Saw II

It’s already noticeably lacking the element of surprise that James Wan successfully pulled off in the suspenseful and psychologically charged first film. Everything is much more focused on the traps themselves, the story is brisker and bolder, and it follows the fate of the people trapped in the deadly labyrinth much more closely. If we look at it as a film on its own, it's not bad at all; Bousman put the story on the back burner a bit to focus mainly on what horror viewers want to see the most, but he still managed to make a very decent B-movie that is not marred by a more detailed depiction of human suffering. However, if we take the series into account, it is clear that the second part, like all the following ones, was made exclusively for profit, that it hardly develops the story, and that the only thing it has in common with the first one is the character of the killer and his principles. It's quite a shame that from this point onwards the Saw phenomenon would become not much more than brutal entertainment for teenagers, and the great story and atmosphere of the first episode can only be sadly remembered. The second one works, it has quite a lot to offer and has the advantage that it follows its famous predecessor, but I’d rather to avoid further parts just in case. 65% (18/11/2012)

The second movie didn't hit the right note for me. Unfortunately. I see the main problem as the directing style of Darren Lynn Bousman. The choppiness with really crazy editing sometimes makes your eyes hurt. But even the story itself didn't manage to hook me the way I would ideally have hoped. The acting was probably okay, and Donnie Wahlberg was a pleasant surprise. At least the climactic ending worked for the creators (that's something the Saw series can do). But otherwise, it's a weaker addition to this saga. I give it a 4/10. (10/03/2024)

John "Those who don't appreciate life do not deserve life" Kramer has set up another game of suffering. The biggest issue was a dislocated jaw from yawning due to the lack of suspension of disbelief and blurring before the eyes from epileptic editing. It tries to revive itself with a crucial surprise moment at the end, in the style of the first one, but I was already too exhausted. Play the song by New Kids on the Block "Let's Try It Again"… (30/11/2023)

Saw IIis a bit of a drop in quality compared to the almost genius first film, but that's just how it goes. There's a lot of emphasis on making everything look gritty, some characters are very stereotypical, and the main detective is incredibly unlikeable, but the finale still shows that the creators can lead us on brilliantly. The twist still works quite well here, and you find yourself looking forward to what's yet to come. (17/02/2014)

No matter how problematic the first installment was, its originality couldn't be denied. The sequel, however, is about something else entirely. I wasn't interested in the contrived victim storyline at all this time, instead I was annoyed that it took away most of the attention from the trapped Jigsaw. His word games and precise cat-and-mouse game far surpass the events in the house, where people behave like lunatics, disregarding all warnings and diving headfirst into suspicious situations without any thought of elaborate traps. It's just a shame that, even though the twist can take your breath away, it takes away a lot of the momentum from the previous events. While tension and surprises shouldn't be forgotten, logic is completely disregarded. (10/02/2006)