Saw II (2005)

The quick-turnaround sequel that could, Saw II murders its way to the screen with all the blood and mind-numbing twists that made the first one such a curious hit. With its spastic editing and gore-shop grime, the follow-up certainly nails the same hyperkinetic rust-colored nightmare of its predecessor, but it also shares the same gimmicky attitude that mired it as well. This time there are more twists than you can shake a stick at, with a higher number of dime-bag idiots bickering their way through its deadly and convoluted maze. When it comes down to it, though, Saw II might be a slightly better film. It is more of the same no matter how you look at it, but at least the finale isn't as much of an implausible mess. And yes, it does deliver one of the best cringe-inducing hypodermic needle freak-outs of the year, which has to amount to something. Still, there's nothing much else to really crow about with this flashy slice of gruesome entertainment. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide