SAW VI

SAW VI (Lion’s Gate Films)
Directed by Kevin Greutert

Well, here we go again. A year has passed and somehow we have all managed to forget about the last installment to the SAW series, until now; because for the sixth consecutive year, SAW or a version thereof, has been released the Friday before Halloween. That’s right boys’ and girls,’ the famed series that I think we all love to hate, or maybe hate to love, has returned to take aim on the spookiest of holidays. And by now, if you haven’t watched any of these installments, consider yourself lucky, as I often wish I never got roped into this series, which has gone in and out of oblivion the past six years. But for those of us that have seen this series from birth, it’s hard to get excited now, as none compare to the very first one, which took us all by storm. What an idea it was and yet, here we sit at #6, wondering if the ‘thrill’ that held us captive some 90 minutes back in 2004 will ever return to the series.

As expected, the story in this one picks up almost directly where the last one left off, in that convoluted way we have come to expect and love. So again, if you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing the first five installments, I wouldn’t start now as it would only bring more pain in attempting to understand the method to the madness by this serial killer dubbed ‘Jigsaw’. Up until this moment in the story, John Kramer, a.k.a. Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) was a somewhat iconic figure and one that was feared by many, especially when you unknowingly became one of his victims. You see, Kramer took pleasure in placing people in the deadliest of situations in hopes of teaching them to respect life for themselves and others; as up until this point, they had not done so, at least in his mind. So, before and even now after his untimely death, he would play this “game” with his victims, giving them an option out, all be it a difficult one both mentally and physically. A legacy which now was being carried out by Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), a local detective who we last saw trapped in a glass chamber full of ice.

One would think that would be it for the bitter detective, but he gets out, as he planned to do all long, so he could continue Jigsaw’s work; which we find out through a series of flashbacks was very well thought out and planned. And this time, that work surrounded a local health insurance executive over a claims dept., where he meticulously created a system that would determine who to cover, based on probabilities’ of health or illness. Well, this system, once upon a time, turned down Kramer and he never forgot, as the next game would be William’s (Peter Outerbridge) and all his subordinates that have helped him carry out his work. William would have to complete four tests in 60 minutes, in order to not only save himself, but as he later finds out, save his own family and anyone else important to him. And in doing so, he would have to determine who lives and who dies while looking them right in the face, an ironic fate for a guy who made his business of determining exactly that, only he never saw their faces. But that was only the beginning, as the further we dug into this story, the more twisted it became ultimately leading to a very likely, yet somehow confusing conclusion when it’s all said and done.

No one really cares about a cast in film like this, right? Fact is the cast won’t be on screen that long, as most wind up tortured to death by films end. The only good thing is that the producers haven’t fallen into the trap of trying to bring in a well-known actor to get more fans to the theater, choosing to go with a host of unknowns instead. Costas Mandylor is a prime example of this, a marginal actor at best and one that frankly doesn’t cut it, even in this film. And the worst part is, he’s the main villain outside Jigsaw, who technically is dead. And that still bothers me to this day, how he was killed off so quickly into this series. Not only was it unnecessary, it made no sense, as it wouldn’t had been that hard to draw his personal story out a bit longer, given how close in time a lot of the events occur anyway. Truth is, you can throw in all the flashbacks and voice-overs with Bell that you want, which they have, but his character is dead, so it’s still hard for me to get on board with any new protégé, no matter the twist that accompanies it.

Anytime a series gets to six, all bets are off as you just never know what you’re going to get. I know I walked in with absolutely no expectations, which is the key to watching anything this insane. Year after year, though, I wonder if this will be the last, but it won’t be, no matter how ridiculous the story will become as the producers just can’t help themselves. They love seeing their movie get released a week before Halloween, so unless they get tired of that, I don’t see this series going away. Why would it, given how easy it can be reborn every year for the all too easy payoff. I said a long time ago this was potentially a great idea, but somewhere along the way it got derailed and has never quite recovered properly. SAW VI actually had the look of being the “one” to turn it all around, as the story seemed to flow a lot better than the previous, given its premise surrounding healthcare, an extremely hot topic in our country right now. And in some ways, it was a direct slap in the face of the healthcare companies that seem to hold too much power. Although twisted, the point was clear, which is why I wish the rest of the story would have followed suit, but the writers and director fell asleep at the editing table, which is ironic given the director, Kevin Greutert, was editor for the first five films. So, while attempting to bridge the gap of the past to present, the ending felt extremely unorganized and unfulfilling, which is sad given the upside of the rest of the film. It‘s almost as if they couldn’t decide how to end it, so instead of taking more time to figure that out, they threw in more flashbacks and innuendos to cover whatever tracks they failed to bring to light. That’s too bad, because for the first time in a long time with this series, we had a story worth noting, which I guess in the end is still something to hang your hat on.

It can’t be good if I find myself repeating things I have said in the past about this series, but maybe that’s just part of the love/hate relationship I have with it. And as much as I try, I just can’t forget how inventive the very first SAW was, with its endless possibilities and intrigue, clearly hoping the subsequent installments would equal that feeling, which instead has made you wish they stopped after one. Because if you go back and somehow manage to forget about the last five and watch the first installment, you will see the true intensity and thrill that made this film an overnight hit. However, given all the crap that has been thrown into this series over time, even that is debatable at this point, but at least SAW VI isn’t the worst one of the bunch, which is an improvement given how atrocious the last one was.

C+

COUPLES RETREAT

COUPLES RETREAT (Universal Pictures)
Directed by Peter Billingsley

You have to be careful when attempting to place a grade on a comedy, simply because there are too many variables involved. Too often people go in with high expectations based on some notion that this will be the next big comedy to take us all by storm, when in reality it could be quite the opposite. And to this day, I have no clue why this is and why we place such high hopes on films that may or may not make us laugh. I guess when it comes down to it; there are some people that prefer to take their chance with comedies, then say the next sleeper ‘indie” or drama, cause they don’t want to have to think about anything. Box office numbers actually back this theory up, as it’s almost a given that whichever new comedy is being released on a given week will become the next number one film in the nation, no matter how good or bad it might be. And maybe that’s OK, given how diverse each us can be when it comes to our sense of humor, but at some point shouldn’t we stop and really look at what we’re about to walk into see? I think so and wish I did just that before watching the new comedy, COUPLES RETREAT.

The premise behind COUPLES RETREAT is one that probably any of us could have written, for it’s not too deep and maybe should have been. It all centers around four couple’s who get-together for a trip to Bora Bora for a much needed “vacay” in which they can focus on themselves. Well, as it turns out, this was not your ordinary resort, as it focused more on fixing whatever issues you may have with your significant other and ultimately leading you in the direction of happiness, if that was indeed your destiny. And for three of the four couples, this was not what they thought they were signing up for, but for Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell), this was what they needed after several failed attempts ant conceiving a child had left them in somewhat different places from another. As for the rest of the group, well; stuck and virtually having no choice but to complete the program, they did the best they could and by a sure fluke, found out their relationships weren’t as perfect as they thought. For Dave (Vince Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Ackerman), this meant respecting each other a little more; for Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Kristin Davis), this meant opening up their eyes to see why they fell in love so many years ago and finally for Shane (Faizon Love) and Trudy (Kali Hawk), this meant figuring out they never should have gone on this trip together, after only meeting two weeks prior. In all, they wind up finding more truth than they thought they would, in the most unimaginative ways, ultimately leading to a conclusion that had a chance to payoff, but failed when it counted the most.

There’s no doubt the cast in COUPLES RETREAT is why most people will go to see the film and for that, more time should have been spent to ensure they all worked well together. Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau are one thing, having been the dynamic duo several times over, but even they seemed to be off their game a bit at times. Maybe it wasn’t their fault, but given they helped write this story; some blame may fall on them in the end, especially when there seemed to be little to no chemistry with the rest of the cast. Outside of Vaughn and Ackerman, no other couple seemed real and for a story that solely focuses on couples, that’s not good. Jon Favreau was way over the top, which would have worked, but his on-screen wife Lucy, played by Kristin Davis, had problem’s keeping up making for an uninspiring couple overall. But, at least you cared about them, which wasn’t the case for Faizon Love and Kali Hawk, who played Trudy. At no point, did these two fit into the mix ultimately being a distraction, if anything at all. That being said, the two that pretty much dwarfed everyone else in the series of miscasts was Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell. The one couple the story had to rely on the most wound up having zero chemistry together. I love both, but they just didn’t fit well together, which is a shame given their natural way on the big screen individually.

Tending to turn away from comedies on the big screen, I chose to see this movie for two reasons, Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau. Throw in a Kristen Bell and Jason Bateman, and I’m all over it, but somewhere along the way, the true point to this story got left behind. Maybe it was within the script, which Vaughn and Favreau helped write, as the dialogue wasn’t exactly great and overall the story felt uneven. Or maybe it was miscasting of stars like Kristen Bell and Jason Bateman, but given their resumes, it’s hard to believe that. I mean, anyone knows that with a poor script, it’s hard for even the best of the best to make a story like this worthwhile. Fact is, comedies are tough to make and yet, so many try and fail, leaving us with films like this, which look great on the surface, but in the end fall flat on their face. That’s why I cherish when a good comedy comes along, because it’s not often and when one does, it’s usually one where ample time was spent to ensure everything worked in unison. Sounds almost too simple, but I think producers and directors’ get too caught up with the cast sometimes and forget about the script, which may or may not work for the cast. Now, I think in this case, it was a combination of both, but either way, something should have been cut out, as this story felt more out of whack than it should have. At some point, someone needed to realize it was just a comedy and not to make it too involved, but that didn’t happen leaving you wondering where it all went wrong.

COUPLES RETREAT on the outside looks like a great mix of comedy and real-life situations that could happen, given the right circumstances. And maybe had more time been spent on the script and cast, it would have turned out the way, but it didn’t leaving you just as empty as you were before you sat down to watch it. So, pay no attention to the star-studded cast, as it’s more or a mirage than anything else, as this one will be hard to recommend, even as a DVD a few months from now.

D+

SURROGATES

SURROGATES (Touchstone Pictures)
Directed by Jonathan Mostow

Science-Fiction is one of those genres’s that, if left alone, would probably go away and never be heard from again. Such a thought, I realize, could send million’s off the edge, but I can’t help but think that out of all the sci-fi on TV and the big screen, there’s just not a whole lot to get excited about. Maybe I just don’t get it, but outside the iconic franchises like STAR TREK and STAR WARS, the drop-off to anything remotely decent is quite extreme. I mean, this genre has its own TV channel (SyFy) and yet, we still can’t find something overly impressive on a consistent basis. Sure, there have been a handful of mildly successful TV series like BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA or maybe one of the STARGATE spin-offs, but that’s about it. And I can’t tell you the last five great films I saw from this genre, if I’ve even seen five recently. Truth is, there’s not a whole lot of good with this genre, TV or film, so to this day, I can’t figure out why this genre thrives so much on crap. That doesn’t mean I won’t look forward to the next installment of the reinvented STAR TREK film series by JJ Abrams, because I will, but at some point, wouldn’t you like to see more good and less bad with this genre? I know I would, but that might be asking for too much, as the recently released SURROGATES proves.

Set in the not too distant future of 2017, the world has fallen victim to a new way of life, one that thrives on laziness and the unwillingness to accept the world for what it is. This new way of life was through surrogates, robotic copies of everything the user would like to be, manufactured by a company known as VSI. For many, VSI’s "way of living" was perfect, as it was safe and easy to maintain from the confines of your home. And with people safe almost 100% of the time, and damage sustained by a surrogate is not felt by its user, it truly was a peaceful world free from pain, fear and crime. Or at least it was until a series of homicide’s occurred, the first in years, and one’s that had the entire local police force stumped the further they investigated. Turns out, the victims all were murdered in the “safe” confines of their homes, laying in their virtual reality chairs while operating their surrogates, something that was said to be impossible to achieve. On the case were FBI agents Greer (Bruce Willis) and Peters (Radha Mitchell), who while operating under their own surrogates, found a way to get inside this twisted chain of events, but when Greer’s surrogate falls victim to a, then, unknown VSI weapon and is eventually destroyed, he is forced to solve this case a different way. And that was by going outside of his house, away from the so-called safe haven and surrogate way of living, in his own flesh to hopefully put an end to all this and bring peace back. But, doing so was not easy, as the further he got into reality, the deeper this mystery became, leading to one intense and unpredictable conclusion that will have you thinking one way or another.

For all that’s said about Bruce Willis losing a step, he still can carry a story on his own. Forget the premise or genre of the film, as it doesn’t take away what Willis brings to the table. And here, he goes in and out of reality just fine, with or without the ridiculous blonde wig. And what’s funny is how Willis is able to deter you away from the underlying mess this story was made of, and simply entertain you. That he does well and has done well for a lot of years, dating back to the DIE HARD series. So, before you dismiss this role as just another one that kept him busy, keep in mind about who you are watching and what he has meant to Hollywood over the years, as he at least deserves that, especially in a film where he didn’t have much help. Sure, Ving Rhames was alright playing The Prophet, but overall not a performance worth remembering and one that became not existent rather quickly. And it was great to see Radha Mitchell in a film again, although I can’t imagine where they dug her up from, as she clearly looked lost at times. Maybe it wasn’t her fault, but with a story like this, how hard can it be to standout?

This is one of those films that you walk into with absolutely zero expectations, because you just never know what you’re going to get from a sci-fi flick, based from a comic book series by the same name. I did just that and I’m glad I did, because had I not, I would have probably walked out half way through. Truth is, this film isn’t all that great, but at the same time, it’s not terrible and in certain moments is quite entertaining. I found myself enjoying the sub-plot more, between Willis’ character and his wife, which was sad considering how little it had to do with the overall plot, yet the way it was portrayed gave way to a somewhat unique message. That being said, for a film dubbed with this sort of topic, I wasn’t impressed and I put that on director Jonathan Mostow. The concept was there and I would bet, with a little more thought and touch in parts of the script, Mostow would have been able to do a little more behind the camera, but there were still too many underdone action sequences and odd moments of the film where you wondered how it made it past editing. But, I guess when it comes to this genre, anything passes and maybe that’s how I should look at it. At the same time, why should a pass be given to a film that fell short in many areas, simply because of its genre? Fact is, Willis carried this film though all its lows and highs, and without him, it would have been hard to watch, for nothing else of substance was able to sustain enough value to keep you interested throughout.

Sci-Fi is one of those tricky genres within Hollywood that you either love or hate, but sometime after George Lucas shocked the world with STAR WARS, a black hole developed swallowing up a lot of films, ultimately leaving you wondering if anything great will ever come along again. SURROGATES certainly follows suit and despite the effort turned in by Bruce Willis, is no better than a rental on a lazy Sunday afternoon, long after football season ends.

C