I'll start off by saying that I'm not a big horror fan to begin with. That being said, it's kind of hard for me to judge a film like "Saw 3D," which is the seventh in the series. The only "Saw" movie that I've seen is last year's "Saw VI," which I didn't really hate. I guess I didn't really dislike Saw 3D all that much either, but perhaps its the shock value of these films that has just begun to ware off of me. I thought at least the 3D would help accentuate the shocking moments of the film and I have to say that I even found that to be underwhelming. One of the aspects I liked best about "Saw VI" was the performance of Tobin Bell, who plays the killer Jigsaw. While he was only limited to flashback scenes in "Saw VI," there were enough that you really got a feel for the character and those types of scenes are limited in this new movie. Also gone is the political message, healthcare, which was the through line of the last film. Without it the heart of the movie seems empty. For audience members like myself, who aren't as interested in seeing bloody kills and would rather follow an interesting story, this film is not as fulfilling as the last.

This movie's "message" would instead be about fame and that aspect is somewhat interesting here. But where the film fails is by becoming overwhelmed with the revenge story that is part of the mythology of the series. Rather than focusing on a new story, which it does try to do, it gets caught up in trying to tie up too many loose ends from the overall series. But at the same time, without giving anything away, there is one major plot thread from the first film that is used nicely to put a surprise spin on things for fans and help tie the entire series together. Again, its not like Saw 3D disappointed me because I didn't expect to like it. It's not my type of thing. In fact, there were several times where I had to look away from the screen and just couldn't bare to watch because it was so disgusting. But that probably is a good thing. That's the point isn't it? It definitely succeeds in grossing the audience out. So it's hard for me to judge a movie like this but I think that people who like these films will probably like this. I have no reason to believe that this isn't a quality production made by people who love these types of films and are making this for fans of this series. But at the same time, I'm not sure how well this film serves none-fans of the genre or newcomers to the series.

The movie begins by recapping us on the series, the character of jigsaw, Dr. Laurence Gordon (Carey Elwes) and the events of "Saw VI." After that, we open on a storefront in a busy shopping area. Two men named Ryan and Brad wake up chained to a giant, three-headed buzz saw. Raised above the contraption is Dina, an attractive young woman who was dating both men. Jigsaw's voice and image appear and gives the rules of the game. The two men have one minute to decide who is going to live. They either have to push the blade toward the other, killing that person and freeing Dina or do nothing, which will sign Dina's death sentence. While the two men contemplate Dina's loyalty and decide what to do, the on-lookers stare in horror taking pictures and video with their phones. Following that, Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell), Jigsaw's widow, visits internal affairs officer Gibson and tells him that her husband had an accomplice, former policemen Mark Hoffman. She agrees to help the police capture Hoffman in return for protection, since he is seeking revenge for her attempt on his life at the end of the last film.

Meanwhile, the film revolves around the story of Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery), a Jigsaw survivor who has made a very lucrative career as a motivational speaker and bestselling writer helping other Jigsaw survivors. Except Bobby has a big secret and it is that secret that makes him and his friends the next subjects of Jigsaw's experiments. Flashbacks show us that it was John (Tobin Bell), the original Jigsaw, that chose Bobby but it is Hoffman who is conducting the test. Now Bobby must choose life and come clean to his wife about his secret in order to survive this deadly game. At the same time, Hoffman gets closer to having his revenge on Jill but finds a very unexpected surprise waiting for him by the film's conclusion that will not only delight fans but will help tie the entire series together in one great "holy crap" moment. I found the detective storyline the most interesting with Gibson hot on the trail of Hoffman, an officer he once admired. Bobby's storyline was also compelling, especially the flashback with John that brought it full circle.

I don't think this movie is bad but I'm not really an expert on this type of film so I don't know? It seems like it accomplishes what it set out to do but I would leave it up to real fans of the genre and the series to decide if it's any good or not. But this I can comment on, I was really disappointed by the 3D. I found it somewhat distracting and it didn't help emphasize the horror at all. I think the choice to do a "Saw" film in 3D was a great idea but the execution was just off. The performances in the film are fine and it was especially great to see the return of Carey Elwes. Its probably a good thing that the franchise is now coming to an end since it is still on somewhat of a high note and the series looks like its beginning to show signs of fatigue. I am interested in the reboot that was mentioned earlier this week by actor Tobin Bell teasing that actor Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") could be the next Jigsaw, which would be an inspired idea. But for now fans will have to come to terms with the end of a series that has done far better than anyone could have imagined and has injected excitement back in to the genre. Saw 3D may not be the best of the series but it does service its fans well and could make for a fun time this Halloween, if you want to be totally grossed out by some over-the-top blood, guts and gore!