Why the original saw reverse bear trap had to be changed

The iconic reverse bear trap from 2004s Saw Helped make the movie, but it was almost as uncomfortable in real life as it looked on screen. SawIts simple but fascinating premise paved the way for countless creative contraptions that have the sole purpose of torturing Jigsaw’s victims over nine installments. They vary in design, but they all give the user two options: find the way out or die a painful death. Perhaps the most recognizable of all the traps in the Saw Franchise is the opposite bear trap.

The trap requires Shawnee Smith’s Amanda Young to disembowel another victim to get the key that frees her from the device before it tears her jaw apart. The reverse bear trap was first used in the short film, which helped Leigh Whannell and James Wan fund the feature film. But how effective was it to get the message across as it was, The original bear trap was so difficult and unwieldy that they had to redesign it for the actual movie – and even then, Smith struggled to perform comfortably while shooting her scenes.

As the original saw reverse bear trap was different

The original trap was made of real steel and was dangerous

Saw Creators Leigh Whannell and James Wan went all out with their short film as they needed to prove their concept could work as a feature film – one that would result in ten Saw Movies (with another on the way). The bear trap was the ideal scene to achieve it, but they had a very limited budget and little time to complete it. So, they used an all-real steel contraption. It was as difficult as any real bear trap and just as dangerous for Vannell, who played David, the victim in the original Saw Short film.

In the documentary Game Changer: The Legacy of SawSpecial effects supervisor Thomas Bellissimo describes the original reverse bear trap saying, “The problems with it were that it was so heavy and so mechanical, and so we had to come up with something else. After we looked at the picture of the original picture that they did in Australia… it was too big.” With a bigger budget for the feature-length SawBellissimo and the Saw Crew created a new version made of aluminum and painted it to look like rusted steel.

Why the original Saw Reverse Bear Trap would have made Saw harder to film

Shawnee Smith had to hold the trap with her teeth

In the documentary Game Changer: The Legacy of SOAmanda Young actor Shawnee Smith explains that the second version of the Reverse Bear Trap, despite being much lighter than the original one, “Was like, really hard, and I had to hold it with a tongue depressor in my teeth.” Smith also had a fever which made it even more difficult to playBut she pushed through and used her physical discomfort to inform her performance.

together with SawThe limited time and budget, these obstacles suggest that the original steel bear trap would have made filming Smith’s scenes almost impossible. luckily, Saw Director James Wan and special effects supervisor Thomas Bellissimo had the foresight to redesign the iconic trap before moving forward with the feature film.

The reverse bear trap is the most iconic trap seen

It remains a popular cosplay and has appeared in three movies

Thanks to its history and several appearances in the franchise, the reverse bear trap has easily become the most iconic in the Saw Franchise. The trope was so popular that it appeared in video games and was featured on a lot of merchandise based on the franchise. When heading to horror conventions, The reverse bear trap is almost as popular a cosplay choice as anything from the movies. It probably helps that it’s smaller and can be worn as a mask, but it helped its popularity.

The franchise has introduced many unique traps, each trying to be bigger, better and more complex than the last. The reverse bear trap may be smaller, but it is as deadly as any other trap and has stood the test of time as a fan favorite.

The effects of the reverse bear trap were not seen until 7

Amanda & Hoffman both survived the trap’s first two appearances

The reverse bear trap comes in three different versions Saw Movies. The first time it is in the original SawBut Amanda gets out of it by digging the key out of the dead man’s insides. The death and dismemberment of the man are the most disgusting moments in this sceneBut the reverse bear trap does not take effect, and the possible results are left to the viewer’s imagination. However, the reverse bear trap returns Saw VIWhere detective Mark Hoffman faces the trap.

Hoffman also escaped from the trap. It almost seems like the trap is the only clue that the person in it will become a new John Kramer acolyte. In this case, the trap has a trigger, but Hoffman plays it smart. He uses his environment to keep his jaw closed and ran his mouthpiece into a locked door. It bruises his face, but he survives. It almost seems that the producers wanted to keep teasing fans with the reverse bear trap, but never show what happens when it happens properly.

It all changed Saw 3D. In the movie, Hoffman was looking for a trap to use, and he came up with the reverse bear trap, which was an exciting return for the iconic device. However, he uses it on John Kramer’s wife, Jill, but never allows her to save herself. Disappointed, Jill became a strong protagonist in the Saw Franchise, and in Saw 3 dShe died horribly without a chance. However, this was the first moment that the opposite bear trap’s cruel effects, ripping her jaw apart and killing her instantly.