Few surprises in grisly game

was nice to see it resurrected in a watchable, interesting fashion that helps get rid of the horrible taste left behind by previous entry Saw 3D.

The main group of five victims do little more than scream a lot and stumble from one lifethreatening scenario to the next, but Laura Vandervoort’s Anna is given a harrowing back story and Paul Braunstein (Ryan) revels in selfish behaviour and spurting the odd knowing joke.

Callum Keith Rennie’s Detective Halloran is a worthy addition to the series’ best cops and even just hearing Bell’s husky tones sends shivers down spines.

Speaking of spines, bodies are pulled, twisted and wrenched in all sorts of directions and gruesome injuries will leave some covering their eyes.

There is no escaping the fact, though, that as nasty as some of the traps are, there is nothing that can hold a bear trap or syringe pit to the series’ sickening best.

The same can be said for the movie’s final twist – a staple of any Saw flick. One or two smaller elements of the story surprise, but the climactic disclosure is much easier to see coming than, say, the first two films’ big reveals.

However, it does leave the franchise in a better place than Saw 3D and there is scope for further sequels to come.

Jigsaw will not convert many who have previously avoided the Saw movies like the plague, but there’s enough to stir fans’ nostalgia and whet their appetites for more grisly game-playing.