Saw IV

Starring: Tobin Bell, Lyriq Bent, Shawnee Smith, Donnie Wahlberg, Angus Macfadyen, Dina Meyer, Bahar Soomekh
Directed by: Darren Lynn Bousman
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Thriller
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Although Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is dead, he has one last sinister plan in place, causing a cop (Lyriq Bent) to make several choices that will ultimately decide who lives and who dies in Jigsaw's torture chambers.

Review:

Tim: I knew that sooner or later, I would start to get tired of the Saw franchise. The original surprisingly blew me away. The second and third films were flawed, but they always recovered at the end for me to have enjoyed my experience. This, the fourth film, is the point where the ball is finally dropped. Now, to be fair, this isn’t a terrible movie. There is still much to like here. However, it just doesn’t compare to the original trilogy. The film’s conclusion isn’t as shockingly complex and amazing as any of the other movies. This one’s flaws are much more apparent, and it is harder to hide that.

I really liked the concept of Saw IV happening mostly alongside Saw III chronologically. This was a very interesting concept, and I appreciate the effort here. However, this isn’t done as neatly as it needed to be, and doesn’t have the same impact as was intended. I also really enjoyed seeing the now-familiar cast of characters make the return, where more supporting characters in earlier films now stepping up to main characters. I will admit that I had a hard time remembering who everyone was and how they were all connected. It took me the first 20 minutes and some IMDB.com to get my mind straight.

Once again, the torture devices here are all gruesome and hard-to-watch. However, I felt like the movie was missing that one, memorable torture scene that has so far represented each of the first three films (the ice blocks near the end comes close). It is also notoriously difficult handing off duties from one character to another, and this film fumbles that transition a bit. These are the main flaws which detract from the movie’s overall experience.

As I mentioned, this is not a terrible movie, but it does lack something the first three films did. As they are already going to work on a fifth movie, I have to wonder if this film represents the point of no return, when each successive film will get worse and worse. However, I wouldn’t completely rule out a return to form—this is the movie franchise that so far has defied all expectations. Again, if you liked the first three films, you probably owe it to yourself to watch this one. Sadly, though, this film marks a decrease in quality from the original trilogy.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Saw, Saw II, Saw III