Saw Movies (From least to greatest)

Here is my list for the all-time best Saw films from least to greatest!

#6. SAW V

While this saw was definitely the worst of the bunch, I felt that this one was just filler. It lead up to nothing really and didn't present anything interesting that we hadn't seen before. although not terrible, it just was a bit of a letdown. Not as interesting as the previous films.

RENTAL

6 of 10

#5. SAW IV

This one was good in the fact that it kept up the energy and it was for all intents and purposes a Saw film! This one was surprising that it did keep Jigsaw a critical part in the film, but in flashbacks. While this one was more surprising in the fact that it showed the series did have some legs to last a few more pictures. I am willing to believe that this one was a great start off point for the 2nd trilogy!

RENTAL

6 of 10

#4. SAW VI

Easyly the best of the 2nd trilogy! I dug this one more for the questions it asked and it was more satisfying than the last 2 films. This is what this 2nd trilogy was building up to. While this one is still a good movie, the ending seems a bit shoe-horned in with a character's conclusion that I felt the producers may have decided to keep it around for another sequel to be made. Overall, a satisfying Saw film!

MATINEE

7 of 10

#3. SAW II

I thought a sequel was warranted and as soon as I heard James Wan wasn't going to direct it, I had little hope in this sequel. I think that this film surpassed my expectations. This one decided to crank up what the last film had to offer in terms of the traps. This one was just a fun time to watch and just was gorey as hell. I dug this sequel!

FULL-PRICE!

8 of 10

#2 SAW III

This film was actually better than the last. I thought it had improved when they decided to revert back to an introspective story and fewer characters, it was mote satisfying to watch and get the emotional connection to each of the characters. I thought that the gore was definitely cranked up a few notches and it was trurly hard to watch in some scenes. The actors were also signifcantly more better than the last few films as there was some talent behind this one for the leads. The traps were elegant and satifyingly gruesome. I easily the best sequel of them all.

FULL PRICE!

8 of 10

1. SAW

Nothing could top the original for me. I felt that this one was made with at least an actual intent on making a good movie. Bad acting aside, this one was directed decently enough. I thought that the film had a great hook, and it did deliver for me. The thing about this film was that it wasn't about the gore, it was more about the connection of the dots. The traps play a small part in the film and the aftermath is what sells the scene. This one was more subtle in nature and didn't try to become a gore fest. Overall, I thought the film was tightly constructed and it had a great plot and the storyline was good. This movie was an intense experience and it was a mix of old and new styles. This redefined the horror genre for this generation.

FULL-PRICE!

9 of 10

Here ya go guys! Check this films out because unlike Friday the 13th or those other horror franchises, Jigsaw is maybe the most fascinating of all the characters out today. These are a decent series of films and I do enjoy it for they are.

Jennifer's Body REVIEW!

While the film isn't that bad, it just doesn't have any sense of focus. While the positives have to be that Megan Fox was perfectly cast in the role as a ravenous and cold hearted high schooler, but some of the faults have a lot to do with the storyline and the script.

While this a Diablo Cody script, it is really just a coming of age tale with the theme of a horror monster film shoved in for measure. One of my biggest complaints is that there isn't a sense of tone or a sense that this film has an agenda. It just seems like a amateur's film script. It seems like Diablo Cody got a little full of herself with this film with all of the indie slang just shoe-horned in at point, and there seems to be a lot of self-applauding on her part. As for being a coming of age story, it is ok.

As a horror comedy, it falls flat at points. There are points where you see the director and writer are clearly stealing from other films such as the classic Evil Dead series, but this movie just seems like a mix of all of these great scenes taken from other films. While the opening acts of the film are interesting, by the time the 3rd act kicks in, you just feel as if the film has lost what it is trying to become. The horror aspects fall flat a lot of the time. The gore scenes are really lackluster and it doesn't deliver.

I get what Diablo was trying to say with the script, but I just feel as if there was a better movie within her. There are numerous indie moments in this film with the soundtrack and the slang, but it doesn't really work for this film. Overall, I'd give this one a RENTAL. Not bad, but I can't quite recommend it to everybody. Just don't expect a gorey horror film.

Halloween II REVIEW!!!

Time and time again Rob Zombie has proven that he is one creative and talented musician/artist/filmmaker. I wasn't a fan of House of 1,000 Corpses, but the visuals were great in the film. I think that Devil's Rejects is a far superior film than Corpses and I actually dug the 2007 Halloween Remake. It was a different vibe and feel and I applauded Zombie for trying something different and not simply rehashing the original story and give us a re-telling of that classic first film. It was different and it was an entertaining and solid horror flick. Now this brings us to Halloween 2. I was actually looking forward to this film because I did enjoy the remake and I know he was going to have his own re-interpretation for the sequel since he is not bound by the limitations that he had before with a remake. Plus the fact that he can outdo himself with each movie definitely had me on it's side. I was definitely looking forward to it.

Well, the film is essentially taking a much more fantasy element to the story. While the first film delved into the dysfunctional family aspect of the Michael Myers character, this film focuses on the "white horse" and the relationship between Michael and Laurie. Doing that is fine, but they just didn't make it interesting and they threw cliche' upon cliche' onto the story to the point where I felt as if I was being force feed all of these mental health aspects. The film is also just a bit on the unorganized side. While this film has a lot of kills, they are all the same kills and it just gets a bit tiresome by the end. The Halloween theme is not present in most of the film and it just decided to forget that it was a Halloween movie. I have to give props to Zombie for not rehashing the original sequel, but it still wasn't that interesting. I wasn't all that impressed. Most of the character development is undercut by a scene that happens later on. The main protagnist isn't active and you really aren't rooting for her. The Characters that come from the original are either not the same characters or they have just changed to really generic and unlikable characters completely different from the original film's portrayal. The character of Sam Loomis is completely wasted and is just not a likable character at all in the entire picture. Nearly every character here is wasted and not likable. The film also takes the biggest leap of faith with Michael Myers. While I was fine with Michael Myers being somewhat of a hobo, you need to have Michael Myers stay consistent. His mask comes on and off on a constant basis. That conflicts with his character that was established in the first film. The film just doesn't know what story to tell about Michael Myers and what to convey about his character. It is just a misfire character-wise. It is one thing to play around with the mythos, but it is a completely different thing to negate everything that had happened to the characters in the last film.

The acting of the film just ranging from mediocre to terrible. Scout Taylor-Compton is just terrible in the film and is one note. Brad Dourif was surprisingly good and I liked his character much more in this film. Sherri Moon-Zombie feels very shoe-horned in to a comic extent! The gore is brutal, but brief.

I am completely convinced that this film wasn't directed seriously by Rob Zombie. There are tons of lines of dialogue that are overly just unbelievable even for a horror flick. The tone is all over the place and it was just weird to explain Michael Myer's motivation by using the "white horse" psychology is just too much. It was better to have Michael as a force of nature in the first film and now explaining everything makes him a victim and you don't want that for an iconic mass-murderer.

With all of this bagging on the film, the cinematography for a 16MM film was great. There was a lot of standout moments visually with the white horse that definitely gives this film it's own vibe, but it's a small positive in an otherwise decent slasher film.

Overall, It's a character mess all around and just disappointing as a Halloween film. It undermines everything that Michael Myers was as a icon. The film is not going to win any new fans and it is just all over the place in terms of what it wants to be. The only reason to watch this on the big screen would be to see the 16mm cinematography as it does add to the vibe of the film. Overall, I would have to say that this film is just ok. I got a slasher film, but it's not Halloween. Michael Myers definitely deserved better and if the series keeps on track with how it's going so far, I fear that we may get a feeling of Deja Vu in which the series just gets progressively worse and worse after the third film. This is just a RENTAL film at best. I didn't hate the film, but I was disappointed.

The Final Destination REVIEW!

Well this series has gone on for four movies, each with a different gimmick, but this one has one thing going for it: Three Dimesions. While I did enjoy this film, this film is more enjoyed the way it was intended on the big screen and with the 3D glasses. On the positive side, this film has the gore factor going for it. The Writer and the Director of the second film and the most entertaining of the bunch, come back for another crack at making the audience squirm at the over-the-top kills, but now they will be ducking for cover. The film works as the mindless summer horror film that it sets out to be. This film does not try to build upon anything that the last couple of films did. It is just there to have kids get killed in over the top ways.

The plot of this film is more or less standard for a Final Destination film. Kid experiences accident and then he stops it, only to delay his ultimate demise. It is just a film that is more or less a wash of the previous 3, only different and some very creative kills. The thing that this film has going for it is the 3D! The 3D is very in line with what Friday the 13th in 3D did for the 80's and what My Bloody Valentine did earlier in the year. It is a fun and great time at the movies. The 3D adds so much to the film and it gives that extra kick to the film.

While the best thing that this film has going for it is the 3D, if that was taken away, this film pretty much doesn't hold up. It is better than the last final destination film, but its got nothing new to offer except for the 3D. The biggest flaw is that this film is dependent on the 3D to have a great time in the movie. The acting is mediocre to terrible. the characters are only there to die, and nothing else. The plot is a wash of the last film. There's nothing else to offer here. The intention was to provide a good time at the movies and deliver a visceral 3D experience, and this film does it.

Overall, the kills were cool and there is a twist at the last act that does make this one stand out over the last film that makes this film fun as hell in 3D. Overall this film is a RENTAL. I did enjoy it, but without the 3D it loses a lot of the thing that made this film so fun. I don't think another film is warranted, but I wouldn't mind seeing another one. See it the way it was intended: 3D, in a theatre, and with some buddies!

Orphan REVIEW!!

Before seeing this film, This trailers gave off the impression that this was going to be a film that was very much in the same vein as the classic horror film The Omen. It also seemed to me like a film that was destined to let me have a great first half only to deliver a lackluster 90's style plot twist that negates the whole point of the first two acts. I went into this with an open mind and I decided to give this movie a shot. To which, I can safely say I am glad I did.

Ok this film completely surprised the hell out of me. Without giving away any spoilers of the film, this film established within the opening that even though they are treading the old and cliche' plot device that seemingly is taken straight out of a film such as The Omen, this film is going to present a different angle to the whole kid killer story. This film knows what it is, and it knows what it wants to be. It is also aware of the fact that this is a child murderer movie and it uses that knowledge to it's advantage. You can tell that the filmmakers all saw films such as The Omen in which the antagonist is a child and is seemingly in control of the situation. It knows that audiences out there have seen films such as The Omen or The Good Son. Whenever the film seems to be heading into cliche' territory it redeems itself in surprising ways. What this film does so effectively and brilliantly is play on the fact that this is a kid killer story and they use that to it's advantage. As I was watching the film, I got more and more tense especially in the first acts where you realize that kids are both in danger and committing the crimes. These filmmakers are aware of the fact that children doing these heinous and evil things is much more disturbing to an audience than if an adult was doing it. The filmmakers understand that the best angle to get through and convey these intense feelings of terror and suspense to the audience is to put the kids in dangerous and believable situations. This film nails it!

The opening act of the film is rather predictable to say the least, but after an OK first act, it redeems itself and quickly gets into full swing. This film is the type that as the plot keeps progressing, it gets better! In the second half of the film it becomes an engaging mystery. Not in the same vein as a film like The Omen which relies heavily on fantasy biblical elements or how The Good Son revolved around an inexplainable killer mentality, the plot in this film is very believable. It doesn't feel like a cheat when you get to the last act of the picture. They also have moments that nearly parody those classic Kid killer movies with the characters having some beats that are taken from those film, but twisting them in a way you haven't seen before.

What this film also does effectively is create characters that are dimensional. These characters are all flawed in some way and they are all using each other to get that sense of happiness, but that becomes their downfall. The Characters of Kate and Peter Coleman have some dimensionality to them that shows they are flawed, but they are trying their best to keep the family together despite the situations that come about. They don't seem like the typical parental figure that doesn't see their flaws in the family, but you can't help but understand why they are in the situation they are and what is going through their heads. With that said, I was kind of let down by their logic for wanting to adopt. It seems a bit easy, but it went away quickly and it's a very small complaint. This film gets you to care for the characters more than your typical suspense thriller. That's what makes Kate's character so good in that you understand she is right in her understanding what is going on around her and putting the pieces together, but she's in a real deep hole that is tough to climb out of with those around her. You can't help applaud when she tries to not let her family become next in line to this child antagonist.

The standout in this film without a doubt is Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther. She gives about as creepy a performance as you can get in these child murderer story. At the beginning of the film, she does something that the audience kind of isn't expecting...she actually wins us over, but you still get the hint that there's something not totally right about this one. The opening act of the film show that she can be a lovable child and that you don't really see a logical progression as to why this child goes on to do what she does. She is also not the typical child murderer who kills simply because of the fact she enjoys killing. You get the impression that she is doing it on a "Either-it's-me-and-you" basis and definitely chooses the latter. Her progression in the film doesn't seem like a cheat and as she tears the family apart and you see how manipulative she can get, you sense that she's in full-control of the situation. That creates an effective villain and by the end of the third act, she has you in her grim and all bets are off by that point in the film. That is a true sign of an effectively scary and unpredictable character.

Onto the flaws of the film. While I did enjoy this film, this film maybe too much for audiences to take. Because it is so tense and you understand that children's lives are at risk, it almost becomes too much to a point. While I thought this worked to the film's advantage and it certainly had an impact on myself, I would say that there's still that audience that is uncomfortable with seeing children in danger this way. But that's merely a case of knowing what your in for and to go along with it.

Overall, I thought this film was a big surprise! I wasn't expecting this film at all. It's definitely an entertaining one and effective thriller at that. It didn't leave me feeling betrayed and it kept the intensity all throughout. The film has some creepy and uncomfortable moments that are played brilliantly with the knowledge that this film is in familiar territory. It does not feel intimidated by the films that have come before it, it merely knows what it wants to be and knows of a good angle to give that thrill to audiences. I'd say that for the film it is and you know what you are in for when you see this, this is worthwhile and entertaining. I'd never thought I'd say this, but it's a FULL-PRICE! I enjoyed the hell out of it!

Drag Me To Hell Mr. Riami!!!!

Dear Mr. Sam Riami:

Thank You for giving us yet another great hard nipple in the rain sequence!

With that said...

Thanks for coming back to your horror roots for another fun time at the movies! 

This film is just a really fun time at the movies! This film is meant to be over the top and a thrill ride and Riami delivers, and beat for beat this works as well as his older forays into the horror genre. There is a nice blend of obesity and comedy with some truly scary imagery in this film. The film is essentially Riami's love letter to his Evil Dead and horror fans and it works to where you don't have to be a lover of those films to appreciate the film he's given us here. Even anybody who is a fan of the Spider-Man films can love this film (as I was, because I got fish-hooked into the Evil Dead series after seeing the Spider-Man films) but Sam is back in the best way. Say what you will about Spider-Man 3 (2007) and as much as I actually enjoyed the film, you can tell Riami's heart was definitely into this film every step of the way. The basic premise is a young girl that gets cursed by an ol' ass hag of a gypsy and she needs to find a way to break the curse. Simple, but effectively hilarious and over the top. I really dug what Riami was going for in this film as he does provide some gag inducing moments in the film (I say it in the best possible way) with good horror moments. Alison Lohman does a suitable job in this picture and I did like her arc as a character and the ultimate conclusion that this film comes to is suitable and it does fit. I remember hearing about how Ellen Page was cast in the role Alison ended up playing, and was really excited because I do like Ellen Page's work, but Alison Lohman really does work well in the picture. I liked Lohman in the role. You can't not talk about the cast without mentioning Lorna Raver as Mrs. Ganush as she is freakin creepy as all hell and the moment she appears onscreen she does give the sense that you don't want to mess with this ol' woman! She does a fantastic job in the role and she makes it her own. The scenes between her and Alison in the very beginning is sure to draw applause, laughs, and gags! Its all so deliciously good! The plot has a lot to love about it. It is not being serious in the least. It is simply going to tell a story and just deal with it. I know some people gagged at the fact this was PG-13, it makes no difference whatsoever! This is Riami, and he is doing what he loves and if you're willing to go for the ride, you'll have a lot of fun with this film! I enjoyed the "hell" out of this film! I'd say a definite FULL-PRICE!!! Go see it with a couple of friends and with some alcoholic beverages in hand because I can't morally endorse drug use. Fun time at the movies! Go see it!!! 

Till next time! Here's my two cents!