2006, Lionsgate/Twisted Pictures, Dir. Darren Lynn Bousman - Starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus MacFadyen, Bahar Soomekh, Dina Meyer, J. LaRose, Debra Lynne McCabe, Kim Roberts, Dylan Trowbridge, Alan Van Sprang, Stefan Georgiou, Barry Flatman, Tim Burd

While the horror genre has declined rapidly in the past ten years, there has been one particular franchise that still seems to gather my attention - and that is the Saw series. The works have been a massive success - both critically (well, that all depends) and especially commercially. The trilogy has proved to be Lionsgate’s centerpiece - three films made on the small buck, which pull out cash cow B.O. returns. But there’s more to Saw than its gratuitous exploration of blood and human entrails, and that’s makes Saw 3 such a pleasure to watch. There’s always the sneaking suspicion the audience gets watching the stories and games unfold, but before you know it, we’ve had any earlier thoughts erased by an explosive finish. Saw 3 goes beyond the games, and examines relationships between characters - with Jigsaw, his twisted accomplice Amanda, and their subjects. The viewer is brought on a vicious trip that changes the series as we know it, and any horror fan will find something to enjoy about the film.

Where we last left off, Jigsaw’s (better known as John Kramer, played by Bell) health is declining rapidly, and he has chosen the young Amanda (Smith), a sole survivor of his traps, to further his cruel legacy upon the world. Saw 3 focuses on two of their subjects - a young divorcee doctor named Lynn (Soomekh), and Jeff (MacFadyen), a grieving father whose son was lost after being hit by a car. Lynn’s “game” is simple - hospitalize Jigsaw and keep his heart rate going, but if it drops completely, a custom-designed neck bomb will detonate on Lynn. Jeff’s game revolves around the death of his son - he has the opportunity to confront the newly-released criminal who killed his son. But in doing so, he must either forgive or forget those responsible involved in the case. Will Jeff forgive the judge who gave the criminal a mere five months in jails, or the sole witness who fled the scene? Meanwhile, as Lynn moves frantically to keep Jigsaw alive, Amanda wonders if she is being ignored by her master - and begins to ponder her life without him. As relationships are made and broken, Jigsaw has a larger design planned for everyone…

For any horror movie to work, an audience must constantly fear its villain. Jason Voorhees’ steadfast hatred for promiscuous teenagers led to screams in the aisles, Freddy Krueger caused insomnia, and Michael Myers puts fear in parents’ hearts during the Halloween weekend. Jigsaw heralds a new generation of bad guys - he is a full-bodied character, and Tobin Bell’s flawless portrayal is pitch perfect for such campy fare. Jigsaw isn’t your ordinary guy, but he thinks he is. Hell, he thinks he’s doing the world a favor gracing us with his presence. Bell’s smooth pronunciation and slow drawl doesn’t strike fear in the hearts immediately, but the audience realizes he must be feared. With this, Bell succeeds wholly - he is a gem for Saw. Shawnee Smith is a little too aggressive, almost stereotypically aggressive, but as an accomplice, she works. Her natural acting style contradicts with Bell, but there is good reason for such. Our two subjects - Soomekh and MacFadyen - do as much the supporting characters are supposed to do. Alone, they’re not very engaging or convincing, but they play along with everything anyway.

Saw 2 was made on a $4 million budget, which then grossed 36 times said budget. Saw 3 will be a follow-up success - but even with an $11 million budget, there’s not much to be said with creative differences. Director Bousman, who was picked up after Saw 2’s gross, replicates the same shaky, grimy camerawork and visual effects. But here, the director is given the daunting task of reworking several flashbacks he never directed - and these surprisingly succeed. Since one of Saw’s strongest attributes is its continuity, one must recognize Bousman’s persistence in vividly reconstructing the original bathroom cell, even summoning old faces back to the crime scene. Moreover, the third installment’s bloodletting returns to form, but let it be known that the faint of heart will not be able to handle this. Saw 3 begins with some pedestrian violence, but takes a turn for the twisted when Doctor Lynn performs some surgery on Jigsaw. If you couldn’t handle Hannibal, you won’t be able to withstand this.

Saw 3 is a solid, entertaining, and shocking conclusion to the first three films. I refuse to say anything about the finale, and for die-hard fans, they’ll be left speechless. I’m no Fangoria nut, but this proves to be good Halloween fare. Might want to skip on dinner beforehand, too.