Let's Rate the Saw Franchise

[KillBill20]

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/AQUA/24-420~Saw-III-Posters.jpg

Let's have ourself a good old fashion horror movie debate. Where do you rank the Saw franchise? Is Jigsaw on par with Freddy, Jason, and Leatherface? How about Michael Myers or Hellraiser? Are the kills as good as the ones in Friday the 13th? What do you guys think? Here are my thoughts:

I loved the original. Saw felt more like a horror film than almost anything else on the market. It was freaking great on just about every level. The twist at the end was amazing... I've been watching horror films for along time, and not once did I think that the dead guy in the middle of the floor would end up being the mastermind behind the entire operation. Literally as soon as I finished watching the end, I immediately flipped back a chapter on the DVD and watched it again!

I thought Saw II was a decent sequel. It took everything that was great about the original and ramped it up. Once again it had a good twist, you knew something was going to happen but it was hard to figure out. I had an idea all along, and ended being about half right with it.

The third one came along and I can honestly say I really didn't enjoy it. You can tell the series is starting to get processed more and more by the time this one came along. It felt less like a horror movie... and more like a movie that was just meant to make a shit load of money. Those are pretty much my feelings for Saw 4.

So how do I rank it among the all time greats? Well its defiantly well below my all-time favorite horror movie franchise, Halloween... they're not even in the same ballpark as far as I'm concerned.

It ranks below the Friday the 13th series as well. FT13th knows the only thing you give a shit about is how interesting of a kill Jason can make, but they always kept them fairly simple. By the time Saw 3 came along, the series forgot that part of its charm was the fact that the stuff all looked like something Jigsaw could have made in his garage. That made it scary. Now they've just gotten way overblow, with elaborate ACME-esk traps involving gigantic barrels of acid and dead pigs.

Ranking it below the Texas Chainsaw Franchise as a whole is kind hard to do... while the first and to a lesser extent the 2nd ones are excellent, everything beyond that sucks ass. Everything. While I love the original, I'd almost go so far as to say the Saw Series is right on par with the TCM series.

Overall I do kinda enjoy the movies, yes the 3rd one and 4th one forgot everything that made the first enjoyable. But it is kinda cool to have a new horror franchise to watch develop into 40 million sequels. The best part is eventually, right around Saw 8 or Saw 9.... Jigsaw will end up in the future and in outer-space. That'll be great.

What do you guys think of the series?

~Kyle

[So Jaded]

I loved Saw I...it was the best (new) horror flick I had seen in years. There was much anticipation for Saw II in this household. I think we were all just slightly disappointed with the sequel. I think a lot of the disappointment came from the acting and the actors themselves. I don't know...I guess I'm not much of a Don Walberg fan. Saw III? Once again, much anticipation, little thrills. Repeat for IIII. I just don't think they could do better than they did with the first one.

[swivel]

The first Saw could have been horror gold, if it wasn't for the comical acting of the dude from Princess Bride. How can you be so great in one of the best movies of all time, and then pull that crap out many years later?

Still, for originality of concept alone, Saw is a modern day classic. People will look back on it and REMEMBER the series the same way we remember Friday 13th, and Nightmare. But it isn't Jaws or Alien. It isn't even Blair Witch. Because it wasn't ~quite~ a cultural phenomenon. It came very close to getting the buzz and attention that make a movie a classic, but it fell just short.

I don't think the sequels helped, but I don't think they hurt, either. All of the franchises I listed above maintained their historical allure despite the tapering of quality in subsequent films. It may be that Saw was a little too shocking, or not promoted correctly, to get the number of non-horror fans in the seat required to push it over the tipping point.

As for personal enjoyment, I have really had a good time with the Saw films. I wasn't blown away, they weren't the best horror movies for me, but I was entertained. I enjoy puzzles and I dig a frail bad guy that has to rely on his wits, and I thought the characters (especially in 2) were well-crafted enough.

I'd give the franchise, overall, a 6/10.

[CPL CHUD]

I thought they were all right. The twists were retarded though. Almost comical in their delivery, and when bounced off what happend before really stretched credability. And that MTV style quick editing ruined tension; absolutely destroyed it. Where this franchise had the chance to really rocket above the competition all it became was finely glossed torture. I'd take a single great horror above all of the Saw films. Their impact on culture is flimsy at best. I'd actually rate the Hostel films above them as well. It played the whole torture schitck in a straight buttoned fashion and were actually fun to watch. At least they weren't muddled with helmet wearing retarded twists.

[Athena]

I'm going to go with swivel's general sentiment, here. While I consider SAW to be a solid series, it's far from revolutionary. They lacked depth and, as CPL mentioned, they totally failed on the elements that make horror movies magical. If SAW were a figure skater, he turned some of his triple sowcows into singles, if ya know what I mean.

I feel like SAW and similar movies are the bread and butter of the horror movie industry - it's the consistent money-maker that allows production studios to take risks on ventures that may be less lucrative, but more substantial. Recognizing the need for such movies, SAW it totally okay, in my book.

Edit: I don't know about rating Hostel above SAW, though. I'll have to put my personal bias aside to think about that one.

[Nell]

Meh...I rate the Saw franchise as okay. I'd give it a 7/10. I really liked the first one, and I also thought the twist at the end was pretty good. The second wasn't bad, but not excellent. The third, I actually fell asleep. I don't know if I didn't like it because the premise was wearing thin for me or because every time I saw Donny Wahlberg I kept hearing damn NKOTB songs in my head. That is distracting! I didn't even watch the fourth, I was worn out. And I usually love sequels.

Now, Hostel was freakin excellent. And I am just evil enough I have people that don't really like horror films watch it and laugh. I almost made my boyfriend throow up!:he:

[KillBill20]

I love the Hostel one and two. Those movies are great, and I don't care what anyone else thinks, Eli Roth is a great modern horror director. The Hostel franchise is well above Saw.

~Kyle

[Morbid]

As an overall franchise, I would put Saw at around a 5\10. They exist. The convoluted story lines and motivation of the killer just have my silly meter peaked. The acting from both Elwes AND Glover in the first film make it unwatchable for me today. I hated it when I saw it in the theaters.

Saw 1 was just picking up what Se7en had already done, but just letting you see what the victims went through instead of just the after-effects. Now, the movie is all about the traps...and for that, I can dig. The films seem to take on a tone of wanting to be taken seriously, but I just find it utterly impossible to do so. Just get me to the traps and fuck all that dumb story shit.

Saw 1 - 3/10
Saw 2 - 5/10
Saw 3 - 4/10
Saw 4 - 5/10

Mostly crap, but with just enough violence for me to tolerate some of all of the films (except the first one. I HATE it)

I am not a fan of Eli Roth and do not think he is the second coming of anything at all, but I would watch the Hostel films over Saw any day of the week...as long as Cabin Fever isn't lumped in with them...'cause that would be a dirty trick and would have to hurt you.

[Athena]

LMAO...I liked Cabin Fever. Hostel was just TOO sex + drugs = murder for me. Although, I do dig the premise and the Eastern Europeans-as-bad-guys thing. I just thought it was painfully unoriginal, given the potential.

[Morbid]

LMAO...I liked Cabin Fever. Hostel was just TOO sex + drugs = murder for me. Although, I do dig the premise and the Eastern Europeans-as-bad-guys thing. I just thought it was painfully unoriginal, given the potential.

Yeah, and you like Cabin Fever..so...

:p

[dop]

Super loved Saw, Liked Saw II, III was meh and I didnt even bothered with the forth one.

As far as Eli Roth's films, I adore Cabin Fever and dont care what Morbid says, I think its only problem was they billed it as uber gore when in reality it was really thame and held back a lot on it..

Say for instance, Rider Strong was fingering the first infected chick but when we see her he was fingering a cut on the side of the leg instead of showing us the more logical and far more disturbing rotten crotch shot that bit deserved.. etc.

Hoste I was fantastic, a little less humor and more gore.. Hostel II, I cant put my finger on it but I really didnt enjoy it, Only atractive bit is seeing a little more of the guys that would take part in such a thing the rest just feels shity...

[Horrorholic]

Saw 2/5
Saw II 2.5/5
Saw III 1/5
Saw 4 Zzzzz/5

[CPL CHUD]

Comparing Hostel and Saw is kind of like comparing shit and vomit. I'm a vomit man myself, but some people prefer shit.

[KillBill20]

Yeah, and you like Cabin Fever..so...

:p

Wait, wait, wait... I want a coherent list of valid things wrong with Cabin Fever. And you're not allowed to list the kid who says pancakes, and the black guys at the end of the film :D

~Kyle

[AnalBreeze]

Comparing Hostel and Saw is kind of like comparing shit and vomit. I'm a vomit man myself, but some people prefer shit.

Now that's just funny! You can probably guess that I like shit... but vomit's cool, too! :D

[w8ng4msrgt]

Well when I am having an Anal Breeze or Windstorm, shit is what is usually flying around the commode.

[Athena]

Wait, wait, wait... I want a coherent list of valid things wrong with Cabin Fever. And you're not allowed to list the kid who says pancakes, and the black guys at the end of the film :D

~Kyle

Um, why?

I mean, I thought the kid who said, "pancakes" was gold, but even I, the anti-critic (apparently) thought the black dudes at the end were a bit tacky. :p

Don't restrict the guy...Just anticipate and prepare solid rebuttals. ;)

[dop]

I get why people hate "pancakes", I love it but I trully do get it, makes no sence and came out of nowhere... I just dont get why they hate the Ni**rs joke, Its a fucking solid joke, quite funny and unexpected.

I guess a lot of people hate CF because its not really scary or gory despite claming to be both, I fully agree with those complains however I find it higgly entretaing and fun.

[CPL CHUD]

Cabin Fever wasn't a horror flick. It was Troma-lite. I have absolutely no problem with that, but I think people were pissed about it being over hyped as the next coming of horror.

[KillBill20]

Um, why?

Because those are the two easiest scenes in the movie to point to and go "thats why it sucks" when in actuality its no worse than any of the stuff in Army of Darkness... and we all know thats the greatest movie ever made. (I'm not comparing the two, by the way, just using it as an example) If you can watch that movie and be fine with the scenes involving a bunch of little Ash's, and Bruce fighting skeleton arms... then a random ass kid yelling "pancakes" and jumping around doing karate for NO apparent reason in the middle of a horror flick shouldn't bother you.

The black guys at the end of the film... hell, I thought that was funny.

~Kyle

[Morbid]

Let's get past the hype and the marketing lies that proceeded the film and i will go right into what makes Cabin Fever suck ass. I'll even bypass the completley moronic "Pancake" scene and the rabbit in the hospital.

As a horror film, there were no scares. The gore was crap...and I am not saying a horror film needs it, but if you are going to use it...USE it. The characters were way too stereotypical for a film that tries to be clever. Good girl, good boy, slut, jock, jerk. Every time the film involves the locals, or in particular, Winston, the film just absolutely becomes a chore for me to sit through (I have watched it twice) because of just how goddamn awful it is.

But my MAIN issue with the film really doesn't lay solely on those reasons as unfortunately, as a horror fan, dumb characters and implausible actions...well, those are actually par for the course a lot of time. My biggest issue is that Cabin Fever just doesn't feel like a whole movie. It is extremely disjointed and seems to try and be too many things at one time. Paying homages to other horror films, throwing in random scenes that make no sense, straight up horror at times, a comedy in others...but never being any of those one things good, or more importantly, consistently.

That's not to say I hated ALL of the film. There were some scenes that I thought were done well, if memory serves me correctly, a scene in which the main guy falls into a reservoir was pretty good as was the fate of one of the girls and what a dog did to her face. I also thought the score was pretty good when used. Overall, I would rank it alongside House of 1000 Corpses and sharing similar problems....too much "homage\rip off" and an end result that feels chained together by scenes of disjointed tones and unlike Ho1C, never picking one genre and trying to stick with it.

[Sea Hag]

While I agree with pretty much everything Morbid says about it at least Cabin Fever made me laugh a few times.

Roth did the impossible with Hostel. He made a film that's packed with tons of beautiful naked women yet I can't even enjoy it on a superficial level. Just shit through & through.