On Second Look: Saw II

First Impression:
Saw II killed to me the first time I saw it. The main selling point was the improved final twist, which was a notch above the first. It also expanding the Jigsaw character's back story, and had an improved plot with more turns. Donnie Walberg's emotional performance gave the story intensity. The other central characters also put in strong performances. I remember feeling a bit jipped by the B-story of the people trapped in the house. It seemed rushed and incomplete. There seemed to be a ton of thought put into it but it also felt rushed. This Saw film impressed me the most on first viewing.

Now:
There is still a clear jump in quality from the first to the second Saw film, in plotting, acting and cinematography. The ending twist holds up but, like Saw, there is a somewhat silly chase sequence towards the end. Overall, the acting doesn't quite hold up as well on second viewing, but it is still an improvement. On second viewing, I felt better about the B-story mentioned above, in terms of timing, and what is shown versus what isn't. Towards the end of the movie, when people start running around the abandoned house, it gets silly, but that's forgivable. Flashbacks are used very sparingly here, which helps the movies pace. This would end up being the exception to the rule, when it comes to flashbacks and Saw films.

This Saw movie does a good job pulling the viewer in and keeping them guessing as it is slowly revealed what is going on. Ultimately, I think this will go down as the best stand-alone Saw film.

Grade: B