If you can sit through Saw II without gagging, gasping or covering your eyes, you are made of stern stuff indeed. And you should seek psychiatric help, since you might be a closet sociopath.
Saw II (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:113
Fresh:40
Rotten:73
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: Saw II is likely to please the gore-happy fans of the original, though it may be too gruesome for those not familiar with first film's premise.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for grisly violence and gore, terror, language and drug content
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Theatrical Release:Oct 28, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $87,025,093
Synopsis: In SAW, a huge horror hit in 2004, a masked man called Jigsaw orchestrated the kidnapping of two people, chained them in a disgusting bathroom in an abandoned warehouse, and played vicious, brutal... In SAW, a huge horror hit in 2004, a masked man called Jigsaw orchestrated the kidnapping of two people, chained them in a disgusting bathroom in an abandoned warehouse, and played vicious, brutal mind games with them that potentially could lead to their freedom. Jigsaw is back for more gory fun in SAW II, but this time he comes out from behind the mask to terrorize a troubled cop face-to-face. Tobin Bell reprises his brief role as Jigsaw in the first film with a major starring turn in the sequel. Dying of cancer, Jigsaw lets himself get caught, only to show Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) that his son, Daniel (Erik Knudsen), has been taken hostage with seven other people, all of whom have been placed in a house of horrors with only the slimmest chance of escaping with their lives. Jigsaw promises Matthews that Daniel will live only if the cop follows the rules of the game, but time is running out, as the captives' bodies have been poisoned with a toxin that will soon destroy them. Meanwhile, in the dank, mysterious, booby-trapped house, the ever-more-desperate group of people (including Shawnee Smith, who is back as Amanda, the lone survivor of SAW) furiously try to find their connection to each other and a way out, but blood and violence lie in their path. Like its predecessor, SAW II is a frightening thriller filled with plenty of tricks and treats to satisfy even the most jaded horror fan. [More]
Starring: Tony Nappo, Shawnee Smith, Franky G, Beverley Mitchell
Starring: Tony Nappo, Shawnee Smith, Franky G, Beverley Mitchell, Tim Burd, Glenn Plummer, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Erik Knudsen, Tobin Bell, Lyriq Bent, Donnie Wahlberg, Dina Meyer
Director: Darren Lynn Bausman
Director: Darren Lynn Bausman
Screenwriter: Darren Lynn Bausman, Leigh Whannell
Producer: Gregg Hoffman, Mark Burg
Composer: Charlie Clouser
Studio: Lions Gate Films
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Reviews for Saw II
Factor in the unintentionally funny dialogue, the hey-look-over-there attempts at making you jump, and you'll see that the real trap here is the price of the ticket.
mimics the original without quite catching what made that original worth seeing
What's worth noting is how much greater deliberation was given to the marketing than the screenplay of this cursory dud, rushed to theaters exactly a year after its amusing predecessor.
Saw II is, all things considered, a superior film to the first installment.
Eventually ... the movie benefits from the courageousness of some atypical story choices, and rallies to a passingly respectable if still extremely middling standing.
While it’s far from perfect, this “bigger, faster, more” take on the now-familiar Jigsaw killer scenario improves on most of the mistakes of the original.
A greater number of humans in peril doesn’t mean better terror in Saw II. It just means more hammy acting, smashing, yelling, begging, burning, cutting and stabbing.
In the long run, Saw II is a better film than the original, but that's like saying being kicked in the groin is better than being punched in the face.
Even hard-core horror can go too far. Saw II is as punishing as it gets. It's effective, all right, but to what end? Certainly not entertainment.
Latest News for Saw II
October 16, 2009:
See Saw with Alex, Day 2: Saw II
Fear, I think, is one of the essential components of movie watching that almost completely disappears as we grow older. When was the last time you sat down for a movie truly... More...
November 09, 2007:
Ending Already Written for Saw V
The biggest thrills of the Saw movies are their surprise endings, which seem to keep audiences guessing even more than M. Night Shyamalan's latest creations. That's why the... More...
November 07, 2007:
Saw V Still On Track for 2008
Saw IV is the fourth Saw film in as many years. After reports that the Saw franchise would finally take a year off, producer Mark Burg countered that he's still aiming for... More...
November 01, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Bees and Gangsters Slug It Out For #1 Spot
Following a sluggish fall season, November kicks off with a bang this weekend with two high profile films both reaching for the number one spot while appealing to vastly... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
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| 77% 77% | The Hangover |
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