★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Spiral: From the Book of Saw attempts a fresh start to a somewhat tired franchise, and packs in A-list celebrities into a pedestrian plot, that ties itself up with too much exposition and not enough of the tricks and traps that made Saw such a draw.
The Saw franchise is getting a new twist as it is being produced, written, and starring Chris Rock. Yes, THAT Chris Rock. Oh, and some guy named Samuel L. Jackson. Him too. A potentially great career move for Rock, in a series that suggests that still has some legs left. (Though given that it's Saw, those legs may be gone by the end.)