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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Saw III (2006) in Movies

Oct 8, 2020

Saw III (2006)

2006 | Horror, Mystery

6.6

(18 Ratings)

Movie Rating

The first Saw film is genuinely great. The second I can tolerate. Saw III however is where the franchise started to lose me.

At this point, it's still not as convoluted as the series eventually gets, but it's here where you can clearly see the cracks start to appear, where every entry going forwards tries to ape what made the first film a success, whilst simultaneously becoming increasingly mean spirited - it's the first entry that really hints at the gore and viscera being more important than a decent plot.

The main positive of Saw III is the sheer amount of Tobin Bell we're treated to. Even on his death bed, Jigsaw is still appropriately sinister, and it's hard to see the role belonging to any other actor.
It's also nice to see Dina Meyer back for another turn, but her role here is all too brief.
Unfortunately, everyone else I can take or leave. Shawnee Smith returns as Jigsaws' apprentice, and her character is just so damn unlikable with no redeemable features, and is a far cry from her more compelling teacher, who always had a reason for doing what he did.
Then there's Jeff (Slow Ass Motherfuckin' Jeff to some) played by Angus Macfadyen. Honestly, I struggle to recall a protagonist in a horror movie that is quite as useless as this guy. He's insufferable to the point of sheer frustration.
Everyone else is just hugely forgettable, even Costas Mandylor who would go on to have a bigger role in the series moving forward.
The mixture of these non characters makes for a boring narrative, that ends up relying on gore for any worth.

The various Jigsaw traps seen in these films become more ambitious, theatrical, and disgusting as the franchise waddles along, and that's not necessarily a good thing. With each film, the more minimalist approach to the first film seems further and further out of reach.
As I mentioned, some of the deaths in Saw III are just plain mean spirited. Gore in horror movies really works when the film still manages to be entertaining, something that the bleak Saw III just isn't.

It's still not a terrible film, but honestly, the series just nosedives from here on out in my opinion, and this third entry is the jumping point.