At the time of its release in 2005, about a year after the original Saw, I was eagerly anticipating a follow up, as I wanted many questions answered. Sequels rarely live up to their predecessors, though, and as much as I liked Saw II it didn’t quite have the same formula as the original. Saw II is more sadistic, violent, and all out more gruesome. Still, the goriness is never as over the top or random as in pictures like Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning or Hostel.  Sure the blood flows, but it never feels too forced.

With the loss of James Wan’s writing and direction, Leigh Whannell (the original film?s co-writer) teamed up with Daren Lynn Bousman for the series? second installment. Filmed in under a month, Saw II also had a surprisingly modest budget, although it was larger than the original?s at an estimated four million.

The film opens much like the original. In a darkened room, a dishonest man is forced to either cut a key out of his eye, or face an inevitable death by a facial iron maiden. Inevitably he meets his brutal end, and we realize that the Jigsaw killer (Tobin Bell) is back.

Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg, Boomtown) is a no-nonsense, vigilante-style officer and divorcee, with a shaky relationship with his rebellious teenage son, Daniel (Erik Knudsen, Bon Cop, Bad Cop). Detective Matthews is in charge of investigating the recent murder by the Jigsaw killer. Upon investigation the police are led to believe that Jigsaw might be holed up in an abandoned factory doubling as his domicile. Sure enough he is, but it wouldn?t make much of a movie if he didn?t have another game planned. In the factory the police find Jigsaw and a wide array of monitors displaying the victims to his next game. As the police watch helplessly, they interrogate the deteriorating Jigsaw for answers.

In Jigsaw?s new game, several people are trapped inside an abandoned house, Daniel among them. They all have something in common, though none of them are aware of it yet. They learn via a recorded message that the place is filled with a deadly gas that promises to kill all the victims in a short amount of time unless they find antidotes placed throughout the house. As the desperation increases, personalities clash and the characters begin to turn on each other.

Much like the original, Saw II manages to throw a few twists your way, but while the original was a mix between thriller and horror, Saw II only loosely resembles a thriller. It?s more gruesome, yet still a well thought-out horror movie.

The most notable performance is Donnie Wahlberg as Detective Matthews. His portrayal is great, creating a complex character with some great scenes. Saw II is unexpectedly a good showcase of Donnie?s acting abilities, and at times I found myself debating who is the more impressive Wahlberg (Donnie or Mark), but that?s neither here nor there as far as this review is concerned.

I?d like to say that if you liked the first film you?ll like this one, but that might not be the case for everyone. The formula is different, the characters are different, but the twists are there, the sadistic nature is there, as is the overall vibe. So if you liked the first one you should definitely check out Saw II, and if you didn?t like the first you should still definitely check out Saw II. It?s a great addition to the franchise, and a worthy horror film.

Video

Saw II, presented in 1080p 1.78:1 widescreen, makes an impressive debut on Blu-ray. Compared to the first film?s transfer, Saw II looks better. The print is in good condition, with no compression artifacts to be found. You do get the occasional white specking on screen, but this blends well with the film?s grain. There is more blood in this film and boy can it look gruesome. Details on charred bodies or half-blown-away heads look much better than the DVD. Colors also look good, and I especially enjoyed the green filter used for many of Jigsaw?s scenes.

Unfortunately, some scenes look strangely soft, and these do stick out from an otherwise crisp looking picture. That said, these scenes appear less often than in the first film. Lionsgate?s recent Blu-ray releases have been much more consistent then their first wave, and I look forward to seeing how Saw IV will look later this year.

Audio

Lionsgate has included two tracks, 6.1 DTS HD and 5.1 Dolby Digital EX. Both tracks sound good and both do a great job presenting the film?s audio. Like the first film, Saw II focuses heavily on dialogue and had the potential to sound completely flat. Fortunately, this isn?t the case. The opening scene involving a ?death mask? was made much more intense due to the great sounding audio. Every attempt at getting the key was made much more excruciating to watch due to the great effects coming from the rear channels. There are many more scenes like this that will keep your rear and sub channels in frequent use throughout the film. Like the video, Saw II?s audio edges out the first film.

Special Features

The first Saw had no special features on Blu-ray. Luckily, Lionsgate remedied this for Saw II. The features themselves are short but they are mainly informative and interesting, and all are in High definition.

• Audio Commentary – There are two audio commentary tracks. The first is with Director Darren Lynn Bousman, Production Designer David Hackl and Editor Kevin Grutert. The second commentary is with Executive Producer James Wan and Writer/Executive Producer Leigh Whannell.

• The Scott Tibbs Documentary – A 16-minute short film set in the Saw Universe. I can?t say I enjoyed this feature, as it?s weak on story and acting.

• The Story Behind the Story – A 4-minute look at the creation of the Saw franchise and its characters. Informative, but unfortunately way too short.

• Gregg Hoffman: In Memoriam – A 6-minute talk on Producer Gregg Hoffman, who unfortunately passed away. Various cast and crew reflect on Gregg?s life and what made him a great producer.

Final Thoughts

As far as sequels go, Saw II is great, though a more-typical horror film with some great twists and ? for you vampires out there ? lots of blood. The supplements are a welcome addition but don?t offer all the content found on the DVD. The audio and video are solid, but not the best I?ve experienced on Blu-ray. Saw II is a definite purchase on Blu-ray for fans of the movie, and if you haven?t seen it yet, you should check it out.