'Saw III' slices through unanswered questions

"Saw III" is one of the goriest movies ever released in American theatres. I have been watching horror movies since childhood and have recently reviewed gorefests such as "Saw II" and "Hostel" without turning away from the screen in disgust or terror. While watching "Saw III," however, I covered my eyes to block out the intense gore at least twice during the film and spent several suspense-filled moments peeking through my fingers at the shocking imagery.

If you can get past the gore, "Saw III" has a fascinating plot that ties together loose ends from the first two films. Screenwriters Leigh Whannell and James Wan pick up where "Saw II" left off, with John/Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) near death and his assistant Amanda (Shawnee Smith) helping him set up his next games. Jigsaw's next game is for Jeff (Angus Macfadyen), who has a burning need for vengeance after losing his son to a car accident because of a drunk driver. Jeff must make it through a house of horrors where his own physical encounters are nothing compared to the psychological torture he faces as he sees the other victims in the house.

While Jeff struggles, so does Lynn (Bahar Soomekh), the depressed doctor Amanda has kidnapped to keep Jigsaw alive until Jeff's tests are completed. Lynn must cope with the increasingly unstable Amanda while trying to keep Jigsaw alive by any means necessary - including brain surgery with power tools.

Director Darren Lynn Bousman does a fantastic job of keeping the audience fascinated despite being disgusted, both by the gore and the blatant moral depravity in much of the subject matter. Rated R for strong grisly violence and gore, sequences of terror and torture, nudity and language, "Saw III" is appropriate only for the strongest of constitutions. During opening weekend, I observed parents bringing their young children (who couldn't have been more than eight years old) into the theatre for this film, which was completely irresponsible and reprehensible. Trust me, the cost of a babysitter for an evening is much less than the cost of therapy years later.

For those who have enjoyed the "Saw" films, "Saw III" will reward your patience with (almost all) the answers you're waiting for by the end of this brilliantly written film. Just remember to skip the concession line on your way in.

Originally published in The Chronicle in November 2006 as Jade Lee Culberson.