Saw VI - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, and language.
Runtime: 90 mins.
Director: Kevin Greutert
Writer: Marcus Dunstan & Patrick Melton
Cast: Tobin Bell; Costas Mandylor... complete cast
Tagline: The Game Comes Full Circle.
Genre: Crime | Horror
Memorable Quote: "It's not my game... " ... more quotes
Release Date: October 29, 2009
DVD Release Date: January 26, 2009

By now, if you aren't aboard the Saw steam train chances are you never will be. And, with the faint glimmer of purpose in Saw VI, it's really a shame that you aren't riding the rails with Tobin Bell and company. In what is somewhat of a milestone of film convergences, the Saw franchise weaves together all previous installments into one dynamic rail car with a new destination: actual criticism on the Health Care industry. And why not? Surely something that's rumored to span thirteen movies can afford to be anchored by serious thought as it trades skin for sin on the cutting room floor.

Essentially concluding the second trilogy, Saw VI details the consequences of Lieutenant Mark Hoffman's (Costas Mandylor) turn as the Jigsaw Killer as all the missing pieces are finally fully flushed out with familiar faces: Mark Rolston returns as FBI agent Dan Erikson, Athena Karkanis as once-thought dead FBI agent Lindsey Perez, Betsy Russell as Jill Tuck-Kramer, and Shawnee Smith as Amanda Young. What makes this film memorable is its dynamic assault on the current health care industry and the decisions that, ultimately, led Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) to start and conclude his thrill-ride homicide with a decisively dangerous executive of Umbrella Health (Peter Outerbridge). The end result is a revitalized franchise that isn't afraid to flex a little muscle as it strikes at a contemporary and perfectly relatable issue while pleasing long-time fans with new traps, new puzzles, and a new mystery to unravel.

Directed by long-time Saw editor, Kevin Greutert, and written Saw IV and V scribes, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, Saw VI ruptures onto the screen with one of the sickest and weakest of Jigsaw's now famous opening games. Disturbing and explicit in nature, it's no wonder why many new-comers don't make it past the opening moments to discover what actually works in the series, but with a couple of predatory lenders as victims it makes for a whole lot of vengeful fun even if it is over-the-top and not for the faint of heart.

Returning to the series as well is its iconic cinematographer David Armstrong, who is as much a part of the series' overall value as Bell's Jigsaw character; his confidence behind the camera continues to provide the dangerous and claustrophobic atmosphere surrounding â"the steam room" trap and â"the murder carousel" and gives the film its gritty appearance making it indistinguishable from its predecesors and, ultimately, adding to its continuity and style. This is familiar atmosphere for fans of the series and it's dark prowess is something not to be disturbed by another pair of hands; this is feature fair for Armstrong's taste alone.

While the Saw series due to its lengthy sequel numbers runs dangerously close to becoming, pardon the pun, an overkill of sorts, the Saw franchise does something other horror film franchises don't do: provide serious mystery for its fans. At its heart, Saw VI is a mystery picture with ample gore and iron maiden traps, but, despite the gore, it never shakes itself free from the path of detective storytelling. Ultimately, Saw VI is satisfying in depth and provides a cliffhanger to keep fans' interest properly engaged for another trilogy.

Component Grades
Movie		DVD


DVD Experience

Blu-ray Details:

Screen Formats: 1.78:1

Subtitles: English SDH, English, Spanish

Language and Sound: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (less)

Supplements:

Commentary

Saw VI special features include a pair of audio commentary tracks. The first features Producer Mark Burg and Executive Producers Peter Block and Jason Constantine. The second is a discussion between Director Kevin Greutert and Writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton about the film and Saw VIII in 3D.

Featurettes