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Bookmark this pageSaw V (2008)
Director: David Hackl
Synopsis
The latest instalment of the now-annual 'Saw' franchise with Tobin Bell returning as the demented serial killer, Jigsaw. See you next year, kids!
Movie review
From Time Out London
“You won’t believe how it ends”, proclaim the posters for the latest ‘Saw’ movie. It’s a good strap-line, and for once it’s true. You won’t believe how pitifully anti-climactic the ending is; the film doesn’t so much end as come to an abrupt, bewildering halt. This underwhelming denouement aside, even the most die-hard of ‘Saw’ fans won’t credit how tedious, lame and pointless this fourth sequel manages to be. ‘Saw IV’ tried to jump-start the series’ failing heart by introducing a Jigsaw acolyte, Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor).Padded out with multiple flashbacks to the four previous instalments, ‘Saw V’ details Hoffman’s training at the hands of the now-dead deviser of gruesome games. But another survivor of the last bloodbath, FBI agent Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson), suspects the heroic Hoffman of having had a hand in the killings. After all, Hoffman investigated every one of the murders, and had a personal vested interest in one of them – that of his slain sister.
Because all this boring police procedural stuff happens outside the slaughterhouse, any potential tension or suspense is dissipated. Meanwhile, inside the house of pain, it’s déjà vu all over again, as five incarcerated victims try to figure out cryptic video-taped clues, and escape fiendishly booby-trapped rooms. Yet not even these cruel engines of pain are as ingenious or horrific as those in the previous films. Any film that opens with a scene stolen from Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’ has much to live up to. Suffice to say, this doesn’t.
Author: Nigel Floyd
Time Out London Issue 1992: October 23-29, 2008
User reviews of this film
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- Toni said...
- Posted on Nov 05 2008 15:40 Im going to watch this film tonight, i watched saw4 last night on sky just to remind me what happened, must admit it was pretty cr*p the second time round. After reading some of these reviews im not keeping my hopes up for saw5, but hay hoe large popcorn, large coke and a big bag of haribo...cant all be bad!
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- Amy said...
- Posted on Nov 03 2008 21:02 Going to see this again for the second time tonight. I didn't think it was one of the best but come on, what good is Halloween without another Saw film? I do love them.
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- John said...
- Posted on Nov 02 2008 00:09 Shocking film, wish I would have gone to watch bond instead. In my opinion the saw films haven't been the same since saw 3 but I remain hopeful they can turn things around in the sixth!
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- Todd said...
- Posted on Oct 31 2008 20:40 I thought the movie was only slightly better than the 4th, which I didn't like at all, and I loved the first 3. In this one they don't develop the characters in the game at all and it's not at all suspenseful as you know 1 person will die during each trap. Also, some of the traps Hoffman builds are pretty absurd especially for a detective with no engineering background (i.e. the final scene with the walls and lowering tomb - come on, how did he build those?). I'm very disappointed and wish the series would have stopped after Saw III and am hoping Saw VI can redeem the past 2 movies
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- karan varma said...
- Posted on Oct 29 2008 21:44 Saw V was needed to show what the plot was actually about, questions were raised after saw 4 about who will continue the killings after jigsaw's death, and also who helped him. People thought that it was only amanda helping jigsaw but Saw V reveals hoffmans true character. Saw V is not just about the killings that take place, it is a short chapter in revealing the plot.
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- TEZ said...
- Posted on Oct 29 2008 10:34 Thank heavens for Zippy & Bungle. It ws really nice to watch rainbow after seeing this film, at least i finalyy saw something scarey. Saw V is totally lame, I like to try & figure out the solutions to jigsaw's challenges but the constant flashbacks are a real pain detracting completely from the plot. I hope this will be the last instalment for their sake, I cannot see anyone wasting money on watching another!!!!!!!!!
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- MamaKayce said...
- Posted on Oct 29 2008 09:47 Yeah! Go Kyle!
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- Kyle said...
- Posted on Oct 29 2008 02:29 The movie was drawn out with flashbacks, there were hardly any puzzles and I felt the villain was incredibly static. On top of that I was promised a good ending. Oh gee, the guy gets tricked into dying. Never expected that twist in a Saw movie. Come on writers, stop being so complacent and get back to what made the other Saw movies so good.
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- lauren said...
- Posted on Oct 29 2008 01:57 i thought this film was bloody brilliant! it answered all the questions people needed to know and i, personally, cannot wait for the sixth and final movie :)
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- azbbyes said...
- Posted on Oct 28 2008 15:22 solid continuation of the series. a must see for those who've seen the prior four. plenty to debate and discuss, although not quite as impactful and suspenseful as Saw III and IV. Like the prior sequels, enhances understanding of all that came before.
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- MamaKayce said...
- Posted on Oct 28 2008 12:22 I am a MASSIVE Saw fan, and watched Saw V for my birthday tonight. I was dramatically let-down. The recap of the previous movies was too drawn out (we got it), the end was predictable, the 5 people in the "game" weren't the stars of the plotline, and there was no twist. However, I am eagerly awaiting another one; I just hope they take their time when writing it. Don't rush it, becasue alot of us fans need redemption!!
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- Mike D said...
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Posted on Oct 28 2008 02:59
The 5th entry in the franchise is just another unoriginal,
braindead and completely implausible torture flick without a single character to care about including the victims. - Report as inappropriate
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- krisy said...
- Posted on Oct 27 2008 17:40 THIS MOVIE EFFIN SUCKSSSSSS!!!!!!!
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- Nessa said...
- Posted on Oct 27 2008 14:14 I am a great Saw fan but this instalment is not good at all which was a great disappointed and hopefully it will be the last one. It contained none of the look away scenes and the ending, you normally get the recap and are surprised and you have a talking point. This ending recap was an insult to your intelligence that they thought you did not get it.
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- Arr! said...
- Posted on Oct 27 2008 03:54 Bloody awful, and mostly awful..
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Cast & crew
Director: David Hackl
Cast: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Julie Benz, Meagan Good full cast
Genre(s): Horror
Rated: 18
Duration: 88 mins
UK Release: Oct 24 2008
US Release: Oct 24 2008
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