Saw VII (3D)

Since its first installment back in 2004, Saw has managed to muster up a huge following of frighteningly devoted fans and I would be dishonest in denying my esteemed membership to this at least semi-disrurbed group of hardcore fans. My loyalty should therefore help to explain my excitement when I heard that Jigsaw and company's gruesome legacy would get the 3D treatment as its final encore.

And fans can rest assured – Saw works just as well (if not better) in 3D as it does in the more traditional flat-view.  And as one would expect, Saw's style (the term 'gore' may be a more appropriate here) over substance approach benefits greatly from the cheesy and over the top 3D blood splatters, head explosions and numerous forms of dismemberment that film goers get treated to.

"...The trademark gore over substance approach benefits greatly from the cheesy and over the top 3D blood spatters, head explosions and numerous forms of dismemberment that film goers get treated to."

The Saw series has received a lot of heat for its mostly silly, unoriginal and even illogical plot, a point of criticism that is hard to argue with. Saw 7 suffers from the same problem – with a plot so holey, you'll be hard pressed not to burst out laughing because of the sheer ridiculousness of certain plot twists. Nevertheless, the story does have an interestig self-analytical twist to it that brings the saga back to its root, resulting in a nicely rounded conclusion to the series.

The B-grade ensemble cast's acting is probaly a tad better than the usual Saw gang's, but are still noticably average. In their defense though, one must mention that most of them serve as mere canvasses for the next awesome and stomach-turning bloodbath, so solid acting isn't really all that important here – Your ability to scream relentlessly and die disharmoniously goes a long way however!

The elements that should however count in a Saw film are however fantastic, with a whole lof of intense and interesting traps for viewers to indulge in. Whilst the combination of traps aren't the most spectacular or original in the series, they do feel distinctly Saw-like, with more than a few that are really hard not to squirm at. Favourites include a gut-wrenching car scene and an awesome opening scene that sets the dark and unforgiving tone perfectly.

Fans will also be pleased to hear that the last Saw installment maintains the series' distinct sense of intense dread and extreme hopelesness, which has become the series' trademark. And whilst it could have been due to my dark state of mind even before watching the film, I had the perception that Saw VII is even more unforgiving than its predecessors, as the sombre atmosphere never seems to let go, supplying no form of emotional resolution to make you feel better afterwards.

The final Saw movie isn't out to win any awards and rightfully so, because it's much more concerned with freaking the living crap out of you – a job it does quite fantastically.

"Let's play a little game... Which starts with your back being super-glued to the seat of a car."

Highlight: In the opening scene, a love triangle is put to the test, in a traditional and revolting Saw way.

Rating: 2 Meerkat Tails (Subtract 1 tail if you don't particularly like gruesome and unjustified violence)