The franchise is somewhat variable in quality, the problematic but very well done first film being the best and the best sequels being the second and sixth. The third film didn't do much for me, the fourth film left me on the fence while the fifth and 'Saw 3D: The Final Chapter' were severe let downs. Will go out on a limb, and am not sure how controversial an opinion it is, saying that after seeing 'Jigsaw' that it is generally one of the series' best and perhaps the best since the first. 'Jigsaw' is not perfect certainly and the problems here are apparent in the previous films too. The characters are one-dimensional with incomplete character arcs. The story does have logic and credulity issues (like the rest of the 'Saw' films did, including the original), with a few strands not particularly well rounded off. The script, sometimes tight and intriguing while half-baked and cheesy in others, and the acting, with a chilling Tobin Bell and an assured Laura Vandervoort coming off very well and others being bland, are uneven. However, 'Jigsaw', editing aside, doesn't look too bad at all, to me it's one of the better-looking 'Saw' films and a far cry from the shoddiness of 'Saw 3D: The Final Chapter's' production values.
It's claustrophobic, elaborate and very atmospheric, with a creepy production design and some of the series' most polished direction helping a lot. Despite its ridiculousness, the story is also edge-of-your-seat and highly atmospheric. There is genuine dread, some truly imaginative traps and kills and much of it throughout is disturbing and creepy. It's gruesome but not gratuitously or over-reliantly so. While structurally it's pretty much more of the same, there is enough freshness to stop 'Jigsaw' from feeling tired and like the series had run out of juice, a vibe that a few of the previous sequels gave off. The turns the film takes are clever if not exactly bold, and the spectacularly chilling ending is one of the series' best and most memorable, saying a lot seeing as most of the films do not have good endings (with the exceptions of the first, 'Saw VI' and this). Jigsaw himself still fascinates with enough of what sets him apart as a character.
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