Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Saw III

Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) awakens to find himself in quite the predicament – chained inside of a bathroom. But not just any bathroom, one that was obviously the scene of a horrific crime. Blood smeared everywhere, dead men grotesquely displayed. And the only tool he can reach is a hacksaw. He furiously saws at his chains, but to no avail. And then he spies what was clearly someone else’s solution to the dilemma. The question is, can he do the same thing?

Lynn (Bahar Soomekh) is a doctor whose marriage is clearly suffering, but she doesn’t seem to have the stamina or the will to deal with the estrangement between herself and her husband. She leaves for her night shift at the hospital, her husband’s last words ringing in her ears – “I want a divorce”. At work, she can’t seem to focus on what she should and is told to go home. But Lynn is unexpectedly kidnapped by a strange figure and wakens to find herself in her own precarious predicament. She has a deadly contraption fastened about her neck and the rules of this strange game are explained to her – she must keep John Kramer alive or Lynn will die!

John Kramer (Tobin Bell) has a new protegee, former junkie Amanda (Shawnee Smith) who is assisting him in his games. She has kidnapped Lynn to keep John alive. She has also kidnapped a man named Jeff (Angus Macfadyen) who is grieving over the loss of his son, killed in an accident. He is set to undergo tests of his own, under Amanda’s watchful eye, and just maybe he will be able to take his revenge on the man who killed his son. Let the games begin.

The third installment in the Saw franchise may just be the best one yet. Beneath the surface story of bloody violent games, Saw III is about revenge vs forgiveness. There is a lot going on here beneath the surface, as well as the usual scenes of violence and gore. Makes you think about what you would do if you found yourself in a similar situation. I really enjoyed this film. I’ll give it 4.25 Stars.