History Film / SawII

* PatiencePlot: Jigsaw's test for Eric is pretty much designed around this, wanting him to simply listen to his life story and philosophy for why he does his actions under a certain time limit so he can see his son again, who's currently trapped in a building with others that's being pumped with nerve gas. [[spoiler: Eric, however, becomes too impatient at the halfway mark and ultimately threatens Jigsaw into telling him where his son is, and Jigsaw tricks him into going into a false location. Turns out Jigsaw was being truthful, as the game that was being played on the other end and shown on the monitors was pre-recorded, meaning the events in the building had already transpired. His son had already survived the game and was in a safe underneath Eric and the other cops the entire time. If Eric's anger hadn't got the better of him and he managed to wait out the time limit, he would've found his son safe and sound.]]

* DolledUpInstallment: It started as an unrelated script called ''The Desperate'' but it was that similar to ''Film/Saw1'' that it was rewritten as a sequel.

* DolledUpInstallment: It started as an unrelated script called ''The Desperate'' but it was that similar to ''Film/{{Saw}}'' that it was rewritten as a sequel.

* DisproportionateRetribution: Jigsaw kidnaps Michael because he despises his role as an informant, describing him as a "voyeur." While the role of a criminal informant can be dirty, especially when it concerns someone like Eric Matthews, an informant can be invaluable in assisting law enforcement in saving lives and catching criminals. Plus, the fact John describes Michael as such is [[{{Hypocrite}} pretty rich]], [[InsaneTrollLogic considering he spies extensively on his victim's personal lives before testing them.]]

* FaceDeathWithDespair: In the opening scene, Michael gets terrified and can only scream for help and let out a RapidFireNo just before the Death Mask kills him.

* FaceDeathWithDespair: In the opening scene, Michael gets terrified and can only let out RapidFireNo just before the Death Mask kills him.

* ItsAllAboutMe: [[spoiler:Xavier's aggressive, self-centered attitude and refusal to cooperate creates ''many'' needless problems for the group, and leads to the deaths of several people. When Jonas questions him about it, he states he just likes pitting himself against others. Perhaps his biggest error is picking up on the fact that the numbers of the safe combination are on the back of everyone's necks and ''not sharing it with anybody'', instead approaching people menacingly without telling them what he's doing, which is universally perceived as a threat.]]

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Eric lays out the ''mother'' of all beatdowns on John toward the climax, one so vicious that it has him writhing in ''horrible'' agony between taunting Eric. Even though Eric was failing his game by giving in to his rage, it's hard to deny that John deserved every second of it.]]

* KickTheSonOfABitch: [[spoiler:Eric lays out the ''mother'' of all beatdowns on John toward the climax, one so vicious that it has him writhing in ''horrible'' agony between taunting Eric. Even though Eric was failing his game by giving in to his rage, it's hard to deny that John deserved every second of it.]]
** [[spoiler:After knowing who Amanda REALLY is, and what she does in future movies, Xavier pushing her into the Needle Pit is this in hindsight.]]

* ALighterShadeOfGray: John isn't necessarily depicted as being sympathetic in this film (which mainly comes into play in the following films), repeatedly taunting Eric and being willing to [[WouldHurtAChild put Eric's teenage son Daniel in danger]]. However, he fares in comparison to Xavier, the direct threat to the other Nerve Gas House victims, who's an apathetic {{Jerkass}} and won't hesitate to kill anyone (including Daniel), to escape from the house.

** Kerry delivers one when she realizes that [[spoiler:the Nerve Gas House's footage was pre-recorded. "It's not live."]]. Prior to this, she asks the SWAT teams and Eric "Where the hell is everybody? What is your 20?"

* SacrificlLion: [[spoiler: Jonas, who for the entirety of his appearance was the most reasonable and level-headed of the trap players, and the only one (since Gus is killed quickly) that was even a slight physical match for the brutish Xavier. After Jonas dies, and Addison gets trapped and left by Xavier to die, it's up to the diminutive Amanda and the teenage Daniel to eventually face Xavier alone. Since the audience is unaware of the twist, things look very bleak for Amanda and Daniel's survival once Jonas is no longer alive to help them.]]

** Kerry delivers one when she realizes that [[spoiler:the Nerve Gas House's footage was pre-recorded. "It's not live."]]. Prior to this, she tells asks SWATs and Eric "Where the hell is everybody? What is your 20?"

* ShameIfSomethingHappened: The brown desk, second drawer down. John further pushes Eric's buttons by revealing that the victims in the Nerve Gas House are [[spoiler:people whom Eric personally arrested after planting evidence on them during his career]], and tauntingly notes, "It would be a shame [for Eric's son] if they discovered who you are."

* FaceDeathWithDespair: In the opening scene, Michael gets terrified and can only let out RapidFireNo just before the DeathTrap he's in kills him.

** In the film itself, Eric deliberately breaks one of John's fingers to [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique force him into telling Daniel's location]].

* {{Fingore}}: A common depiction in the movie's posters (a less graphic version of which is pictured above) is a pair of severed fingers with a decayed appearance, taking place as the "II" in the film's title. Also, Eric deliberately breaks one of John's fingers to force him into revealing Daniel's location.

* PsychopathicManchild: When Xavier fails to reach his antidote in time after Amanda (whom he forced to do the dirty work for him) gives him the key, he starts sobbing and flipping out like a little kid. He even blames her for his own inability to get the key into the lock in time (even dropping it once), and moves threateningly to hurt her before Jonas stops him.