Cinemusings

Everyone is excited and ready for Saw 3 and it is officially SAW 3 week. But how does Saw 3 compare so far to the other 2? Does it look better? Worse? The same? In this weeks column I will take an exclusive sneak peak at Saw 3. I'll examine everything from the writing, direction, actors, and everything in between. This is your official column for all you need to know and more about Saw 3. Let's get started.

The Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Thoughts: This is his second feature film with his first being last years Saw 2. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary from him in Saw 2 as far as style or talent goes. He seemed to do the same thing that James Wan did with the first Saw just not as good. It was only his first film, so I'm sure he needs room to grow and expand. But I thought Wan was much more creative, talented, and stylish with the first Saw. He did a whole lot with a little. I look forward to future projects from Wan as he has one in development. I'm not extremely pleased to hear Darren is apart of this, but I'll give him a second shot.

The Verdict: Wan would have been a nice choice as it would have been a throwback to the first Saw. But as I stated above, I'll give Darren a second shot to prove himself. Maybe he learned from some of his mistakes in the first film and gives a kick ass second film with Saw 3.

Early grade: B-

The Writers: James Wan and Leigh Whannell

Thoughts: I hated the script of Saw 2 which was written by Leigh and Darren, but it was mostly written by Darren. It was extremely similar to Cube, and was a typical horror film. Thankfully this time we have Leigh, who knows how to tell a story and how to make it unfold. His strong story is what made the first Saw such a success. Everybody talks about the gore but what really made the film stand out was the great storytelling by Leigh. I'm looking forward to seeing what James adds to the script as well.

The Verdict: I'm very happy that Darren is sticking to directing and does not have a hand in this. I am hoping and praying that Leigh and James, who have great chemistry as friends, put out a script to remember.

Early Grade: A

The Hype

Thoughts: The hype train is still large and in charge with Saw 3. Tobin Bell has shown up at UFC promoting the film. Clips are on MTV. A double dip DVD is being released this Tuesday. The trailers are getting amazing attention at films they are being shown at. Big posters are at every movie theater in town. If there is one thing the Saw franchise can do well and unlike anyone else it is hyping up their movies. Check out IMDB and the message board. You have so many topics on there, you can't keep track.

The Verdict: The hype will lead to packed theaters all across the country and anticipation to be large.

Early Grade: A+

The Actors

Thoughts: This might be the weakest cast of all the Saw films. In the first we had Monica Potter, Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Makenzie Vega, and others. Saw 2 had a whole room full of actors who have been in films ranging from Speed to Confidence to 7th Heaven on TV. The Saw 3 cast seems to be fairly small as far as names go, but we do get Tobin, Shawnee, and actors from such films as Braveheart and Crash. The Saw franchise was never really about actors though. So the acting is not a huge part of how the film will unfold.

The Verdict: This looks to be the weakest cast, unless we get some surprises as far who shows up. Maybe some old names will return. We will find out.

Early Grade: C

The Trailer

Thoughts: So much of the Saw films is the trailer. That is how I first discovered the film and went out to see it. The third trailer appears to be the best out of the three. It is intense, emotional, and looks to be the scariest of the three Saw films. It brings back the in-your-face, balls-to-the-wall approach which made the first film so great. The trailer does not give too much away also, which is nice.

The Verdict: A great trailer gets me interested again in the Saw franchise.

Early Grade: A

The Games

Thoughts: The games in this film look to be the most extreme, messed up, and sick out of the three films. They somehow find a way to top themselves with each and every film. If the story is up to par, can you imagine how much of an impact and emotional effect the games will have? It can be quite exciting come October 27th.

The Verdict: Expect one of the goriest films of the year.

Early Grade: A

Box Office

Thoughts: The first Saw made 18 million dollars on its opening weekend against tough, tough films like Ray and the Grudge. Saw 2 made 31 million dollars on its opening weekend. Since the Grudge 2 has left people disappointed, and since TCM has left people bored, and since The Departed has been out a month, I fully expect Saw 3 to make 40 million dollars its opening weekend. People are craving and ready for this film. I don't see anything being able to compete with it on Halloween weekend.

The Verdict: The largest gross out of all the three films will come with Saw 3. It will finish with 100 million dollars.

Early Grade: A+

Critics

Thoughts: Saw earned a 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is fairly good for a horror film. It shows that most of the critics either loved the film or hated it. I was one of those who loved it. But a lot of people did loathe the film, my friends included. The film did earn a very high 7.6 on IMDB.com though. Saw 2 is not so high on IMDB and has a 7.0. Also, on Rotten Tomatoes it has a 35% rating. I expect Saw 3 to get horrible ratings from critics and not be screened by many. But I think fans of the film will love the heck out of this thing and it might be the most popular of the three.

The Verdict: Anyone not a Saw fan need not apply here.

Early Grade: C

The Budget

Thoughts: The first Saw only had a budget of 1.2 million dollars and the second one had a budget of 4 million dollars. This time we get a budget of 12 million dollars. The highest without a doubt. I think a bigger budget gives them room to do more and try new things. The first two Saw films made a lot of money, so why not spend it?

The Verdict: Bigger budget means more games, more fun, and new things.

Early Grade: A

The Length

Thoughts: Saw 2 was too short at only 93 minutes. Saw had a good length of 103 minutes. This time we get 107 minutes. I think this is a good thing. Take your time with the storytelling. Don't rush with the gore. Make it mean something. Slowly build the suspense and story. I'm willing to wait. It will make the gore that arrives later mean that much more to us.

The Verdict: The longer length should improve the storytelling which was severely lacking from Saw 2.

Early Grade: B

Final thoughts:

Saw 3 might be the film that shows us what the Saw franchise will be bringing us for quite some time. Saw 4 and Saw 5 are already in talks and will most likely be released. Saw 3 is the film that shows us what we can expect. Will we see some of the most fun, goriest, and intelligent horror films out there? Or will we see crappy sequels made for a quick buck with no thought behind them? Will Saw fall the way of the Freddy franchise or Jason? So far the Saw franchise in my eyes is 1-1. The first Saw rocked, while Saw 2 was mediocre and rushed. Let's see how the tie breaker unfolds. We will see come October 27th, 2006!

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