Special Agent Strahm is dead, and Detective Hoffman has emerged as the unchallenged successor to Jigsaw’s legacy. However, when the FBI draws closer to Hoffman, he is forced to set a game into motion, and Jigsaw’s grand scheme is finally understood.
That’s right we are nearing the end and things are finally coming together, we finally understand why Jigsaw did what he did, the method behind the madness.
As I stated in the post about “SAW V”, it was more of a set-up film, and this is what we were set up for. By now we knew the series was coming to an end and it was just a case of wrapping it all up but that doesn’t mean it didn’t have any shocks or twists in store for us, oh no we still see plenty of them and for a series still going strong at installment 6 is rare.
The studio was so scared of plots being leaked that for every twist they filmed multiple scenes so even the cast didn’t know what was happening, which I think is very clever as you feel the tension on screen which adds to the film.
After what many people consider the nosedive of the series with “SAW V”, “SAW VI” delivers with such ferocity that you are once again getting the feeling of shock & awe. The traps are as great as always, very well thought up contraptions. The storyline itself is just out of this world, we get so many questions answered, but we are left with more that you have no choice but to watch the next film, it just leaves you on edge.
Full credit where it’s due, Costas Mandylor (Mark Hoffman) is terrific, he has all the attributes needed for his character and is certainly very under-rated, we also see a return of Shawnee Smith (Amanda Young) to our screens and she is as great as ever. Tobin Bell? Well there’s just no faulting him.
If you’ve seen the previous 5 then you just have to watch this, don’t let number 5 put you off because your patience is truly rewarded. All I can say now is we are set for alot of shocks as the series comes to an end.
Miscellaneous facts about the film:
VH1’s reality show Scream Queens winner Tanedra Howard won a role for this film. She plays the role of Simone.
The script that was given to the new cast members of the “Saw” franchise was named “Evolution III”. This was done so the script wouldn’t leak out. Evolution Pictures is the company that owns Twisted Pictures.
The film was first locked on July 10, 2009. Due to the complex ending, the Producers and the studio took another week to perfectly calibrate the final 5 minutes. The film was then officially locked on July 21, 2009.
Less than a week before its premiere, the film was rated ‘X’ in Spain due to its “glorification of violence”, therefore couldn’t be shown in mainstream theaters, only in approved x-rated cinemas. Disney/Buena Vista then pulled the film from distribution, even though they already had a strong marketing campaign going on and over 300 copies of the film ready to be sent to theaters. Buena Vista tried to appeal the rating but was unsuccessful (this process took almost a year). In the end, they released the film in a cut version.
Prior to the film’s release, Costas Mandylor (Hoffman) didn’t even know if his character lived or died in the ending due to shooting multiple endings.
In William Easton’s office, there are several crystal landmark statues. One of them is the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Every Saw installment except the first has been filmed in Toronto.
In the early planning stages, one discarded story idea had Detective Hoffman taking on the mafia.
The first “Saw” film to use digital timers on body-worn traps.
David A. Armstrong’s last Saw film as Cinematographer.
The first installment of the series in which Jigsaw appears in a pre-recorded video to deliver the rules of a game.
First installment of the franchise where Billy the Puppet appears in person to deliver the rules of a game, rather than a warning or a congratulations message.
The utilization of the Reverse Bear Trap makes this film the first installment to reuse a previously featured trap.
Director Kevin Greutert mentioned in the DVD/Blu-Ray commentary track that the twitching and shivering Amanda (Shawnee Smith) does in her scenes with Cecil (Billy Otis) was real due to low temperatures and rain in Toronto at the time of filming. Shawnee couldn’t stop shivering because she was so cold and they were shooting outdoors.
Was said to be the last “Saw” movie for Kevin Greutert before he got placed in the director’s chair for Saw 3D: The Final Chapter.
The fish tank in William’s (Peter Outerbridge) office was full of real piranha. When Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) notices them during his visit in William’s office, he finds their appearance somewhat amusing. This may allude to the fact that piranha are predators, known for viciously preying on unsuspecting animals, and sometimes even on each other when food supply is low; from Jigsaw’s point of view, a fitting metaphor for William’s insurance company.
