Okay, let's get this out of the way: If you've never seen a Saw film, don't bother with Saw V. Comprehending the events of the latest sequel in the successful franchise is absolutely dependent upon having a knowledge of what went down in the four previous films, particularly the first two.

However, if you're a fan of the series you're in for a real treat. The film has been panned by most professional critics but I really don’t give a shit. In my honest opinion, Saw V begins with a gruesome bang, picks up where the previous film left off and rarely stumbles.

As the film opens, the police are cleaning up in the aftermath of the events detailed in the two previous sequels. Hoffman comes out of it looking like a hero and the case is declared solved. While Strahm begins to follow the clues (using FBI files he swiped from headquarters), a new series of traps have been set up for five strangers. In a plot point Saw fans will recognize, a common factor connects all the unwilling participants, with the potentially fatal traps serving as a test of both their ethics and ability perform as a team.

The story alternates between the plight of the current batch of victims and Strahm's investigation. During the course of Strahm's pursuit we are treated to a series of flashbacks which reveal how the new Jigsaw was recruited. These moments will also be pleasantly recognizable to fans as they tie into elements from each of the previous installments

As always, the acting is better than you'd expect for a serialized horror film. Tobin Bell again reminds us of why his John Kramer has become so iconic a character in such a short time and Costas Mandylor deftly secures his cinematic status as Mark Hoffman. A lengthy flashback illuminating the first conversation between Kramer and Hoffman stands out as one of the most effective moments of the entire series.

For the hardcore fans the gore is plentiful, with some particularly nasty situations presenting themselves. Interestingly, the series of traps in this film return to the original idea of 'testing' the victims while leaving them a chance to walk way alive. There are survivors this time around, though nobody walks away entirely unscathed.

Is Saw V perfect? No. One problem with the film is that the writers insisted upon having Strahm talk to himself for most of the film. Every time we see the agent put another piece of the puzzle together , he has to express what he's figured out verbally. Since after the first time he does this the audience clearly understands that each concurrent flashback represents Strahm's mental image of what he's just deduced, this has a tendency to become somewhat irritating.

Then there's the ending. Actually, it's not even the ending that's a problem..it's how the ending was advertised. The actual sequence itself is pretty creepy and well staged. The grevious error is the idiotic decision to utilize the tagline "You won't believe how it ends." This gave viewers the impression there would be a jaw-dropping twist at the conclusion of the film.

There isn't. There's an extremely graphic death, but - for the first time in the franchise- there is no last minute plot reveal which changes the meaning of the events we have just witnessed. If the posters and trailers had instead been adorned with the slogan "The games are just beginning..." (which was a line spoken by John Kramer on the tape he left for Hoffman at the end of the previous film), then expectations wouldn't have been raised and audiences would have remained focused on the rest of the story, which is actually better than average. The advertising department exec who greenlit the ad campaign for this movie should be summarily slapped.

That having been said, for a genre sequel, the pros of Saw V far outweigh the cons. For one thing, the character of Hoffman is shown to be truly devious and capable in his own right. In addition, Julie Benz joins the cast as the most prominent of the five individuals being tested. As in the series Dexter, Benz again proves herself a capable actress and handles her screen time well.

There is an entire subplot in the film which follows the new Jigsaw's efforts to point the evidence of his crimes toward another character and watching the slick manner in which he executes his plan is highly entertaining. Since the quality of a horror film is dependent upon the quality of the villain/threat, the double whammy of having him spinning his deadly web in the present and John Kramer orchestrating the carnage in the flashbacks rachets up the fun for this chapter.

David Hackl- who was the production designer for the first four and assumes directorial duties on this one now that Saw II-IV director Darryl Lynn Bousman has departed-makes an assured debut behind the camera. His visual style is an improvement on the last few films and (in the case of Mandylor and Bell particularly) he seems to have inspired his cast to really delve into their characters and not simply phone it in. It was refreshing to see that this far along an effort was made to keep the story moving forward at a clip while maintaining a sense of creativity and relative ingenuity.

I walked into the theater expecting this sequel to pull a major crash and burn due to the universal thrashing it received in the press. Instead, I was entertained and given a reason to anticipate the already announced sixth chapter in this continuously smart and engaging series.

Bottom Line: Fans of the franchise should find plenty to satisfy their ghoulish appetites in Saw V. Anyone else will likely spend the 88 minute running time wondering what in the hell is going on. Decide which category you fall into and take it from there.

Eight out of Ten references to Poe that are an awesome way to begin a movie.