Shikyo's Ratings: 4.5 outta 5 PoPcOrNz!
Gore Rating: 3.5 outta 5 BloODy BaGz!
The pieces of the jigsaw are falling into place...
Newbies to the Saw series would've definitely been lost if they watched Saw 5. They would've left the theater either loving the traps or loving the gore, or wondering why they paid to watch a really bloody confusing movie. But those who have watched, enjoyed and marveled at the continuity of the story behind all the Saw movies-- they'd probably have loved this addition to the series.
There weren't as many omg-that's-fcking-disgusting gore moments in this movie, but a fair amount of blood was spilt. Bombs were used to motivate Jigsaw's victims, unlike the nerve poisons he used in Saw II. I really admire his traps-- there's always a connection between his victims, there's always an emotional push for them to see the game to the end, and there's always a way out with a bit of sacrifice.
That's all I can really say without revealing spoilers, and so...
* S * P * O * I * L * E * R * S *
Here's where you stop reading
if you haven't seen the film,
and you intend to do so
* A * H * E * A * D *
Inevitably, Agent Strahm is thrown into Jigsaw's game and awakes to find his head encased in a cube filling with water. One wonders why he doesn't start gulping the water to delay the inevitable, but anyway he survives by punching a hole into his throat to avoid asphyxiation.
Agent Strahm lives, heals up but the FBI peeps take him off the Jigsaw case. Like all the other obsessed cops involved in the Saw movies, Agent Strahm is driven to dig for more clues because he's pretty sure Jigsaw and Amanda had an accomplice. His search for answers points to Detective Hoffman.
Unfortunately, Hoffman already suspects Strahm's on to him and sets up a test for him asking Strahm to trust Hoffman and get into a glass coffin like box. Here, I'm kinda undecided on who planned this last trap because the tapes that were planted had Hoffman's voice not Jigsaw's (I think), but the glass box used was seen in Jigsaw's workshop in Saw 4. Anyways, predictably, Strahm failz from his refusal to trust Hoffman and dies.
The second story follows five people trapped in a sewer location. We later find out that this test was planned by Jigsaw, but executed by Strahm-- so it's expected that at the end of the test, something is revealed at an OMG-scale. Hmmm on second thoughts, I won't spoil it for you since there's no need to! But I will say that the last act of sacrifice was the goreiest... I can't really image how they could possibly heal up and live on with that kinda self-inflicted damage.
I would have rated Saw V as high as 5 popcorns, but there were a couple inconsistencies in the movie which I'll cover now. Yes, I'm being nitpicky as usual...
Anonymity and Fingerprints
There was a flashback showing Detective Hoffman and Jigsaw doing up the room featured in Saw 2... and while they were setting up the gun, one could clearly see that they weren't wearing any gloves! This was so dumb because in one of the scenes Jigsaw actually says that Hoffman's anonymity was a good thing. I mean, gee, fingerprints anyone?
Blood and Brains
Close to the end of the five-people-trapped-in-sewers story arc, there are two people left alive who quickly figure out that they need to run a part of their limb through a saw to accumulate enough blood in a jug that will trigger the final door to open. And they did all this clever thinking BEFORE closing the door to the previous room, knowing jolly well there's a freshly dead body lying in the tub there. So why didn't they just take the electrocuted girl and feed her to the saws before closing the damn door?! It's not like ALL her blood dried up after the electrocution right...
What I wanna see in the next Saw movie:
Hoffman's Test
At the beginning of Saw 4, Jigsaw leaves a message for the Detective Hoffman: "You think you will walk away untested." So far, none of the traps have been set specifically to test him yet, so my hunch is Saw 6 will test Hoffman. My guess is he'll fail, just like Amanda. Amanda's weakness was her emotions, but I have no idea what Hoffman's weakness is... he already killed his sister's murderer, so what else is going to anger him into making mistakes...
I Know Who You Are
There was a message left on the Detective Hoffman's desk. "I know who you are." It was never confirmed that Agent Strahm left it there. There's a possibility that he did or maybe FBI Agent Perez (Strahm's dead partner) did it, but I have a feeling it's probably Jigsaw's wife, Jill. Why? It's this one piece of paranoia/knowledge that sets things in motion, driving Hoffman into setting up a trap for Agent Strahm. It was later revealed that in Saw 4, Perez actually mentioned Hoffman's name just as she died. But how did she deduce that Hoffman was most likely the accomplice?
Jigsaw's Wife
During Saw 5, Jill approached FBI Erickson to complain that she was being followed, but no one was following her throughout the entire movie! Detective Hoffman was too busy trying to figure out where the Agent Strahm was. I think Jill's lying, again to set things in motion... she wanted to lure Erickson out. Also Jill inherited a box from Jigsaw-- contents of it are unknown >_< Also, she was seen toying with the box's key around her neck in Saw 4 but in her flashbacks, she didn't have it on her. Meaning, somewhere somehow she must've gotten it from Jigsaw AFTER he told her not to go back to him.
^ Zomg I watched Saw V in theater Hall 5!
