Bigger budget, bigger cast, and more blood. Will deliver for Jigsaw’s fans.
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
By no means a masterpiece of the genre, but it's a slickly made picture that more than delivers on the promise made on its poster--oh yes, there will be blood.
Saw II -- better-acted than its predecessor, which isn't saying much -- is so gratuitously, sadistically violent, and to such little end, that it finally falls over dead on the far side of obscene.
... this time around the ordeal is less grueling than simply distasteful.
Saw II doesn't exhibit a steep decline in quality from its predecessor. Take that as you will.
It gets off to a really rough start, and it never really redeems itself until the end. But do know that it does redeem itself, and that’s what makes it a worthwhile film.
mimics the original without quite catching what made that original worth seeing
Essentially, this is one more movie that, regardless of its setting or even planet, exists to knock off its cast members one by one.
Saw II is, all things considered, a superior film to the first installment.
...the premise of the second is hackneyed, its acting weak, its score thudding and its direction and production values low rent
To enjoy Saw II, one must have enjoyed Saw. This is a given. As to which is better, this is a fairly pointless question given how bad both of these movies are.
The serpentine plot is logical; the acting is passable and the film creates a palpable atmosphere of paranoia and tension.
For the most part the film succeeds in producing a frightening Halloween weekend experience.
The problem with the big game is that it doesn’t have that same fear factor – a deadly gas? (You can’t see any impending doom, except for a couple of phlegmy coughs).
Saw II feels like an episode of Fear Factor or Big Brother with Rob Zombie at the helm, and if that doesn't scare you away from this ridiculous movie, well, feel free to indulge your questionable tastes.
Not so much better than the first movie, just not nearly as bad thanks to a bigger budget, better writing.
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...
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