In Scream 2, film geek Randy and his friends discuss the baffling properties of sucktacular sequels and how they all but destroyed the horror genre. It’s funny that such a statement is made in one of those very films (in my opinion at least), but even though sequels in general are easy to dismiss, especially ones that are written, produced, and released in less than a year, Saw II is one of those follow-ups that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its big brother and in some cases tower over it.
It goes without saying that if you did not like the original film, you will not find much of interest here but Saw II is made in the framework of good sequels that build upon the first’s successes without being an outright carbon copy. Instead of just two random guys shackled in a filthy bathroom, one of the stories here is of eight random people trapped in a house full of dangerous cons, deadly traps, and even more deadly nerve gas. One of these eight is the son of the crooked Detective Matthews who is the central element to the story and summoned into it by Jigsaw himself. The main theme of appreciating the sanctity of life is carried over here but expanded as the cancer-stricken Jigsaw is reaching out to spread his message to unlikely participants such as Matthews and even Amanda, the escapee from the first.
Much like another superior sequel Die Hard with a Vengeance, co-writer/director Darren Lynn Bousman originally conceived Saw II as an independent story which was later retooled to fit with the narrative of the first. Not only does this lead to a faithful recalling of the original, new ground is broken here as Jigsaw is given more to do as a broken man who is both a sympathetic character and a total madman at the same time. This movie is an excursion in the faults of human behavior with the elements of rage, corruption, and distrust that were apparent in the first but are more amplified now.
Based on these two movies, I would trade Cary Elwes for Donnie Wahlberg in a heartbeat as the later is able to carry the emotional baggage of the film without the drama student overproduction of natural human emotions. Unlike Elwes in the first, Wahlberg’s character is the driving force behind the story and is responsible for a lot of the more dramatic scenes which he is able to pull off decently even though the character of Detective Matthews is rather scummy. While the bulk of the cast-mates who are trapped in the house are not even important enough to be provided with introductions or even Jigsaw-brand tape recordings, they do well enough to make you dread their eventual (and likely painful) demise. Matthew’s son Daniel (Erik Knudsen) and holdover Amanda (Shawnee Smith) are the standouts but mostly because they are the most developed of the eight with actual names and backstories.
Overall, the story is more in depth with elements of more than just a psychotic man trying to inflict harm upon others as Jigsaw at times is either legitimately reaching out to Matthews or playing him like a cheap violin. Featuring some of the best twists in a traditional narrative since M. Night Shyamalan sold his soul to the devil so many years ago, this was truly a mind-fuck when I first saw it in theaters. Even expecting some of the turns in the story, the various directions that the movie takes are shockingly bold as the perceived truths of the audience and the characters are shattered one after another. Production wise, this is a much more polished film with believable sets (did I mention the parking garage with the wooden roof from the last one?), decent acting, and more emphasis on substance over flashy (yet still goddamn annoying when it happens) seizure-inducing editing.
If there was ever a valid argument that can be made that a good sequel does not take twenty years or a radically different approach, Saw II previously and so far has been my favorite of the series even with some the lack of characterization that would otherwise be helpful.
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