Our cancerous old friend Jigsaw is at it again, trapping folks who are wasting their lives and terrorizing, torturing and often causing them to not survive anymore, thus teaching them a valuable lesson. He knows times is short, and he’s got a big one planned for his last, a whole group. Besides the large game they’re all a part of, there’s also traps all about, all lethal, most incredibly cruel. They’ll have to solve his riddles and suffer considerably to get out of this one, as will sensitive members of the viewing audience.

Whew, this was a harsh one. As stressful a flick as I can remember, there’s no real downtime at all. The entire film is two scenes happening and the camera moving back and forth. One is the group being tested, and the other is the cops that Jigsaw is manipulating. Both are mesmerizing and disturbing, and it all works so well I felt it surpassed the original.

I know that’s a bold statement, most of us really liked the movie or at least could give credit to a hell of a twist ending. This movie is similar, the difference is a good one, though. The original was a good, original idea with a great twist ending. This movie is better, it doesn’t need a twist. There might be a tiny one, but it’s not what makes the movie like in the original. This one has an absolutely perfect ending, and doesn’t need it to be one of the best horror flicks you’ll find.

And horrific it is, what the first flick showed flashes of, this one makes you endure. The first scene will make you cringe and from there it gets so much worse. There’s a scene I can’t give details on that was truly the most harrowing I can think of. Even now when I imagine what it would be like, it causes an unpleasant feeling to wash over me. Not just what happened, but how it happened. The hint I’ll give is that there are two types of physical damage that people usually cringe when seeing, and Saw II uses both, turned way up. I can’t imagine they’ll outdo it. Not for me, anyway. It’s beautifully disturbing. Not just what happens, but how and why.

I know it’s become fashionable to claim the original wasn’t that good, many also claim to have figured out the twist ending right away. Others tell the truth, like myself. Here the truth is the sequel has surpassed the original, not in the twist, that first twist was one of the best in existence. This one’s a better all-around film, though. The re-watch value on this one is way up, there’s no filler. While the last one needed the strength of it’s end to make it what it was, this one’s twist is just icing. Really yummy icing, though. Icing with righteous fury.

10 out of 10 drug-dealing gorillas who deserved much worse