Saw III (2006)

If there's something I've learned watching movies is that (horror) series eventually go bad. It happens all the time. However, that's not really the case with Saw III. It doesn't hold up to the original Saw but it still is a solid-ish horror. 

This time around, John Kramer aka Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) testes Jeff (Angus Macfadyen), a man who got his son killed in a hit-and-run, and gives him the chance to let go his of vengeance. Meanwhile, Kramer is lying on a bed and has his apprentice Amanda (Shawnee Smith) kidnap a doctor, Lynn (Bahar Soomekh), and tasks her to keep him alive.

And there's a problem. It's basically the story we already have seen in the previous two movies. It lacks originality and, in spite of the twists towards the end, it's quite predictable. Probably because they are the typical Saw twist.

However, even though it's really nothing new, it still manages to be enjoyable and entertaining thanks to its several subplots. While the beginning, the Dina Meyer segment, has no relevance whatsoever, the others work well together, and Jeff's plot is deeper than expected as it shows that hate only brings more pain and doesn't solve anything. 

Lionsgate Films

Also, director Darren Lynn Bousman manages to deliver tension and suspense. It's not as impressive as the original, but it's still good enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. As a horror though, Saw III takes a step back. There's plenty of gore, blood and graphic scenes, but that makes it more of a gory rather than a scary horror, and the film isn't very scary.

The characters aren't that good either. While this time around I liked the role John Kramer/Jigsaw plays in the story and Tobin Bell once again makes for a great villain, the other characters lack development and some of them are incredibly clichéd.