5.6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
With everyone else dead and rotting, it's up to Hoffman to continue Jigsaw's murderous traditions.
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Julie BenzHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 76% |
Crime | 20% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy (on disc)
BD-Live
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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?
The latest from the world of fashion.
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.
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 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 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.
Unrated Director's Cut
2007
Unrated Edition
2006
Unrated Edition
2005
Saw 3D
2010
Uncut Edition
2009
2004
2017
2013
Unrated
2005
2012
Hellraiser V
2000
2009
Unrated Collector's Edition
2007
2016
מי מפחד מהזאב הרע / Mi mefakhed mehaze'ev hara
2013
Director's Cut
2007
20th Anniversary Edition
2003
2014
2010
Unrated Director’s Cut
2008