Saw 3D
 
First of all; I'll ask you to think back all the way to the first "SAW" : how cool it was; how insane it seemed....two men wake up in a locked; abandoned and demolished-looking room; some sort of industrial bathroom.  As their secrets are revealed so is the reason for the title: the two men are chained to the walls, and the provided SAW blades won't cut the extra-thick chains, but will cut through flesh and bone.  And (without spoiling things) it had one of the coolest twist endings in recent memory.
 
If you are a SAW-fanatic you likely followed the busy, convoluted, & blurry "back-story" developed through the sequels.  Otherwise, the franchise probably started to fail for you as it did for me,  I don't even know if I viewed them all, but rented enough on DVD to know that the quality had gone down, and the back-story became less and less interesting.
 
However; this version finally brings the quality level back up---not quite to the first installment; but better than the sequels upon sequels that tortured the viewers almost as much as the movie-victims.  Torture that is if you looked for anything intelligible beyond what new, neat traps the film-makers would dream up for the annual "halloween-timed" release..
 
This one also is a 3D movie; which is why we chose to give it a shot over Paranormal Activity 2.  Not sure yet if we made a wise decion (till we see P.A.#2).  My girlfriend and I are kind of 3D fans, and will go to a film if we just feel like getting the visual-experience.  Problem with this movie is the 3D seems to "fade" by the halfway point to where it seems almost non-existent.  Is that me getting used to it; or how they choose to make the film?  Either way; I think they should use the effects well enough that I shouldn't BE ABLE to get used to the 3D.   So I'm going to blame that one on them.
 
Loved seeing some of my favourite Canadian actors in this film (all but the first have been shot in Toronto, just a couple hours from where we live in Ontario, Canada).  Heck; the only good part of the previous "sequel" (#6) was seeing a pal of mine who scored the role of "the smoking janitor".
 
All in all, it is worth seeing if you liked the first "SAW", worth seeing if you can handle gory stuff, and of course it will be worth your time if you're one of those who has enjoyed the entire series.  Probably not really worth the extra dough as the 3D factor fades; and if you don't like horror, don't like medium-to-low budget films, or don't like the SAW franchise, then there is no reason to watch.
 
This latest film does one good thing:  it sort of wraps up all the weird; hard to follow plot strings and takes us back to that bathroom with the chains and the hacksaw for a visit....so it kind of brings us full circle.
For people like me who LOVED the first one and pretty much got dissapointed with all that followed...this one offers a bit of redemption for the series.
 
Cannot quite recommend; but will offer this review and let you decide what category you fit in.
 
3 good things about this movie:
*a cut above the other sloppy sequels
*I like the actress who played the "Public Relations Hack" (she's done some hilarious commercials in Canada)
*The doctor (Cary Elwys) returns in a cameo; helping that whole "full-circle" thing
 
3 bad things about this movie
*still a little convoluted
*3D wears away after a while
*they're saying it's the final installment; but I fear they're lying.
(2 cookays for most of us, 3 cookays for "Saw-Fanatics" (or those who loved the first and hated all or most sequels since)
<<<chyatt!