Yet more of the same, this time with added 3D gimmickry, from the ever popular yet fast losing impetus, Saw series of movies.

Considering that this review is going to sound pretty negative, I'll open by saying that I don't consider any of the Saw movies, including this one, to be bad. They're all watchable, and this is no exception.

But, and it's a big but, they're just getting so samey and formulaic. Of course there are new plot twists and turns thrown in, but the basic underlying premiss to each is pretty much identical, only the who is doing it changes.

Here is pretty much no different, drawing together threads from the older movies, characters we've met before, and adding some new twists and dimensions to the story. The twists and turns are fun, and it's nice to meet some old faces again, but essentially, after what seems like 999 Saw movies, it's running out of steam.

We've the usual set piece torture and moral dilemma events, in most parts done pretty well. The early love triangle/circular saw scene looked a bit weak where the special effects seemed ropey, but the rest of the events satisfy in normal Saw fashion.

I think these movies have been coming out at roughly the rate of one a year since the first made its highly successful debut, and whereas they've managed to become an iconic landmark in the horror movie landscape, they're also experiencing the same problems that beset movie series such as Halloween, Elm Street, Friday 13th. They've just gone on too long, and the annual release dates don't even give time for the dust to settle in between installments.

The Saw franchise is kind of becoming like a frumpy housewife you've been married to for 20 years. You can still love her, but there's just not that same spice or excitement that you'd get from fucking a complete stranger. It has become settled and domesticated.

Saw 3D is an enjoyable enough film, despite the 3d gimmickry which I despise in any movie, and is worthy of a watch. But, it's just standard Saw fare. It may fill in a few blanks and add a new twists, but at heart it is just every other movie in the series with some new twists, set pieces, and locations.

Watch, enjoy, love, but don't expect it to inject any new passion or excitement into the relationship.