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Thursday, Dec. 12
The Indiana Daily Student

Overacting, bad writing sink horror flick

Danny Glover’s lethal acting does nothing to save “Se7en,” we mean, “Saw.”

This movie is good if you've never seen "Se7en" and you particularly like overacting. Using the shock appeal of showing body parts, murder and all sorts of vileness, this movie just can't pull it off like the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" did. Many aspects of the movie are disturbing, and this isn't limited to the imagery of movie. Writing and acting are also included on the list of disturbing things "Saw" has to offer.\nThe movie begins with Adam (Leigh Whannell) and Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) trapped in a bathroom. They soon learn they are pawns in the game of a mastermind killer. Jigsaw is no ordinary mastermind killer. Oh no, he is the kind who makes the victims kill themselves, and he is out to show the world there is a lesson to be learned from these sinners who Jigsaw has chosen to kill.\nLawrence and Adam have to work together in order to figure out a way to defeat Jigsaw who is watching from a nearby location but cannot be seen. Things keep getting more complicated as Lawrence and Adam have a hard time trusting each other. Meanwhile, a cop is trying to save them by unraveling the secrets of Jigsaw.\nThe movie achieves in making your gut wrench as you see the evil things that Jigsaw does. However, the writing is comical at times. The overacting just worsens the matter. Danny Glover, who plays Detective David Tapp, is particularly bad. His acting is definitely not a lethal weapon in this movie.\nAnother fault that is a typical Hollywood horror move is they have the supposed killer captured more than once. Cornered with a gun, the killer has nowhere to go. Instead of shooting him on sight, they try to talk to him, allowing him the chance to get away. This isn't a one-time-only thing for the movie either. \nAny movie where members of the viewing audience repeatedly yell out, "I'm going to shoot the screenwriter," probably isn't a winner. Cary Elwes is not an awful actor, but with a script where the focus is in one bathroom it is really hard for him to carry the entire movie. Danny Glover has really lost his touch, as we see him in scenes where he overdramatizes. I feel there really should have been a better motivation for Jigsaw's killings. It's like someone in Hollywood said, "Hey, let's make something like 'Se7en,' but give the killer no motive"

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