The seventh and supposedly final installment in the Saw franchise hit theaters last Halloween as Saw 3D. This week it makes its way to Blu-ray in both 2D and 3D versions with a name change to Saw: The Final Chapter, as well as a bunch of new features and additions.
The Movie
I originally reviewed Saw 3D when it first released, so I won’t rehash the same material here. If you’d like to see my review of the movie itself, you can check out the original post. The short version of the review (with spoilers for the end of Saw 6) is that Saw 3D (now called Saw: The Final Chapter) differs in plot and tone from the previous six movies by becoming mostly a revenge story that pits the new Jigsaw, Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), against the original’s widow, Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell). Most of the movie follows Hoffman’s pursuit of Jill as he seeks his proverbial pound of flesh in retaliation for her mutilating him at the end of Saw 6.
Along the way, Hoffman rigs up plenty of new and horrific traps for the police and his unwitting victims to deal with. And while all of that is happening, there’s a B-story involving Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery), a survivor of a former trap created by the original Jigsaw (Tobin Bell). Dagen has written a book about his experience and has become a wealthy celebrity from the notoriety. Cary Elwes returns as Dr. Lawrence Gordon, absent since his apparent death in the first Saw, and we also get to see a number of other prior victims as Dagen’s story plays out.
Saw: The Final Chapter is a fitting conclusion to the current era of the franchise and, while it does provide closure for the stories set into motion in the last few Saw movies, it by no means feels like a definitive end to the whole series. I would be very surprised if another Saw movie or six didn’t show up in a decade or less. Saw: The Final Chapter feels less like a final chapter and more like a stopping off point while the series takes a break for a while.
The Blu-ray
If this does end up being the last Saw ever, Lionsgate has sent their flagship horror series off in style. Two Blu-ray sets release this week, one featuring the 3D version of the movie, playable in 3D Blu-ray players and on 3D TVs, and the other a standard 2D Blu-ray release. The only difference between the two sets is the inclusion of 3D on one; all the other features and additions are present in both versions.
The set comes with two discs. The first is a Blu-ray containing the uncut version of Saw: The Final Chapter, as well as a bunch of special features. The second disc is a DVD copy of the movie without all the bells and whistles. Also included is a code redeemable for a digital download of the movie. This trifecta of Blu-ray / DVD / download has become something of a standard for several of the big studios, but it’s always awesome to see.
The movie itself looks great on Blu-ray, and the 2D version is every bit as watchable and enjoyable as (and perhaps even moreso than) the 3D version. Saw: The Final Chapter isn’t as obnoxious with its use of 3D as many releases have been, but as a purist and traditionalist, I still prefer standard 2D. In addition to the movie, here’s what’s included in the features on the Blu-ray:
- Producers’ Audio Commentary with Mark Burg, Oren Koules, and Peter Block
- Writers’ Audio Commentary with Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan
- Deleted and Extended Scenes, including even more of Tobin Bell as Jigsaw… always a great thing.
- Music Videos
- 52 Ways To Die – A conversation with the four guys who designed and implemented all 52 traps throughout the Saw franchise, concluding with a fast montage of all the traps in action in the movies.
- Theatrical Trailer
Conclusion
Saw fans will want to pick this one up for sure, as it includes not only the uncut version of the movie but also a lot of great insight into the Saw series as a whole. Those interested in horror movie making also will find a lot of interesting details in the 52 Ways To Die featurette, as well as in the audio commentaries. This is a solid package that deserves a spot on your horror movie shelf.
