Stars: Tobin Bell, Angus MacFadyen, Dina Meyer, Shawnee Smith, Alan Van Sprang, Costas Mandylor, Barry Flatman, Lyriq Bent, Donnie Wahlberg

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Summary: SAW 3 sees serial killer Jigsaw and his apprentice Amanda place a doctor in an unhappy marriage and a distraught man who is having trouble getting over the loss of his son at the hands of a drunk driver in a murderous situation.

In 2004, a low-budget horror film about a man who put people with moral failings into grisly, murderous situations became a huge hit. In 2005, the sequel scored again, upping the body count and the terror. In 2006, the franchise continued, with plenty of gore as well as an emotional story line that delved into the psychological makeup of the main characters. As SAW II concluded, Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) was dying. But that doesn't mean his penchant for playing games of torture and violence is ending. In SAW 3, the murders start occurring again, and Kerry (Dina Meyer) is back on the case, although she thinks this time it might be the work of a copycat. She's only partly right: Amanda (Shawnee Smith), the only victim to have survived both movies, has joined Jigsaw as his apprentice, leading the way through a terrifying game involving Lynn (Bahar Soomekh), a doctor in an unhappy marriage, and Jeff (Angus Macfadyen), a distraught man who is having trouble getting over the loss of his son (Stefan Georgiou) at the hands of a drunk driver. Amanda has captured Lynn and placed her in a neck brace that is linked to Jigsaw's heart monitor; she must keep Jigsaw alive or else the brace will explode. Meanwhile, Jeff is sent on a dangerous journey on which he faces all the people involved in the light penalty his boy's killer received--and it is up to him whether he will seek vengeance or offer forgiveness. Helmed by SAW II director Darren Lynn Bousman and written by original SAW screenwriter and star Leigh Whannell (with a story by Whannell and SAW director James Wan), SAW 3 is an intricately designed, gruesome thriller with a hard-driving soundtrack featuring songs by Slayer, Helmet, and All that Remains.

WIN DVDs by rating this DVD

Average User Rating:

WIN DVDS by being amongst the first to review this DVD. Reviewing DVDs earns you bonus entries and lets you WIN DVDs!Please login before reviewing this DVD. If you're a new user, register for free and enter to WIN FREE DVDs!

If you’ve been following the devilish puzzles of the dastardly Jigsaw in the Saw series thus far, then you’ll know what to expect from this formulaic, yet agreeable third entry in the burgeoning franchise. Once again, we’re introduced to characters who initially appear to be random victims, who find themselves caught in ingenious, deadly traps. And once more, again, those traps come with difficult choices: death lies on one side, a fair bucketload of gore on the other.

This time though, Jigsaw lies on his deathbed, and his game involves a surgeon whose own life depends on keeping him alive. Naturally, there are a few added twists mixed in too, and while you’ll find no spoilers here, it’ll hardly be a revelation to declare that Saw III is reluctant to stray away from its familiar ground. This does have a significant downside, though. The original Saw had moments that were genuinely clever, that offset those other moments that were best squinted at behind your fingers. Saw III, though, reverses the balance, depending far more on schlock than it does clever plotting. It still works, and it works hard to tie itself into the previous two films, but the end result is still a diluted version of the first film.

With that in mind, Saw III is a worthwhile rental, and fans of both the series and genre are going to find moments to enjoy. But those looking for a repeat of the original’s ingenuity won’t be so keen, although it does leave enough promise to ensure that the already-announced Saw IV will be worth keeping an eye out for.--Simon Brew

Aspect Ratio:	16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Slices of Saw - Views of cast and crew, Deleted scenes, The Writing of Saw 3 featurette
Year:	2006
Release Date:	February 26, 2007
Runtime:	104 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	9389701000
Keywords:	English, Saw, Edition, Horror, Occult, Exteme
Genre:	Horror/Occult