[5.00/10] Saw [3D] (2010)

Saw [3D] (2010)

OK, so first things first... I'm an absolute "Saw" hater! I gave the original "Saw" 4.5 stars out 0f 10, as I thought it was poorly-shot, horribly-acted, dull, drab and visually-ugly torture porn flick, with one of the most laughably ridiculous twist endings in film history. I gave the second installment 5 stars out of 10, as I found it slightly better-crafted, yet still pretty mediocre. As for the other four installments in the series, well, I've rated them even lower than the previous ones. Anyway, I've seen all "Saw" films, just because I was curious to see how much worse this franchise can get. Surprisingly for me, the 7th and hopefully the final entry wasn't as terrible as I expected it to be. Picking up where the 6th film left off, "Saw 3D" details the exploits of serial killer Jigsaw's surviving victims, who seek counseling from a self-help mentor, played by Sean Patrick Flanery, whose past as a previous victim figures directly into each one's fate. The story is weak and all over the place, which is very typical for a "Saw" film, but the pacing is kinda smooth and steady, and the editing is decent, which makes it surprisingly easy to follow. Acting-wise, "Saw 3D" is a pure and utter crap. Sean Patrick Flanery is somewhat good-looking and he physically reminds me a lot of Edward Norton, but he is literally the worst actor ever. Seriously! His acting is so fake, stiff and wooden, it's embarrassing. Costas Mandylor as Hoffman is cold-faced and lifeless as usual, but I didn't bother me. Betsy Russell looks great for her age, but she has zero acting abilities. Tobin Bell as Jigsaw barely shows up in this installment, and thank God for that. On a positive note, the traps are extremely well-designed and well-staged, especially the one in the opening scene, since it was the first-ever 'in public', and the trap in the service-station sequence, which is probably the nastiest and the most creative death scene in the entire series. Gore geeks will have plenty to cheer about, as "Saw 3D" offers gobs of gore, guts, blood , nasty and repulsive deaths, and it's so graphic, it leaves nothing to imagination. Director Kevin Greutert blends very well practical with digital effects during the traps and the death scenes, and in terms of that, the film really succeeds. This is the first and probably the last of the installments 'shot in 3D', and I have to admit, that the 3D effects are surprisingly good and pretty effective, and they make the tortures and deaths look even more brutal, gruesome and nasty. The final twist of the series isn't the most shocking or the most unexpected, since many fans guessed it a while ago, but it's still a somewhat satisfying conclusion for all "Saw" admirers, and even for the haters, like me. Atrociously-acted and illogically-plotted, yet fun to watch and quite entertaining, "Saw 3D" offers some pretty cool and creative death scenes and excellent 3D effects, but nothing much else. It's mediocre like the first two, but notch better then the previous four.