The "Saw" franchise cut its teeth with macabre MacGyver gimmicks, buckets of bloodshed and a heavy-handed morality rule that served as a convenient plot device through four previous flicks. Acting was never a consideration. And when you're racking in millions upon millions with next to no budget, why start vying for Oscars now?

In fact, when the actor most closely associated with a film empire is Donnie Wahlberg, skanky Flavor Flav castaways can count on land acting parts without even having to "audition" on the casting couch.

So I won't talk about the bad acting in "Saw V." The very, very bad acting. The acting that would cause James Lipton to cut through his own fat head with a nail file. You know, that acting.

In "Saw V," we get a peek behind the curtain at Jigsaw's master plan, two parallel plotlines, and a pit and the pendulum torture scene that will have you doing some extra sit-ups. (This will make sense when you watch it, as a giant blade freely swinging two inches above your gut is surely more compelling than "8 Minute Abs.")

Up front, we meet a few holdovers from past "Saw" chapters, including earnest FBI Agent Strahm (Scott Patterson), who can't nab serial killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) before death comes a knockin' in the film's opening scene. Then there's local cop Mark Hoffman, who's Jigsaw's apprentice de jour this time around. I'm not giving anything away, don't worry; the "twist" is revealed 10 minutes in.

Much of "Saw V" is a cat-and-mouse game between the cop and FBI agent, and the drama is fleshed out with a series of flashbacks explaining why Hoffman was compelled to pick up Jigsaw's work instead of writing him speeding tickets.

Meanwhile, five fresh rubes -- who have each violated Jigsaw's high moral authority -- are down in the pits of the same anonymous industrial wasteland all future "Saw" victims seem to find themselves in. This is where bathtubs and actors who've earned non-speaking roles on "Law & Order" both go to die. Only this time, Hoffman is baiting the traps and pulling the strings instead of "Jigsaw," who's collecting flowers and Mylar balloons six feet under.

Unlike most disposable horror sequels, "Saw V" starts out slow and actually gets mediocre. The torture gimmicks suffer from a law of diminishing returns -- even filling beakers with 10 pints of blood has lost some of its luster. That said, "Saw V" is still better than "Friday the 13th" part five ("A New Beginning"). And "Nightmare on Elm Street" the fifth ("The Dream Child"). And even "Rocky V."

So go check out those cool new (deadly) mousetraps. Revisit that ghastly white puppet that delivers victims their last rites via VHS tape. And cringe six months later when you're walking through the Craftsman aisle at Sears and see something sharp and pointy. You might not get scared, but at least you won't laugh, either.

"Saw V," with a runtime of 88 minutes, is rated R and is now playing nationwide.

Mike Ward is s Richmond-based freelance writer. Check him out at www.underdogcopy.com