RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Saw II
Saw II

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Saw II (2005)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
35 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:113

Fresh:40

Rotten:73

Average Rating:4.6/10

Consensus: Saw II is likely to please the gore-happy fans of the original, though it may be too gruesome for those not familiar with first film's premise.

Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: In SAW, a huge horror hit in 2004, a masked man called Jigsaw orchestrated the kidnapping of two people, chained them in a disgusting bathroom in an abandoned warehouse, and played vicious, brutal... In SAW, a huge horror hit in 2004, a masked man called Jigsaw orchestrated the kidnapping of two people, chained them in a disgusting bathroom in an abandoned warehouse, and played vicious, brutal mind games with them that potentially could lead to their freedom. Jigsaw is back for more gory fun in SAW II, but this time he comes out from behind the mask to terrorize a troubled cop face-to-face. Tobin Bell reprises his brief role as Jigsaw in the first film with a major starring turn in the sequel. Dying of cancer, Jigsaw lets himself get caught, only to show Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) that his son, Daniel (Erik Knudsen), has been taken hostage with seven other people, all of whom have been placed in a house of horrors with only the slimmest chance of escaping with their lives. Jigsaw promises Matthews that Daniel will live only if the cop follows the rules of the game, but time is running out, as the captives' bodies have been poisoned with a toxin that will soon destroy them. Meanwhile, in the dank, mysterious, booby-trapped house, the ever-more-desperate group of people (including Shawnee Smith, who is back as Amanda, the lone survivor of SAW) furiously try to find their connection to each other and a way out, but blood and violence lie in their path. Like its predecessor, SAW II is a frightening thriller filled with plenty of tricks and treats to satisfy even the most jaded horror fan. [More]

Starring: Tony Nappo, Shawnee Smith, Franky G, Beverley Mitchell

Starring: Tony Nappo, Shawnee Smith, Franky G, Beverley Mitchell, Tim Burd, Glenn Plummer, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Erik Knudsen, Tobin Bell, Lyriq Bent, Donnie Wahlberg, Dina Meyer

Director: Darren Lynn Bausman

Director: Darren Lynn Bausman
Screenwriter: Darren Lynn Bausman, Leigh Whannell
Producer: Gregg Hoffman, Mark Burg
Composer: Charlie Clouser
Studio: Lions Gate Films

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    Exclusive Clip: "Hello Obi"
    >
1 - 2 of 2

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Saw II

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

This macabre follow-up to 2004's low-budget horror smash can't rival its predecessor's fiendish ingenuity. But it makes up for it with a deliciously devious plot and enough gory shocks for a dozen Halloweens.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/10/05
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Saw 2 gives talented, creepy-looking character actor Tobin Bell the chance to shine again as the cancer-ridden serial killer.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
12/10/05
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
12/10/05
Dan Chant
Dan Chant
FilmFocus

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
12/10/05
Independent
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Bigger budget, bigger cast, and more blood. Will deliver for Jigsaw’s fans.

Full Review Source: FilmsInReview.com | comment Comment
10/25/05
Victoria Alexander
Victoria Alexander
FilmsInReview.com

By no means a masterpiece of the genre, but it's a slickly made picture that more than delivers on the promise made on its poster--oh yes, there will be blood.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Ethan Alter
Ethan Alter
Film Journal International

Saw II -- better-acted than its predecessor, which isn't saying much -- is so gratuitously, sadistically violent, and to such little end, that it finally falls over dead on the far side of obscene.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
10/28/05
John Anderson
John Anderson
Newsday

... this time around the ordeal is less grueling than simply distasteful.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
10/27/05
Sean Axmaker
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Veni vidi vomit. That's Latin for: I came, I saw, I saw 'Saw II.'

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
11/07/05
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

Saw II doesn't exhibit a steep decline in quality from its predecessor. Take that as you will.

Full Review Source: Las Vegas Weekly | comment Comment
10/27/05
Josh Bell
Josh Bell
Las Vegas Weekly

Quite hideous.

Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | comment Comment
09/27/07
Tim Brayton
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy

needlessly revolting

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
10/29/05
Keith Breese
Keith Breese
Filmcritic.com

It gets off to a really rough start, and it never really redeems itself until the end. But do know that it does redeem itself, and that’s what makes it a worthwhile film.

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
10/28/05
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

mimics the original without quite catching what made that original worth seeing

Full Review Source: Killer Movie Reviews | comment Comment
10/27/05
Andrea Chase
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews

Essentially, this is one more movie that, regardless of its setting or even planet, exists to knock off its cast members one by one.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
10/27/05
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today

Saw II is, all things considered, a superior film to the first installment.

Full Review Source: FromTheBalcony | comment Comment
10/27/05
Bill Clark
Bill Clark
FromTheBalcony

...the premise of the second is hackneyed, its acting weak, its score thudding and its direction and production values low rent

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
10/27/05
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

To enjoy Saw II, one must have enjoyed Saw. This is a given. As to which is better, this is a fairly pointless question given how bad both of these movies are.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
12/10/05
Tim Cogshell
Tim Cogshell
Boxoffice Magazine
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
all

Latest News for Saw II

October 16, 2009: See Saw with Alex, Day 2: Saw II
Fear, I think, is one of the essential components of movie watching that almost completely disappears as we grow older. When was the last time you sat down for a movie truly... More...

November 09, 2007: Ending Already Written for Saw V
The biggest thrills of the Saw movies are their surprise endings, which seem to keep audiences guessing even more than M. Night Shyamalan's latest creations. That's why the... More...

November 07, 2007: Saw V Still On Track for 2008
Saw IV is the fourth Saw film in as many years. After reports that the Saw franchise would finally take a year off, producer Mark Burg countered that he's still aiming for... More...

November 01, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: Bees and Gangsters Slug It Out For #1 Spot
Following a sluggish fall season, November kicks off with a bang this weekend with two high profile films both reaching for the number one spot while appealing to vastly... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Spielberg Hops Away from Harvey Source: Variety
20
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
24
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
26
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
22
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
42
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
159
  • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
56
  • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
14
  • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
69
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
47
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
46
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
45
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
42
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
39
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
30
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
25
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
24
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
22
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
22
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Saw II at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Saw II at IGN
  • Saw II at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.