Common Sense Media Review
Gruesome and explicit -- not for kids.
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Saw II
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 23 parent reviews
Parents say this movie features significantly more graphic violence and strong language compared to its predecessor, making it less suitable for family viewing. While some viewers appreciate the creative twists and traps, others find it overly focused on gore and lacking in plot depth.
- graphic violence
- unsuitable for kids
- creative traps
- lack of plot
- strong language
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 70 kid reviews
Kids say this sequel is significantly more graphic and violent than its predecessor, featuring intense scenes of torture and gore, strong language, and disturbing imagery. While opinions vary, some praise its thrilling plot and unexpected twists, while others criticize it for being unnecessarily violent and lacking character depth.
- gory violence
- strong language
- thrilling plot
- character depth
- psychological twists
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
SAW II brings back the serial killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), this time as a self-styled family counselor with terminal cancer. It seems that Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) is not paying proper attention to his troubled son Daniel (Erik Knudsen), and so Jigsaw takes a moralistic interest. Eric comes with the usual compromised background: he's been riding a desk since his own coppish corruption was exposed five years ago. Empowered by his deadly illness, Jigsaw gathers together an assortment of Eric's rigged-evidence victims, recently released from prison and puts them in a booby-trapped house with young Daniel. He also arranges to have every room monitored by video camera, the feeds available for viewing by the cops, in Jigsaw's lair.
Is It Any Good?
Even as this film's focus on sadistic pleasures raises questions about audiences' desire to "watch," it's all retread. As before, Jigsaw points out to anyone who will listen that he doesn't actually kill anyone, he just sets up his victims and then offers them "choices." Their icky deaths are their own fault. Such reasoning was the premise of Saw, a surprise hit that recycled hoary psycho killer conventions to extra-splattery effect ("There will be blood"). In SAW II, the repetition is only compounded: Jigsaw is suffering from terminal cancer, which he presumes grants him moral authority: "Those who do not appreciate life do not deserve life."
And as always, Jigsaw ("Call me John," he tells Eric) is chatty in the extreme, explaining his games far beyond the point of interest. He talks at Eric and by tape, he talks at the victims in the house (including Franky G, Glenn Plummer, and the first film's Shawnee Smith, returned for more abuse). But none of the players in this game is particularly appealing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Saw II's rudimentary efforts to set up the killer's "moralistic" framework. How does Jigsaw judge his victims in order to rationalize his cruelty?
How might the father and son have worked out their conflict in a less sensational way? What does the son want from his father? And where is the mother in all this?
How do the gory images and the violence in movies like this impact viewers, especially young ones? Why do you think there's been a trend toward these "torture porn" movies?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 28, 2005
- On DVD or streaming : February 14, 2006
- Cast : Beverley Mitchell , Donnie Wahlberg , Tobin Bell
- Director : Darren Lynn Bousman
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : grisly violence and gore, terror, language and drug content
- Last updated : December 11, 2025
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