Saw V (2008)

Director: David Hackl

Cast: Tobin Bell as Jigsaw / John Kramer, Costas Mandylor as Mark Hoffman, Scott Patterson as Agent Peter Strahm, Betsy Russell as Jill, Julie Benz as Brit, Meagan Good as Luba, Mark Rolston as Dan Erickson, Carlo Rota as Charles, Greg Bryk as Mallick, Laura Gordon as Ashley, Joris Jarsky as Seth, Mike Butters as Paul, Al Sapienza as Chief of Police, Mike Realba as Detective Fisk, Lyriq Bent as Rigg (archive footage)

After so many sequels, one should expect a series to be driven to the
ground. Although it's getting a bit tiring, Saw fans, & for that
matter, fans of gore, shouldn't be disappointed with the fifth movie.
Saw 5 still follows the same routine of the cat and mouse game... but
of course, as always, telling you too much of the plot is a ruining the
game for you. Let's keep it at the thin plot description already given:
a detective goes out of his way to make sure that his secret is kept,
before an agent uncovers his identity. The subplot involves 5
individuals who are somehow connected, and must work their way out of
traps.

The traps still prove to be especially cruel, perhaps a little too
cruel, but even that is worked into the story. It involves quite a bit
of the past, much like Saw 4, it will give you more of the origin of
the characters, whether it's needed or not. Minimizing flashbacks, it
instead will fill in a number of plot and character holes.

This is David Hackl's directional debut. Considering he's been around
since Saw 2 as production designer, this is a solid step forward.
There's no doubt that these somehow ingenious, if not over the top
story lines that interconnect were made up well after the fact, but
that doesn't change the fact that the scriptwriters were keen on at
least making an effort to do exactly that. Tie things in, making the
package look neater, & hoping you don't think about it too much that
you start to see the implausibility of it all.

If you have not seen the previous Saw's, you will be lost here, as you
will be left with confusing tie in's and past incidents that mesh too
well with the present. It's just not kind to new viewers.

All in all, I can't complain about Saw 5, because I got exactly what I
expected. Clever, deadly traps, uncomfortable situations, & of course,
the "twist" at the end. There's no denying that one particular actor
that's been in all the Saw's is especially good at what he does.

For the most part, I would suggest waiting for a rental. I think that
some viewers may grow tired of the series because it comes out every
year. The nature of an audience viewing sequels is that it dwindles in
number over time, as "sequelitis" sets in. But if you enjoyed the
previous Saws & all their abusive, bloody, cruel, & heartless drama,
you don't need me to suggest anything to you.