This sadistic sequel starts out with a guy who’s going to die unless he quickly digs out a key
embedded in his skull. It was embedded by the fellow called the Jigsaw Killer.
(Tobin Bell’s role is considerably expanded from the first film, proving that
less is more). Of course, the nutty Jigsaw insists he’s not a killer. He just
likes to test people. The solo game’s just a warmup. Jigsaw prefers
multiple-player games. On the one hand, we follow the cop played by Donnie
Wahlberg (the best-known actor here); on the other, there’s now a whole passel
of captives in a dingy, booby-trapped house. All have something in common,
which is, apparently, that they behave very, very stupidly. They’re not particularly
interesting or likable either. Possibly the audience is meant to root as much
for Jigsaw as his captives. It’s this, not the violence, that makes this movie a little repugnant. The imaginatively titled sequel has a different
director (while sharing a screenwriter) but is well-calibrated, down to the
“clever” yet ludicrous ending, to provide a equivalent serving of
sadomasochistic delights for those who saw Saw.
circulated via email 11/3/05 and posted/slightly revised 10/9/13
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