40
Metascore
28 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe killer himself takes a far more prominent role in this edition, and as played by the superb Tobin Bell he's quite a memorable creation.
- 70Dallas ObserverLuke Y. ThompsonDallas ObserverLuke Y. ThompsonSaw II, despite the swift turnaround time, improves on all of the first film's problem areas, while leaving intact everything that was good about the concept.
- 70Los Angeles TimesKevin CrustLos Angeles TimesKevin CrustFor the most part the film succeeds in producing a frightening Halloween weekend experience.
- 67Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyThe contest is close, but Saw II is just barely a better B flick than "Saw."
- 50VarietyRobert KoehlerVarietyRobert KoehlerNew pic lets the air out by divulging the startling mystery that concluded the original. Add this to problematic juggling of police procedural and group-in-distress storylines, and Lions Gate has what looks like a sequel rushed for Halloween.
- 40The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasStripped down to the barest genre essentials, Saw is a spring-loaded killing machine, packed with sadistic little deathtraps and ludicrous macabre twists, and its quickie sequel offers more of the same, which should again appease viewers who enjoy being jerked around.
- 30L.A. WeeklyL.A. WeeklySaw II repels, morally and aesthetically, and while some -- including the filmmakers, perhaps -- may take this as a compliment, it isn't intended as one. Let the game stop. Please.
- 30Village VoiceBenjamin StrongVillage VoiceBenjamin StrongWhat's worth noting is how much greater deliberation was given to the marketing than the screenplay of this cursory dud, rushed to theaters exactly a year after its amusing predecessor.
- 25Philadelphia InquirerDavid HiltbrandPhiladelphia InquirerDavid HiltbrandVilely violent, Saw 2 is the Phnom Penh of splatter movies.
- 25Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneIt's not a film, it's an excuse to show victims bleeding at the mouth, or getting shot in the eye, or plucking out their own eyeballs. Most gruesome of all, the sequel oozes dialogue that is best described as "functional."