Saw II: Special Edition
Lions Gate/ Maple Pictures
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Synopsis:
Jigsaw is back. The brilliant, disturbed mastermind who wreaked havoc is back for another round of horrifying life-or-death games. When a new murder victim is discovered with all the signs of Jigsaw's hand, Detective Eric Matthews begins a full investigation and apprehends Jigsaw with little effort. But for Jigsaw, getting caught is just another part of his nefarious plan. Eight more of his victims are already fighting for their lives--and now it's time for Mason to join the game.
Sick, twisted and truly disturbing. That pretty much sums up my view on the Saw franchise. Some may find that entertaining. Me – I think it's closer to sadistic.
Like the original, Saw II strings together nasty torture sequence after nasty torture sequence. Blood gushes everywhere, screams ring through dimly lit places and lots of people die. Unlike the original, Saw II is actually held together by a story. And not just any story, but one that makes some sense.
Even still, I personally found the gore to be a little too heavy. I don't mind a good scare every now and again, but this franchise appears to be aiming for shock more than schlock.
Video: How's it look?
The anamorphic widescreen picture is phenomenal. There is absolutely no evidence of wear and tear.
Audio: How's it sound?
Audiophiles will be most impressed with the sound of Saw II. The disc features pristine tracks in both 6.1 DTS-ES and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX. As if the film needed to be any creepier.
Extras: What additional goodies are included?
- There's two commentary tracks that come with the DVD. The first, with director Darren Lynn Bousman, production designer David Hackl and editor Kevin Greutert covers a lot of ground, going into the making of the film, dissecting individual scenes and being overall honest and conversational in the process. Executive producer James Wan and writer/executive producer Leigh Whannell provide a second track. This one has less to it, but it still is very telling and does show they're just as queasy as the rest of us.
- The centerpiece of the second disc is the multi-chapter documentary aptly titled "Behind the Scenes." Broken down into parts that can be watched individually or together as a whole, it goes into the phenomenon the franchise has become in a short time as well as how it all came together.
- "The Scott Tibbs Documentary" is a stupid mockumentary in which Scott Tibbs, a fictional rocker, tries to solve the mystery of Jigsaw.
- "The Story Behind the Story" sums up how Saw came about in just a few short minutes.
- Zombie, a film made by director Darren Lynn Bousman when he was still a student. It's an intense short that demonstrates a lot of the same style he used in Saw II. A commentary track is optional.
- "Gregg Hoffmann: In Memorium" pays tribute to the film's late producer and his enthusiasm for launching the Saw franchise.
- "Play Me" is a set top game filled with riddles, blood and lots of frustrating fun.
- Theatrical trailer.
- Trailers for Saw III, Reservoir Dogs (15th Anniversary DVD), The Descent, See No Evil, Ju-On 2.
- English and Spanish subtitles.
Closing Thoughts
Fans of the first Saw film will totally dig this two-disc DVD. Not only does the gore run freely, but there's plenty of extras to keep them satisfied and occupied..
Review brought to you by our friend Ryan @ Movie-Views.com
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