Saw V Blu Ray Review

The Film:

(Original theatrical review)

I love to hear people moan and groan about this franchise, especially from people who haven’t seen one. “another one?” they offer. “When are they going to stop?” I usually respond, “what does it matter to you?” Not the most witty comeback, but if you aren’t a fan, don’t dog a franchise that has offered us plenty of twists and turns, let alone the key ingredients that keep us coming back.

I’ve said it numerous times, and I’ll say it again: Saw is the best horror franchise around outside of Nightmare on Elm Street. The Halloween series is only good for the first two, Friday the 13th you can take or leave many of them, Hellraiser had potential until it hit the DTV market, and the same is true for many others. At least Saw is original while sticking to its formula, offering us a wicked concept, and finally, Jigsaw is the definitive modern killer for our times. I’ll stop there because many of you are thinking I’m defending every move this series makes, and well, I kind of am.

Saw V seems to have been a dividing mark in the fans, as some either hated its story and ending, while others liked its new approach and twists. While the other films focused more on the traps and the moralistic game Jigsaw is playing, Saw V returns to the first film’s cat-and-mouse style, offering up two pitted against each other with only one winner. Agent Strahm is hell-bent on figuring out why the Jigsaw murders are continuing and suspects Agent Hoffman to be an accomplice. There seems to be a bigger game going on here, so the main trap seems unfulfilled, but the real tension is the battle between Hoffman and Strahm and it’s a good time.

Hackl takes over for Bousman this time around and delivers a steady film, with attention to detail, telling one of the series most straight forward stories. As with any Saw sequel time is giving to elements most likely concluding in the next chapter, but I appreciated the execution in telling what is one of the series most self-contained story. The traps are wicked; the pendulum trap and the final sliding walls trap are tortuous and effective. I am a Saw V fan, as I think it’s a solid entry in the franchise and when compared to other slasher franchises’ fifth entry, there’s no comparison.

.The Blu Ray:

Audio/Video: The DTS was phenomenal; loud, crushing bass, clear and crisp dialogue, all in all a near-demo worthy track. While the high def video looks highly detailed and rich, there were a few times that grain in the shadows was a bit too over-whelming. After Lions Gate started to handle their Blu Rays better, they became a top-notch studio. Saw IV looked amazing, so I was a little disappointed with V. But it should be noted that while I was lukewarm with the presentation, this is the best it looked outside of theatrical showing.

Commentary: Two are offered here, one with Hackl and Steve Webb. That one is engaging enough, listenable as they tackle the film, and what it was like coming in after Bousman. The other audio track is from the producers and its okay.

Slicing the Cube: Editing the Cube Trap: This is the longer of the featurettes as it devotes its time to Kevin Greutert (editor and future Saw VI director) and his efforts in the franchise. Even Tobin Bell stops by to offer up some of his wisdom.

The Pendulum Trap, The Coffin Trap, The Cable Trap, and The Fatal Five: Each of these are short in length but offer up some good little info from Hackl, the actors, and the FX team. My favorite bit of info comes from Hackl when he’s talking about the Cable Trap and its origin. We see some home video of Hackl’s son mimicking what will become the concept of the scene and function of the trap. Pretty funny and sick!

A Trailer and a Digital Copy round out the extras.

Conclusion: Like it or not, there is a Saw V and guess what? I dug it. The Blu Ray is a decent disc, although I wished the extras were more outside of the traps. Perhaps some Tobin Bell? Fans will dig this disc though.

Rating: