10 March 2011

JR Late Night Movie Review: Saw II


JR's Movie Review
JR LATE NIGHT MOVIE REVIEW OF THE WEEK:
SAW II
Saw II Movie Poster
JR's Movie Rating: 
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LIST OF BLOG CONTENTS

11.1 Awards
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SAW II
BOX OFFICE RECORDS

U.S. Domestic Total Gross - $87,039,965
Philippine Domestic Total Gross - not shown in the Phils.
Worldwide Total Gross - $147,748,505

TOP 563 ALL-TIME U.S. DOMESTIC BOX OFFICE HIT
TOP 32 WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE HIT OF 2005

HIGHEST GROSSING HORROR - TORTURE FILM OF ALL TIME
6th HIGHEST GROSSING THRILLER - SERIAL KILLER FILM

HIGHEST GROSSING SAW FILM OF ALL TIME

TOP 21 HIGHEST GROSSING FILM OF 2005
TOP 17 HIGHEST GROSSING FILM OF 2005, OPENING WEEKENDS
TOP 3 HIGHEST GROSSING R RATED FILM OF 2005
TOP 289 HIGHEST GROSSING FILM, OPENING WEEKS
TOP 258 HIGHEST GROSSING FILM, OPENING WEEKENDS
TOP 12 HIGHEST GROSSING FILM, OPENING WEEKENDS - OCTOBER
TOP 14 HIGHEST GROSSING FILM, OPENING WEEKENDS - FALL

TOP 133 HIGHEST GROSSING R RATED FILM OF ALL TIME
TOP 44 HIGHEST GROSSING R RATED FILM OF ALL TIME, OPENING WEEKENDS

TOP 18 WIDEST INDEPENDENT RELEASES
TOP 16 WIDEST OPENING INDEPENDENT RELEASES
TOP 96 WIDEST R RATED OPENINGS
TOP 109 WIDEST R RATED RELEASES

Data Sources:
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MOVIE DETAILS

Name of the Film: SAW II
Date of Theater Release: 28 October 2005
Date of Philippine Theater Release: not released in the Philippines
Genre: Horror  |  Mystery  |  Thriller
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Writers: Leigh Whannell, Darren Lynn Bousman
Distributor: Lions Gate
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour 31 minutes
Production Budget: $4 million
Official Movie Website: http://www.officialsaw.com/
Movie Tagline: "Oh, yes. There will be blood."

Detail Sources:
1. Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432348/)
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PLOT
"Jigsaw locks a few unlucky people in a booby trapped shelter and they must find a way out before they inhale too much of a lethal nerve gas and die. But they must watch out, for the traps Jigsaw has set in the shelter lead to death also."
"Hello, Michael. I want to play a game." Jigsaw is back. The brilliant, disturbed mastermind who wreaked havoc on his victims in the horror flick SAW is back for another round of horrifying life-or-death games. When a new murder victim is discovered with all the signs of Jigsaw's hand, Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) begins a full investigation and apprehends Jigsaw with little effort. But for Jigsaw getting caught is just another part of his nefarious plan. Instead of two people locked in a room with only one unthinkable way out there are eight strangers - unaware of their connection to each other - forced to play out a game that challenges their wits and puts their lives in jeopardy. The victims are already fighting for their lives - and now it's time for Matthews to join the game.

Plot Source: 
2. The Plot at the back of the Saw II DVD
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ACTORS

John Kramer
TOBIN BELL (portrayed Jigsaw / John Kramer)
Status in Saw II: Still Alive
Age: 52
Profession: Civil Engineer
Will Die In: Saw III
Role: The Jigsaw Killer
John Kramer, A.K.A. The Jigsaw Killer, or simply Jigsaw, is a fictional character and the main character and antagonist of the Saw film series, portrayed by Tobin Bell. He is different from most fictional serial killers as he did not kill his victims directly, but instead relies on various lethal traps in which he places his victims, in which they themselves have to make life-altering choices (often involving self-mutilation) in order to survive. Darren Lynn Bousman, director of Saw II and Saw III, says, "He's not the typical serial killer. He's not some madman. He's not Jason or Freddy. He's not even Hannibal Lecter. He's a person with extreme beliefs and he really thinks he's making a difference. He's a vigilante if anything. He thinks he's making a difference.

Detective Eric Matthews
DONNIE WAHLBERG (portrayed Detective Eric Matthews)
Status in Saw II: Still Alive
Age: 36
Profession: Detective
Will Die In: Saw IV
Eric Matthews was a detective who led a SWAT team to Jigsaw's latest lair in Saw II. Before he could be arrested, Jigsaw revealed he had possession of Eric's son and that he would have to play in Jigsaw's game to see him again. It was revealed that Eric was chosen because he had planted evidence to secure convictions against people for crimes they had not committed. Eric, concerned about his son, refused to follow Jigsaw's rules and in doing so he ended up brutalizing the weakened cancer patient and later trapped and shackled in the same bathroom in which Adam had died.

Xavier Chavez
FRANKY G (portrayed Xavier Chavez)
Status in Saw II: Deceased
Died In: Saw II
Reason of Death: Slices throat by Daniel Matthews
Age: 40
Profession: Drug Dealer
Role: Victim of the Nerve Gas House
Reason Tested: Framed Detective Eric Matthews
Xavier Chavez was a sociopathic drug dealer who appeared in Saw II. Imprisoned in the Nerve Gas House, Xavier was forced to hunt for an antidote to the gas that was slowly killing him, risking others to avoid harming himself in the various traps. Like most of the other victims of the house, Xavier had been framed by Detective Eric Matthews to secure a conviction. Remembering the instructions given at the start of the game, Xavier realized that the victims had numbers written on the back of their necks which, when combined, would open a safe containing a dose of the antidote. Xavier began hunting down the other victims to collect their numbers before realizing that one of the victims, Daniel, was the son of Eric Matthews. He cornered Daniel and Amanda in the bathroom used in Saw, and Daniel lashed out, fatally slashing Xavier's throat with a hacksaw.

Jonas Singer
GLENN PLUMMER (portrayed Jonas Singer)
Status in Saw II: Deceased
Died In: Saw II
Reason of Death: Impaled in the head by a baseball bat with nails by Xavier
Age: 41
Role: Victim of the Nerve Gas House
Reason Tested: Most likely for being involved in a gang
Jonas appeared in Saw II as a prisoner in the Nerve Gas House. Like other victims of the house, Jonas had been framed and jailed by Eric Matthews, and it was implied that he had been part of a gang. Though Jonas handled the traps of the house calmly and logically, he remained skeptical of his survival and was ultimately killed by Xavier after they got into a fight. 

Laura Hunter
BEVERLY MITCHELL  (portrayed Laura Hunter)
Status in Saw II: Deceased
Died In: Saw II
Reason of Death: Succumbed to the gas in the Nerve Gas house
Age: 24
Role: Victim of the Nerve Gas House
Laura appeared in Saw II as a prisoner of the Nerve Gas House alongside seven other victims, all but one of whom were framed for crimes by Eric Matthews. Through a flashback, it is revealed that Obi Tate had kidnapped her for Jigsaw. As the game progressed, Laura became physically weaker and soon after discovering that another victim, Daniel Matthews, was the son of the man who framed her, she succumbed to the effects of the Nerve Gas, suffering a seizure and dying in Amanda's arms. 

Addison Corday
EMMANUELLE VAUGIER (portrayed Addison Corday)
Status in Saw II: Deceased 
Died In: Saw II
Reason of Death: Either died of blood loss from the Razor Box Trap or fell victim of the Nerve Agent
Age: 29
Profession: Prostitute
Role: Victim of the Nerve Gas House
Reason Tested: Association with Eric Matthews as one of the eight people framed for conviction by him, Prostitution
Addison was a prostitute and a victim in the Nerve Gas House in Saw II. Like the other adult victims in the house, she had been arrested by Eric Matthews. Though she attempted to work with the other prisoners to survive, upon learning that another victim, Daniel, was Eric Matthews' son, she began working alone to find the antidote for the gas that was slowly killing everyone. When she reached into a hanging glass box to retrieve an antidote syringe, her arms became caught in folding razor blades and she began bleeding heavily while trying to pull free. Xavier found her but after reading the number on the back of her neck, he left her to bleed to death.

Daniel Matthews
ERIK KNUDSEN (portrayed Daniel Matthews)
Status in Saw II: Alive
Age: 17
Role: Victim of the Nerve Gas House
Reason Tested: Used as bait to catch Eric Matthews
Daniel appeared in Saw II, he is the son of Eric Matthews. After a falling out with his father, Daniel went missing but was revealed to have been captured and placed in another of Jigsaw's games alongside several convicts, all arrested by Daniel's father. As the game progressed, Daniel's lineage was discovered and he was abandoned by many of the other victims. As time ran low, Daniel and Amanda worked together to get away from Xavier, an enraged victim who was hunting them. Xavier found them but Daniel managed to slice open his neck with a saw, killing him and saving Amanda and himself. After these events it is revealed that Amanda, Jigsaw's new apprentice, had taken the unconscious Daniel to Jigsaw's lair and they had locked him in a safe as an incentive for Eric Matthews in his own test.

Amanda Young
SHAWNEE SMITH (portrayed Amanda Young)
Status in Saw II: Still Alive
Will Die In: Saw III
Age: 33
Profession: Patient in Jill's Clinic
Role: Victim of the Nerve Gas House, Jigsaw's first revealed apprentice and potential successor
Reason Tested: Possibly to ensure Daniel Matthews survival in the Nerve Gas House
Amanda was one of Jigsaw's earliest targets who managed to survive her 'game'. Believing she had changed from her self-harming ways, Jigsaw recruited her as his apprentice. Intended to carry on his legacy, she became disillusioned with Jigsaw's philosophy and began to design inescapable traps intended to kill the victim even if they passed their test. 

CREDITED CAST OVERVIEW:
 Tobin Bell ..... portrayed Jigsaw / John Kramer
 Shawnee Smith ..... portrayed Amanda Young
 Donnie Wahlberg ..... portrayed Detective Eric Matthews
 Erik Knudsen ..... portrayed Daniel Matthews
 Franky G ..... portrayed Xavier Chavez
 Glenn Plummer ..... portrayed Jonas Singer
 Emmanuelle Vaugier ..... portrayed Addison Corday
 Beverley Mitchell ..... portrayed Laura Hunter
 Tim Burd ..... portrayed Obi Tate
 Dina Meyer ..... portrayed Detective Allison Kerry
 Lyriq Bent ..... portrayed Daniel Rigg
 Noam Jenkins ..... portrayed Michael Marks
 Tony Nappo ..... portrayed Gus Colyard
 Kelly Jones ..... portrayed SWAT Member Pete
 Vincent Rother ..... portrayed SWAT Member Joe
 Linette Robinson ..... portrayed Mother in Cancer Ward
 Gretchen Helbig ..... portrayed Nurse in Cancer Ward
 Kofi Payton ..... portrayed Boy in Cancer Ward
 John Fallon ..... portrayed Video Techie
 Ho Chow ..... portrayed Security Officer

Data Sources:
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TRIVIAS

 Was shot in 25 days.
 The advertising posters for the film had to be recalled on orders from the MPAA because the two severed fingers forming the "II" in the posters did not meet guidelines for film advertising. The new poster makes it more obscure. Also, posters had listed the film as being rated R when at the time the film still hadn't gone before the MPAA for a rating.
 This film originally came from a script by the director Darren Lynn Bousman which was called "The Desperate". After trying for years to get it made but being told repeatedly that it was too violent, finally a company wanted to do it because they suspected Saw (2004) which was becoming a hit at Sundance might blow out big and they wanted to capitalize on its success. Some producers even described Bousman's script as "too Saw-ish". Just before he was about to close a deal to make the movie, Saw (2004) opened huge at the box-office and the next day he received a call, and the producers asked if he could change it around to "Saw 2". Leigh Whannell (who wrote the first "Saw") was then brought on a little later to help Bousman with creating his original idea into a proper sequel to Saw (2004).
 In the very first scene, Darren Lynn Bousman is playing jigsaw when he is putting the key in Michael's eye.
 It took around 120,000 syringes to complete the needle pit sequence.
 When Danny takes out the syringes from Amanda's arm, the crew used a fake animatronic arm.
 The hall Det. Matthews walks down to pick up his son at the police office was actually a dressing room for the crew.
 When Obi popped out of the furnace he hit Glenn Plummer's (Jonas's) eye. They had to stop filming for half an hour to make sure he was okay. He can be seen turned around in one shot, and holding his eye in another.
 Shawnee Smith was pregnant during filming, but kept it a secret from everyone, including the director and producers. Her daughter gave the secret away one day during lunch, but only to the director/writer Darren Lynn Bousman.
 Most of the actors were not given the last 25 pages of the script in order to conceal the ending. Only the principal actors involved in the sequence knew.
 It took four days for four people to replace all of the needle tips with fiber tips for the needle pit scene.
 The whole film was shot in one building.
 The name of Jigsaw, according to a scene with a nurse, is John Kramer.
 Jigsaw's puppet was originally controlled by fishing line (in Saw (2004)). This time around, the crew had a slightly larger budget and decided to completely redo the puppet and make it mechanically controlled.
 According to the DVD commentary, Xavier's retort to Addison was improvised each take, and got progressively more vulgar. The crew picked the line "The only door you know how to open...", thinking it was the most clever and funny.
 Gelatin and a little water were added to the needle pit to make the syringes more movable and slippery.
 Lawrence Gordon, the doctor who is one of Jigsaw's victims in Saw (2004) is the person who diagnoses him with cancer.
 The winner of Liongates SAW 2 Haunted House Contest went to The Mansion of Terror in Austin, TX. This haunted attraction was featured in a documentary by Javier C. Rivera entitled The Scare: The Mansion of Terror Documentary (2007) which went on to win several awards. Additionally, Javier was the photographer for Mansion of Terror's contest entries.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! A few of the traps actually worked: the Venus fly trap could close, turning the key could shoot the gun, and the blades in the razor box could cut you if they were metal.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! The "hand trap" containing the syringe actually has a padlock with a key in it; you can see it out of focus at the top of the screen when Addison puts her hands into the trap. The filmmakers deliberately included this as a way of showing that Jigsaw knew the characters would rush in without checking the trap for a simple solution.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! As in the original film, the instigator of the scenario is a participant who is lying face down in the middle of floor when the others awake.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! As in the first film the solution to the puzzle (the key and the trap door) were hidden in the very first room.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! Instead of cutting his eye open to get the key, Michael was originally going to be supplied with the key in one of his hands, but would be strapped to the chair at the wrists. Above the hand with the key was a razor, which would dig further into his flesh the more he reached the key up to the locks on his harness.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! Instead of the step shooting forward and breaking the SWAT officer's shins, a blade had originally been intended to shoot forward and slice off the first SWAT officer's legs once said rigged step had been activated.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! Before settling on the final version of the furnace, the creators and writers of originally thought of having Obi's tape recorder attached to the collar of a pit bull in the basement. They decided against it, as it would lead to cruelty to animals, and instead attached it to a corpse-like mannequin. According to storyboards for this scene, Obi would have only had to reach for one antidote, while a key took the place of the second antidote.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! The creators and writers had originally thought of having Amanda be forced to dig through a bathtub full of the syringes, but decided it wouldn't be enough, instead wanting it on a grander scale. After thinking of the pit in the middle of the room, they intended for Amanda to land up to her neck in the needles as if it were a pool, but realized that it would be impossible for her to sink into such a pool, along with the fact that getting enough needles would have taken too long as it took the production team a long time to get as many needles as they had.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! Before deciding to place Addison in the razor box trap, the creators and writers discussed (on a DVD commentary) that they had originally intended for Addison to end up in a different trap, which was similar to a waffle iron. Addison would wake up shackled at the wrists to a chair. Razors would be planted against her wrists to dig into her flesh if she tried to remove her hands, and the only way to release her hands from the razor shackles would be to burn her face against a waffle iron-like grill that was in front of her. After struggling and cutting up her wrists, Addison would then finally slam her face against the grill, releasing her cuffs and letting her go free, but with a horrendously scarred face.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! While the creators and writers of were thinking of Gus' trap, Darren Lynn Bousman suggested a trap in which someone would have to reach into a jar. If they weren't able to retrieve the antidote, they would be forced to lose their hand. This finally developed into the razor box trap, which was then used on Addison instead.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! According to the DVD commentary, the tape for Gus would have said something along the lines of him always reaching his hand into the cookie jar for money, while Addison's would talk about her using her looks to survive, stating that she would have to sacrifice and scar them if she wanted to escape. When Addison walked into the room, she found an envelope with the tape inside. Tearing it open, she found the tape for Gus, but tossed it aside, as she didn't have the tape recorder to play it.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! Various items from the house can be seen in Jigsaw's lair when Detective Matthews is questioning him, hinting that the video feed is old. According to the director, the rope and the paddle that Amanda picked up were both in the lair, but very hard to spot. The obvious item is the picture with the "X marks the spot" on it, prominently seen behind Jigsaw in many scenes.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! First film in the Saw series where someone other than Jigsaw (in this case Amanda) records the message on the tape in the movie's climax (she also says the phrase "Game Over" instead of Jigsaw).
 SPOILER ALERT!!! When Jigsaw is giving directions to the fake house, he tells Detective Matthews that it's the last house on the left. This is a reference to the movie The Last House on the Left (1972), in which the parents of a murdered teenager torture and kill the murderers.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! It can be inferred that Amanda and Daniel never needed an antidote; toward the end of the movie, while everybody else is coughing and becoming impaired, Amanda and Daniel never even breathe hard or show confusion.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! At the end of the film, Xavier cuts his number off the back of his neck and puts it in his pocket. On the DVD commentary, it is revealed that the script called for Xavier to merely toss the skin away, but when Franky G chose to put it in his pocket, the crew loved it so much they used it instead.

Trivias Sources:
1. Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432348/trivia)
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GOOFS

I.REVEALING MISTAKES (2 Goofs)
 Detective Mathews throws Jigsaw on the floor and you can tell it's a dummy by his stick-thin right leg.
 SPOILER ALERT!!! When Gus is shot through the eye, the bullet goes through his left eye and has a pattern of blood running down his face, yet later on throughout the movie, when Xavier sees the number on the back of Gus's neck, we see Gus's eye is perfectly normal with no blood marks, or bullet wounds.

IIFACTUAL ERRORS (1 Goof)
 A swat member uses a battering ram to open the outside door of the facility, but it is a door that opens outwards.

IIIEQUIPMENT / CREW VISIBLE (1 Goof)
 As the police first arrive at the warehouse, several crew-members' reflections can be seen in the sides of the police vans.

IVAUDIO / VISUAL UNSYNCHRONIZED (1 Goof)
 In the needle room, when Addison screams and says "Stop this shit!", her lips are saying "Fuck this shit!"

VCONTINUITY (12 Goofs)
 When Matthews' friend, Michael, is watching the puppet explain his situation on TV at the beginning of the movie, the channel indicator on the television keeps changing from displaying channel 3 in one shot to being covered up with duct tape in the next.
 Rigg's earpiece disappears between shots.
 When they discover Obi's envelope, the knife's position on the envelope shifts between shots.
 The wounds on Amanda that were inflicted by needles in the pit that she was thrown into by Xavier disappear and reappear throughout the rest of the film.
 When Detective Eric Mathews meets John his badge is normal. A few moments into the scene it becomes twisted and when it cuts to John then back to Eric after a second the badge is normal.
 The pool of blood from Gus's gunshot wound changes when Daniel goes to put the coat over his head.
 When the SWAT team arrives at Jigsaw's lair, the clock on the wall says 7:30. After the timer in the monitor room has gone down by 90 minutes, a shot of the wall clock shows the time as 8:00 - only half an hour later.
 When the SWAT team have their guns aimed at Jigsaw's heart (just after Matthews says "Hey - is this close enough?", we can see three laser guides on his chest. Then one of the SWAT team members points his gun down, but there are still three laser guides on Jigsaw's heart. Seconds later there are two lasers, then three again.
 When Xavier opens the door to the Syringe Pit, it shows a very short clip showing the timer on the door for the antidote. If you slow the clip down, you will see that the timer shows '4:00', in the next scene it shows '2:58'.
 The first time we see the number 9 on Addison's neck, it has a curvy line, looking like an upside down 6. Later, when there are flashes of the previous numbers, the 9 shows up with a straight line.
 Gus' tie changes from being sloppily pulled to the right in select shots as they wake up and then being straight in other shots.
 When the body of Zep from the first movie is shown in the bathroom scene at the end, there is no evidence of his head being smashed in by the lid of the toilet.

Goofs Sources:
1. Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432348/goofs)
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20 MEMORABLE QUOTES

1. JOHN KRAMER: "I want to play a game."
2. JOHN KRAMER: "Oh, yes, there will be blood."
3. AMANDA YOUNG: "Game over."
4. JOHN KRAMER"X marks the spot."
5. JOHN KRAMER: "Greetings... and welcome. I trust that you are all wondering where you are. I can assure you that while your location is not important, what these walls offer for your IS important... salvation, if you earn it. 3 hours from now the door to this house will open. Unfortunately, you only have 2 hours to live. Right now, you are breathing in a deadly nerve agent. You've been breathing it since you've arrived here. Those of you familiar with the Tokyo subway attacks will know its devastating effects on the human body. The only way to overcome it and walk out that door is to find an antidote. Several are hidden around this house. One is inside the safe in front of you. You all possess the combination to the safe. Think hard... the numbers are in the back of your mind. The clue to their order can be found "over the rainbow". Once you realize what you all have in common, you will gain a better understanding of why you're here. X marks the spot for that clue, so look carefully. Let the game begin."
6. JOHN KRAMER: "How much blood will you shed to stay alive?"
7. AMANDA: "What is the cure for Cancer, Eric? The cure for death itself. The answer is immortality. By creating a legacy, by living a life worth remembering, you become immortal. So now we find the tables are turned. It is I who will carry on John's work after he dies, and you are my first test subject. Now you are locked away, helpless and alone." 
8. JOHN KRAMER [to Detective Matthews]: "I want to play a game. The rules are simple all you have to do is talk to me, listen to me.if you do that long enough you will find your son in a safe and secure state. We haven't properly introduced ourselves. My name is John."
9. JOHN KRAMER"Those who do not appreciate life do not deserve life."
10. JOHN KRAMER: "Can you imagine what it feels like to have someone sit you down and tell you that you're dying? The gravity of that, hmm? Then the clock's ticking for you. In a split second your awe is cracked open. You look at things differently - smell things differently. You savor everything be it a glass of water or a walk in the park."
11. JOHN KRAMER: "You may not remember all those people but I'm sure they remember you. You're the arresting officer on all their cases and you're the one who planted all the evidence used to obtain their convictions. You're the one who put them away. Your son is playing a game with a lot of people who don't like you very much, Detective. It would be a shame if they discovered who he was."
12. JOHN KRAMER: "Hello, Xavier, I want to play a game. It's similar to the game you play as a drug dealer, the game of giving hope to the desperate. I think we can agree that your situation is desperate, so I'm going to offer you hope. By entering this room, you have started a timer on the door in front of you. When the timer runs out the door will be locked forever, locking away the antidote inside it. If you want to find the key, you will have to crawl through the same squalor that your customers have. I'll give you one hint where to find it. It will be like finding a needle in a haystack."
13. ERIC MATTHEWS [to John Kramer]: "You think cancer is an excuse for what you do?"
14. XAVIER CHAVEZ"Look who's talking, the only door you know how to open is between ya' legs!"
15. ADDISON CORDAY: "Well we've established that the macho bullsh*t approach isn't opening the door. Any other suggestions?"
16. DANIEL MATTHEWS: "My Dad's a... he's a real hard *ss. You know, he's probably got half the city out looking for me, just so he can kick my *ss for disappearing on him."
17. ERIC MATTHEWS"Where to now?"
18. ERIC MATTHEWS"You f*cking b*tch! I'll f*cking kill you! you f*cking b*tch! I'll f*cking kill you!"
19. JOHN KRAMER"It's The Last House on the Left..."
20. DETECTIVE KERRY: "237 North Hyde Crescent."

Quotes Sources:
1. Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432348/quotes)
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SCENES FROM THE FILM

The Venus Fly Trap in Saw II
Jigsaw (Tobin Bell)

Beverly Mitchell as Laura Hunter and Franky G as Xavier Chavez in Saw II

Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith) in The Needle Pit Trap

Addison Corday (Emmanuelle Vaugier) in The Razor Box Trap
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FEATURED MOVIE TRAILER

SAW GAMES: VENUS FLY TRAP (SAW II)
by: deiviuxs (20 October 2009)

Video Description:
Hello, Michael. I want to play a game.
© Lionsgate
Video CategoryFilm and Animation

SAW II TRAILER (ORIGINAL)
by: SawChannel (12 April 2008)
Video Description

The english trailer of Saw II
El trailer en inglés de Saw II
Property of ©LionGate Entertainment. All Rights Reserved
Video Category: Film and Animation
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MPAA CONTENT GUIDE

I. SEX AND NUDITY
>> (Medium) "The only door you know how to open is the one between your legs!"

II. VIOLENCE AND GORE
>> This movie sounds like it is much worse than it actually is. Saw is more frightening and scary, Saw II is more graphic (though not by much. They're about the same).
>> (Medium, Intense) In an extended scene a man crawls into a furnace to retrieve something, when he pulls on the item, the furnace door closes, the fire jets are ignited beneath the man, and he screams and squirms while people outside try to open the furnace door; one man breaks the glass on a furnace porthole, the man inside sticks his head out but cannot fit through and screams as flames burn his legs and torso and then falls limp.
>> (Medium, Bloody) A mask on a clamp, with nails inside the face, slams shut on a man's head; the man falls over dead and a little blood pours onto the floor.
>> (Medium, Bloody) A man's throat is slashed, he gurgles, falls to the floor, blood pours from the wound, he gasps and dies.
>> (Strong, Cringe) A man slices a large piece of skin off the back of his own neck and he screams loudly (we see the skin being pulled, we hear tearing and there is a lot of blood).
>> (Strong, Fright) A man peering through a peep hole in a door is shot through the eye by a gun: we see his very bloody eye as he falls to the floor and see a very bloody exit wound on the back of his head, as well as a blood spattered woman who was standing behind him.
>> (Strong, Bloody) A woman puts her hand through a tube in a glass case; when she tries to pull it out, sharp blades close around it cutting into her skin, and she puts her other hand into another tube to try to free her first hand, but both are trapped and blood runs down her arms.
>> (Strong, Brutal) Two men fight (one man has a knife): they punch each other, one is pushed and hits his head on a large metal safe, one is kicked in the head, and one is hit in the back of the head with a bat that has nails sticking out (he falls over and blood pools around his head). A woman pulls a bat with nails sticking out, out of the back of a man's head and we hear a loud squish and his head pounds on the floor when it is freed.
>> (Strong, Brutal) A man pulls himself out of a burning car after having had an accident and a metal rod is sticking out of his side; he pulls it out while we hear squishing, and he bleeds profusely.
>> (Medium Blood) A woman slices her wrist with a razor (we see the incision and she bleeds).
>> (Strong, Intense) A man holds a knife to a man, who grabs his hand and forces him to cut along his throat (the incision is not very deep but it bleeds), and a woman breaks a glass bottle and threatens the man who's cutting his own throat.
>> (Strong, Brutal) A man punches another man repeatedly, kicks him, stomps on him, and he breaks one of his fingers (we see blood on the victim's face).
>> (Medium, Post-mortem) Police in a crime scene examine a dead body: the man is lying on his side, blood is pooled around his head and a piece of skin is carved out of his shoulder. A woman and a boy find decomposed bodies in a room along with a severed foot.
>> (Medium, Intense) As the movie progresses we see the people who are trapped in a building deteriorate from exposure to a nerve gas: they become weak, develop patches on their skin, and they cough up blood). A woman collapses, convulses, spits blood and dies. A woman coughs up blood and spits it on the floor.
>> (Medium, Suprising) Three officers walk through a dark steel mill, they open a gate, walk up steps, and trip a booby trap: one officer is stabbed through the leg with a piece of metal (we hear a squish and a crunch), he falls back screaming and knocks the other two back, who crash into the gate -- which has become electrified -- and are electrocuted.
>> (High, Torture) A woman is thrown into a pit that is filled with syringes: she moves and we see several sticking out of her skin, she screams and struggles to find something.
>> (N/A, Disturbing) A SWAT team arms itself and prepares for a raid: they enter a dark and abandoned steel mill where they find a man with an IV and various torture and surgical devices (some with human skulls and skeletons inside).
>> (Low, Intense) A man is injected with something that knocks him out and when he wakes up he's shackled to a wall. A woman remembers a man holding a drug-laced handkerchief over her nose and knocking her out. We see a video of several people being held in a room: they pace and appear nervous and agitated, and we hear a man talking about a gas that is seeping into the room that will cause them to bleed from every orifice until they die.
>> (Low, Intense) A man with a knife chases a boy and a woman. A man threatens to rip a man's head off. A man and a woman argue bitterly. A man uses a bat with nails in it to break down a wooden door.
>> (Mild, Disgusting) An unconscious woman wakes up, screams and vomits. This is very brief and is not gross at all.

III. PROFANITY
>> Frequent use of the F word (90 Uses)
>> Multiple uses of milder language

IV. ALCOHOL / DRUGS / SMOKING
>> (Strong) A woman talks about having been a "junkie" and we see her injecting herself in the arm with drugs (flashback).
>> (Low) A man drinks beer and smokes a cigarette, and a man smokes a cigarette in several scenes.

V. FRIGHTENING / INTENSE SCENES
>> Not scary, just brutal and sometimes graphic. However, the whole movie is very intense.

MPAA Content Guide Sources:
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AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

AWARDS (1 Award)
I. Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
  1. Chainsaw Award: Best Villain (Tobin Bell) - 2006

NOMINATIONS (6 Nominations)
IAcademy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
  1. Saturn Award: Best DVD Special Edition Release - 2007
  2. Saturn Award: Best Horror Film - 2006
II. Directors Guild of Canada
  1. DGC Craft Award: Outstanding Sound Editing-Feature Film (Rob Bertola, Tom Bjelic, Allan Fung, Mark Gingras, John Laing, Paul Shikata, John Douglas Smith) - 2006
III. MTV Movie Awards
  1. MTV Movie Award: Best Villain (Tobin Bell) - 2006
IV. Teen Choice Awards
  1. Teen Choice Award: Movie-Choice Scream (Donnie Wahlberg) - 2006
  2. Teen Choice Award: Movies-Choice Thriller - 2006

Awards and Nominations Sources:
1. Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432348/awards)
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JR's MOVIE REVIEW


RATING BREAKDOWN:
Movie Plot = 20/20
Portrayal of Characters = 18/20
Graphics and Special Effects = 20/20
Public Popularity Hit = 23/30
Minimal Goofs = 8/10
Total Movie Score: 89/100

AVERAGE STAR RATING: 9 out of 10 Stars
☆ 

I. MOVIE PLOT (20/20)
Saw II is one of the best Saw movies in terms of movie plot. Saw II pushed the boundaries of the regular serial killer-themed thriller movie, putting in place a very nice dramatic plot. The thing that will make a person like the plot in this movie is how a father would do everything that he has to do just to make sure his son is safe. But as Jigsaw always instructed to every individual he tested, "Always follow the rules". Due to the father's non-accordance to the rules, he did not succeed with his goal of discovering where his son is really is. It was surprising however that the son was just inside a vault/safe near Jigsaw and his father. Unfortunately, his father pushed the limits of the rules and just gone instead with torturing Jigsaw. (by the way I'll stop here as I might already spoil the details of the movie) As the worlds of Thriller and Drama collide in this movie, this movie is truly one of the evident products. Saw II is what I believe to be the best Thriller movie of All Time after Jaws because it has a one of a kind movie plot.

II.  PORTRAYAL OF CHARACTERS (18/20)
JR can't deny that each and every actor in this particular movie did not do well because in fact, all characters in this film are all excellent. As you can see in the goofs listed by the Internet Movie Database, there is not even one error committed by any character. This particular "no goofs made by characters" thingy made this movie a lot better than the Nightmare on Elm Street Movie and the Friday the 13th Movie. The characters really did very well. Tobin Bell's portrayal of Jigsaw was really nice, I think he is truly made for that role. I may say that he might already beaten Michael Myers (Halloween), Chucky (Child's Play) and Ghostface (Scream) in terms of the being a serial killer. He is the best movie serial killer ever. May I also commend the performance of Erik Knudsen and Donnie Wahlberg, I really got into how they portrayed their characters in the movie. I am actually looking forward to Donnie Wahlberg's new TV show: Blue Bloods. 

III. GRAPHICS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS (20/20)
The Saw series have been a series of truly gruesome and realistic graphics and special effects, from the prosthetics to the different Saw Traps. I am really impressed with the graphics and special effects of all the Saw movies that is why I am giving all Saw movies a perfect 20 for giving us a unique and very realistic Graphics and Special Effects.

IV. PUBLIC POPULARITY HIT (25/30)
Saw II is The Most Popular Saw Film of All Time and it is also JR's All-Time Favorite Saw Film. In the Internet Movie Database, Saw II got an average grade of 6.7 out of a possible 10 which was scored by a total of 82,378 Internet Movie Database members. Also, as we can see in the Box Office Mojo, it was graded a B by 495 (36.4% of Total Voters) Box Office Mojo members. Other grades in the Box Office Mojo are as follows: [A = 467 (34.3%); C = 228 (16.8%); D =  73 (5.4%); F = 98 (7.2%)]. Considering its high box office of  $147,748,505, it is the Highest Grossing Saw Film in History.

V. MINIMAL GOOFS (8/10)
The movie has a total of 17 Goofs according to the Internet Movie Database. To get the score for the Minimal Goofs, JR divided the total number of goofs to the total number of minutes the film has in total. The tabulated total will then be multiplied by 10; and the product will be subtracted from 10 to get the final score. So, 17 divided by 91 minutes is 18.68%. The minimal goof score is then 8 out of a possible 10.

VI. JR's General Commentary / Reaction
Saw II is JR's Favorite Thriller / Horror Film of All Time. There is no doubt that this film would just fade away into oblivion. All of its fans will remember it as well as people who might still watch it in the future. Saw II is not just the Highest Grossing Saw Film of All Time but it is also the Highest Contributor to the Guinness World Record held by the Saw series. Being the Most Successful Horror Movie Series of All Time (according to Guinness), Saw II contributed a total of $147,748,505 to the Saw franchise. I hope this movie series can still continue, but it sadly ended due to having lower movie grosses as each movie series progressed. Saw II's movie review in JR Late Night Blogs is JR's All-Time Favorite Movie Review. This movie review was actually finished in 4 days. 
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Saw II Wallpaper
SAW II

DATA SOURCES:

1. Internet Movie Database

2. Box Office Mojo

3. Wikipedia

4. YouTube 

5. SawPedia

6. Yahoo! Movies

7. Blog Images Sources
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UPCOMING MOVIE REVIEWS
Clash of the Titans PosterSaw PosterToy Story 3 PosterNot Another Teen Movie PosterSuperbad PosterThe Simpsons Movie PosterMeet The Fockers PosterToy Story Poster
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10 March 2011 (1AM)

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