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Film

Also opening: Rotten revisited

By STEVE PERSALL
Published October 27, 2005

Last year's despicable Saw didn't deserve an F review, but it's the lowest letter on the grading scale. It was a bogus snuff movie disguised as a brainteaser that admittedly had enough ingeniously depraved moments to convince gore hounds it's a classic. No wonder that there's a sequel, rushed through production to splatter on screens in time for Halloween.

Saw II (R) is no treat, but it expands on the tricks a bit, occasionally enough to rise above despicable to a level of mere garbage. By adding a few more conventional touches, the ghastly nature of first-time director Darren Lynn Bousman's sequel is less repulsive but still easily brushed off.

The twisted killer Jigsaw is back at work, kidnapping people he deems unworthy to live and forcing them through a torturous obstacle course for any chance to survive. This time he has eight captives rather than two; one is the son of a burned-out detective (Donnie Wahlberg). Everyone has a connection of some kind that must be identified for anyone to survive.

The big difference is that Jigsaw, a terminally ill man (Tobin Bell), is more visible this time, taunting the police and his captives with grisly riddles and no-win situations. Imagine Hannibal Lecter without a sense of humor and you get the idea. Wahlberg's character paves the way for precinct exposition, chases and angry exchanges found in any low-rent crime drama. At least it takes time away from the sadistic stuff.

There are still plenty of sequences to make you cringe: a victim tossed into a pit of dirty hypodermic needles to find a door key, razor traps, bludgeoning with a nail-studded baseball bat, and various trip wires for carnage. Did I mention the nerve gas that will kill the captives if they don't beat the game? Jigsaw covers all the bases, including the possibility of another sequel. That enough people will buy tickets or DVDs to warrant another Saw is the sickest twist of all. Grade: D-

[Last modified October 26, 2005, 10:11:06]