Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Saw V Blu-ray Movie Review

The goriest 'Saw' yet is now a must-own disc for fans of the franchise.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 18, 2009

Tonight you will see the difference between killing and rehabilitation.

The Saw series of films represent something of a conundrum for cinephiles. On one hand, there is no denying that the films are, superficially, just the latest seemingly never-ending Horror franchise; a new entry shows up every Halloween just like clockwork. The films also follow the Horror franchise formula precisely -- the first film is easily the best in the series. It's an original, fascinating, and entertaining journey into true terror, structured around a well-constructed plot and good characterization, supported by fine acting from several notables. As the series moved along, through several more entries, it grew less and less novel and more and more gory, sacrificing originality and tension for style and blood. On the other hand, the films deserve an enormous amount of credit for at least trying to construct a true franchise that builds layer upon layer, film after film, all the entries tying in together and telling one cohesive (though not always completely coherent) story. Appreciating the latter films in the series requires at least passing knowledge of the previous entries, with an in-depth understanding of the plots and characters the ideal. As alluded to heretofore, the formula hasn't worked quite as well as it may have. The premises remain intriguing, but the underlying story of Jigsaw seems lost under the elaborate traps and copious amounts of gore. Now, the fifth entry into the series is here. How does it stack up with the previous quartet of grisly Saw flicks?

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Finally, the Jigsaw murders seem to be solved. The perpetrator, Jigsaw (Tobin Bell, reprising his role from the previous Saw films), is dead. Agent Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson, TV's "Gilmore Girls") has survived the latest deadly trap, and is on the trail of newly-promoted Lieutenant-Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), supposed hero of the Jigsaw case, a man Strahm believes to be carrying on the legacy of the infamous killer. Meanwhile, a group of five individuals awaken to find themselves victims of the latest Jigsaw-style death trap. They seem to be unrelated, but as they begin to discover the identities of their fellow victims, a common thread emerges. In true Jigsaw fashion, their morality and core values are put on trial as they must eschew their belief systems and basic instincts in order to survive.

Saw V is one of the better entries in the series, perhaps topping all of them save for the first. That doesn't necessarily make it a good movie, just better in the context of the whole of the series. The film enjoys a creepy atmosphere, plenty of edge-of-your seat tension, and manages to tie up some loose ends from previous films. Saw V flashes back to events that supposedly took place even before the first film, and reveals some secret background information that ties into the earlier films by placing new faces behind-the-scenes of some of the traps. At the same time, the flashback scenes allow for the context of this film to slowly come together and lay the groundwork for subsequent entries. Saw V is easily the most graphic of the quintet, and probably one of the more graphic mainstream movies ever produced. It can be downright disturbing at times, and may be hard to stomach for even hardcore fans of the genre. The film spares no expense, showcasing each death scene in meticulous detail that borders on being too much, and unlike some of the exploitative films of the 1970s and 1980s, for example, Saw V revels in gore that looks excruciatingly real. Audiences need be forewarned going in that they will see images that will stick with them long after the end of the film.

Saw V Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Lionsgate traps Saw V on Blu-ray with a 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer that recreates the grizzly atmosphere of the film nicely. Like the other entries into the series, this film is consistently grim but undeniably effective in its presentation. It offers dark and dank cinematography that the Blu-ray replicates to strong effect. The movie also offers the occasional hint of color, coming by way of vomit-toned greens and yellows, and of course, plenty of red to accentuate the blood. Several scenes of immense gore, including bloody innards and body parts torn asunder, several times cover the screen in red, playing in sharp contrast to the dark, grimy interiors of the film. Detail is appreciably high; gore fans will cherish every minute of the film, and the transfer does the quality of the prosthetics justice. Blacks are decent, leaning towards a moderately dark shade of gray in some scenes but coming off as rock-solid in others. Flesh tones are natural in appearance, and film grain is present over the entirety of the transfer. The image doesn't always maintain a consistent level of sharpness, though. For the most part, Saw V is another strong transfer from Lionsgate.

Saw V Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As usual, Lionsgate delivers a full-fledged DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack, this one making every speaker count. This audio presentation is strong and immersive in most every scene. Bass rumbles with an impressive level of vigor and authority several times in support of a raucous, loud, and industrial-sounding track that compliments the dark, unforgiving look of the film nicely. The disc features plenty of rear channel activity, whether background ambience in a busy hospital corridor in one shot or the film's hard score flowing out of the back four channels. The various screams, clanking of metal, and other assorted sounds of terror rip through each speaker with chilling detail. Dialogue reproduction is also uniformly excellent. This Blu-ray edition of Saw V delivers a soundtrack that matches the intensity of the movie nicely.

Saw V Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Saw V on Blu-ray cuts into the mystique of the film and the franchise with plenty of bonus materials. First up are two commentary tracks, the first featuring Director David Hackl and First Assistant Director Steve Webb. The duo discuss the intricacies of the traps, the shooting of the death scenes, the work of the special effects and prosthetics department, shooting and editing the picture, and the work of cast and crew; all of the expected angles are included. The track is standard stuff, delivering as expected but certainly not a memorable experience or a must-listen commentary. The second commentary track features Producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules and Executive Producers Peter Block and Jason Constantine. This track is about on the same level as the Director's track; it's a bit lighter but equally informative, discussing again the traps, the five victims, the interconnectivity of the series (and the commentary tracks), and more.

Next up are a series of featurettes examining the traps seen throughout the film, featuring an in-depth look at the design and how they work, the safety measures put in place to protect the actors, as well as the prosthetics used to create the grisly after-effects. Included is The Pendulum Trap (480p, 5:48), The Cube Trap (480p, 5:13), The Coffin Trap (480p, 5:44), and The Fatal Five (480p, 11:55), the latter an all-inclusive piece that looks at all of the traps that these unfortunate souls face in the film. Slicing the Cube: Editing the Cube Trap (480p, 5:03) takes a closer look at the evolution and assemblage of this crucial sequence. Concluding the supplements on the disc is MOLOG interactivity and 1080p trailers for Saw V, My Bloody Valentine 3-D, The Spirit, The Midnight Meat Train, Bangkok Dangerous, Saw III and Saw IV. Finally, disc two of this set contains a digital copy of the film. Played back on a second generation iPod Touch, the image is average for digital copy, providing nice colors, decent amount of detail, and noticeable, but not overly distracting, blocking problems. On the other hand, the audio is far more robust than the average digital copy, with a nice sense of space and atmosphere across the two channels, not to mention strong dialogue reproduction.

Saw V Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Saw V is easily the most graphic of them all, but it also maintains a decent story and palpable tension throughout. The film meshes grisly violence with good characterization and storytelling that will please the series' dedicated audience but will be lost on newcomers, save for those only interested in the gore, who will see the story line as nothing but a hindrance between death scenes. Lionsgate has found a nice niche with the Saw films, combining a level of violence that borders on necessitating an NC-17 rating with a noble attempt to maintain a continuous arc throughout all the films. These films continue to make plenty of cash, and until the revenue stream dies down and Saw apathy sets in, there is no reason to stop making the films and placating the fans. Lionsgate has done it again, releasing a Blu-ray disc that gives fans everything they want, and more. The disc sports a quality visual presentation, a fantastic soundtrack, and a solid supplemental section. Fans of the series will find no reason not to make this disc a permanent member of their Blu-ray collections.