans of the series will be very pleased however, as the gore ratio has been most noticeably increased and Jigsaw is more creative than ever. If 'Saw III' is the last movie in the franchise, then you'll be dead happy to have watched this.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 with Dolby Digital 5.1, the movie is presented well, especially the gruesome DVD menus.

BONUS FEATURES

Audio Commentary with director Darren Lynn Bousman, writer/producer Leigh Whannel and executive producers Peter Block and Jason Constantine
The group come together to talk about the third movie in the 'Saw' franchise. They talk about starting the movie from the end of the second film and creating a new slant on an old theme. Director Darren Lynn Bousman reveals the importance of misdirection and how the traps had to be much gorier this time around. The commentary also reveals how they are setting up things for future sequels without giving much away. Audio

Commentary with producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg
The two producers for the movie talk about the unrated special edition of the movie and outline the differences between this and the theatrical cut. They also discuss the franchise as a whole and how this sets up the fourth movie.

Audio Commentary with Darren Lynn Bousman, editor Kevin Greutert and director of photography David A. Armstrong
The group come together to talk about the structure and style of the movie. They outline how each of the games were designed and set up and how they had to up the ante from the previous movies. All of these commentaries are informative, chatty and fun, coming from a group of people who are trying to push American horror to a new level.

The Traps of Saw III (9.22 mins)
Director Darren Lynn Bousman, writer/executive producer Leigh Whannel, production designer David Hackl, prop designer Jason Ehl, prosthetic makeup designer Francois Dagenas and actors Mpho Koaho and Debra Lynne McCabe talk about the rack trap, the freezer room, the classroom trap and the Angel trap.

Details of Death: The Props of Saw III (7.54 mins)
Director Darren Lynn Bousman, production designer David Hackl, prop designer Jason Ehl, prosthetic makeup designer Francois Dagenas, director of photography David A. Armstrong and prop master Jim Murray talk about creating the puppet, the pigs and the brain surgery sequence.

Darren's Diary: Anatomy of a director (9.19 mins)
Director of photography David A. Armstrong, executive producer Jason Heffner, editor Kevin Greutert, producer Mark Burg and production designer David Hackl join director Darren Lynn Bousman take you behind the scenes of the making of 'Saw III'. This video diary is all from the director's prospective as he talks about making a horror sequel.

Deleted Scenes (5.29 mins)
Two scenes that didn't make it into the unrated edition of the movie that see Amanda and Lynn come to blows and Amanda make first contact with Adam.

Theatrical teaser and trailer (1.44 mins)
Watch the previews that preceded the film's release in cinemas.

Trailer
Preview of 'See No Evil'

OVERALL

Loinsgate and Twisted Films have done a good job with the DVD treatment of 'Saw III'. With three commentary tracks and some short but informative featurettes, fans of the movie and the franchise will be very pleased with the package.

DVD

Saw

Saw II

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2006