The Jigsaw killer is back and only Detective Donnie Wahlberg can stop him. The movie opens with a guy falling victim to a Jigsaw game. The detective is called in to identify the body and becomes much more involved in the investigation. They catch Jigsaw, but it’s never that easy and a new game begins with the detective’s son and a group of people locked inside a death trap house. Can the detective figure out where they are and rescue his son before the time runs out?

There are plenty of twists and gory death scenes. It manages to keep things fresh without sacrificing too many believable elements.

Unfortunately, it didn’t have the same suspense or impact as the first movie. Some of the performances were a bit ham-fisted and the characters weren’t as dynamic, making it hard to invest in their struggles.

I really liked how the killer became front and center after being captured, which is the opposite of the first movie keeping him shrouded in obscurity. Usually, I don’t like it when then monster/killer is revealed or too exposed, but this kind of works as a reversal of movie traditions.

Rating: