SAW V

Saw V was released in 2008 directed by David Hacki. Saw V starts with Seth Baxter chained to a table with a large pendulum blade hanging above him. In this first game of the film Seth has to insert his hands into two devices that will crush them in order to release his bindings and free himself from the table. You hear a voice explaining to Seth how to play the game. I noticed immediately that the voice seemed a little off to be Jigsaw's. When The game begins the pendulum starts swinging getting closer to Seths torso with every swing. Seth crushes his hands only to his surprise to find that the bindings did not release. Just before Seth is cut in half he looks to his left and notices an eye watching him from behind a wall.The first flashback is from the end of SAW IV where it shows agent Strahm in the room where Jigsaw was dead on the bed and Strahm escapes through a hidden door where he is then captured. Then you see the next game where Strahm's head was inside a glass box attached to two hoses that are attached to two water jugs. Strahm then does the unbelievable and uses an ink pen shell to jab into his throat to form a tracheotomy to keep breathing in turn keeping him alive. Next you see Hoffman carrying a little girl (Jeff's daughter from IV) outside the building thinking they were the only two survivors only to be shocked when he sees Agent Strahm rolled out on a stretcher still alive. One thing I noticed was that they never showed how Strahm escaped the glass box. Whether he escaped on his own or was he assisted from the medical team.

Next scene shows Jill Tuck (Jigsaw's wife) in a meeting with her attorney where she is given Jigsaws last will and receives a box. Then you see Jigsaw on a video tape where he tells Jill that the contents of the box are of "Grave Importance"(this statement being a key part to the film). She never showed what the contents of the box are. Detective Hoffman is awarded as being a hero, and agent Strahm is taken off the case. This is where agent Erickson comes into the film. Erickson then becomes  fascinated with the "Jigsaw Killer" and begins his own researching of the victims. When Hoffman is brought back to the Seth killing to conduct an investigation that's when we discover that Seth Baxter was the guy who killed Hoffman's sister. This is when things started coming together for me. I then realized that Hoffman was behind the murder and that it was his voice we heard not Jigsaw's. It was also Hoffman standing behind the wall that Seth seen just before he died. Again Jigsaw always leaves a way for the subjects to escape however with Seth there was no way to escape. To me that was the first twist in this film.

While Erickson is working on trying to piece together Hoffman's involvement another game is taking place. Inside what appears to be a sewer you find five victims awaken with collars around their necks. Each is attached to a cable that is attached to all five collars. When one subject moves forward is pulls the other four backwards where there is two razor sharp blades located at their necks. The keys for these collars are located in five glass boxes, one in front of each subject.You then see "Billy" and he explains how the game works. He tells them that "their instincts will tell them to do one thing but he encourages them to do the opposite". Once one person goes for the key the timer begins. Four people retrieve their keys, however Ashley doesn't and she in turn is decapitated  when her collar retracts slamming her into the sharp razor blades. The next part of this game involves three chambers and some glass jars hanging from the ceiling containing the keys to the chambers. When the clock starts it is connected to glass jars in the corners of the room filled with nails and C4 explosive. When the clock runs out the bombs will detonate killing anyone left in the room. The chambers provide shelter to save them from the explosion. The subjects begin breaking the jars to retrieve the keys. In the process they begin fighting with each other ultimately causing Charles to be left inside the room to face the explosion. In the next room there is a bathtub that is filled with water and five electrified cables that must be connected together to complete the circuit to unlock the five locks on the door. Again you keep seeing the number five (five cables and five locks.. you will see where this goes at the end)) However the cables are not long enough to be connected so a body must be used to bridge the gap. Here Luba attacks Mallick with plans of using his body when suddenly from out of nowhere Britt stabs Luba in the neck and her and Mallick use Luba's body in the tub to bridge the gap, resulting in the five locks (five again) being released and allowing them to open the door and escape the room before the nail bombs detonate. In the last room Britt and Mallick discover a large glass box that has five circular saw blades inside.(again still five.) There are enough slots for five peoples arms to fit inside the box(again five). Attached to the box are glass beakers. The object of the game is to fill the beakers with ten pints of blood to open the door to allow their escape. This is when Britt and Mallick realize that what Jigsaw meant by "Your instinct will tell you one thing, however I encourage you to do the opposite" (remember I mentioned that earlier) was that all five subjects were suppose to survive to the end. Now you see where I was going with the number of five. In turn this meant that each subject would have to shed only two pints of blood each to fill the beakers. However since only two were now left, either one will die or they both will have to shed five pints each. In this room Britt and Mallick realize how all five of the test subjects were connected causing them to be in this game from the start. With all options now gone Britt and Mallick are forced to start the clock which turns on the blades and stick their arms inside and begin shedding blood.

Meanwhile while this is all taking place Hoffman is busy planting Strahm's phone and Erickson's personal file in the fifth room of the sewer. Erickson is on the trail when he enters the room just as Brit and Mallick get the door open. Mallick passes out from the amount of blood loss but Britt crawls into the room to be discovered by Erickson. Erickson then calls for help and notices the file and a phone lying on the desk. When Erickson calls a number we see the caller ID on the phone and it is Strahm's phone. Erickson then calls for the arrest of Agent Strahm. At the same time Strahm is following Hoffman who leads him to the gas house and follows him to an underground room. Inside the room is a large box full of broken glass. Strahm then finds a tape recorder that is Hoffman telling him that he must trust him and enter the box to escape. Strahm stops the tape pissed off and waits for Hoffman to enter where they begin to fight. Strahm forces Hoffman into the box and closes the lid sealing Hoffman inside. Strahm (being the dumb ass he is) thinks he has won and has finally got Hoffman.

Only to discover that the box begins to slowly disappear into the floor. Hoffman points to the tape recorder that Strahm then plays again and finds out the since he did not comply he will simply vanish and Hoffman's legacy will become his own. As the glass box continues to disappear and all four walls begin closing in on Strahm ultimately crushing him to death. 

I loved SAW V. I thought the story line was great. I know a lot of you think that V was the worst of the Saw series. We will have to agree to disagree. I do know that V was very hard to follow and with a years lapse from IV the initial viewing of this film makes it hard to follow and keep up with. If you watch IV then watch V and see how everything "fits" I feel you will also enjoy V just as much as I did. This film had in my opinion one of the best kill scenes from the series. That scene being the initial Seth Baxter scene. The graphics of this scene looked so real and I actually felt as if I were in the room with Seth watching it take place. I could almost feel the pain that Seth was feeling while this scene was taking place. My overall opinion of this film would be GREAT. Of course I encourage you to take time and watch it if you haven't and if you have watch it again. Then make your own opinion and PLEASE share your opinion with me here, on The Jigsaw Diaries!