So, here we are. Saw V, written by Saw IV vets Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan and directed by former production designer David Hackl plays as sort of a greatest hits of the series. While reinventing some of the history of the previous films, Saw V draws from the murder-mystery elements of the previous installment while also hearkening back to the strangers in a room motif used in Saw II. As you might imagine, the whole thing feels a bit disjointed.

The film opens with the usual grotesquerie, as a former prisoner is given the old choice between crushed hands and bisection. The twist here is that he gets both. We are quickly reminded, as an audience, that Jigsaw always left the opportunity for survival. This particular no-win game is the handiwork of Detective Hoffman, who, it was learned at the conclusion of the last film, is the latest to take Jigsaw's mantle. He is doggedly pursued by the FBI's own Agent Strahm, also introduced in the previous installment.

Strahm is placed in another trap, one that seems to have no out, but, thanks to the old do-it-yourself tracheotomy trick, Strahm makes his way to safety without knowing for certain the identity of Jigsaw's protege, but convinced a protege exists. Strahm is put on leave, but conducts an investigation in his own time, leading him closer and closer to Hoffman's identity.

In the background, another game is being played, one in which five seeming strangers are brought together and given time limits to escape from room to room. The traps are not particularly clever, and the overriding theme from room to room are explosive jars of nails that await the players if time runs out. As they discover their relationships to one another, and meet grisly ends in some cases, an overarching lesson is being taught to them. That lesson? Teamwork.

Additionally, Betsy Russel is back as Jigsaw's ex, given a mysterious box upon his death. She seems pretty shaken up by the contents, but those contents will be left undisclosed until Saw VI. Christ.

Additionally, Betsy Russel is back as Jigsaw's ex, given a mysterious box upon his death. She seems pretty shaken up by the contents, but those contents will be left undisclosed until Saw VI. Christ.

Once again, none of these characters have much depth beyond "I hate the world because of what happened to my sister", or "I'm gonna catch that killer, doggone it!" The series, as a whole, has continued to devolve until Jigsaw now has one-liners when it comes to his traps. I am crappin' you negative. They're not quite the Freddy lines of the later Elm Street sequels, but we're getting there, gang.

It's about time to put this series to rest (and I know Saw VI is coming). The characters are excuses to show more blood, or create a twist which, in this case, isn't so much a twist as the natural evolution of the story arc which any discriminating viewer can see coming like the El Train, and the plot has become so convoluted I was a bit surprised that I didn't show up as one of Jigsaw's pupils. I think for the casual viewer, the Saw films represent a superficial horror that works well on the "That would be horrible if it happened to me" level, but I believe most dedicated horror fans will see it as little more than a diversion in between the indie thrillers that we cherish.

It's about time to put this series to rest (and I know Saw VI is coming). The characters are excuses to show more blood, or create a twist which, in this case, isn't so much a twist as the natural evolution of the story arc which any discriminating viewer can see coming like the El Train, and the plot has become so convoluted I was a bit surprised that I didn't show up as one of Jigsaw's pupils. I think for the casual viewer, the Saw films represent a superficial horror that works well on the "That would be horrible if it happened to me" level, but I believe most dedicated horror fans will see it as little more than a diversion in between the indie thrillers that we cherish.