Writer: Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Cast: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Lyriq Bent
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: January 22, 2008

Putting out a new movie from the Saw franchise has become a yearly tradition. Every Halloween, there will be blood. The biggest question for 2007 was whether or not this blood would be worth watching fall as the fourth film in the franchise, Saw IV, was released.

Saw III brought on the demise of the cancer inflicted Jigsaw (Tobin Bell). Without the perpetual harbinger of likely death for the uncompromising and unwilling souls, I couldn’t help but wonder how this movie would fare. With Jigsaw dead, one had to wonder if Saw IV would pan out or be a complete and utter waste of time.

Many have likened this and other Saw films to torture porn. As a lover of horror movies and action films I am so utterly tired of this phrase. If you hate horror movies then don’t watch them. It’s really as simple as that. Torture porn should be likened to snuff films, which generally are not reviewed at all, much less by the general populace. Needless to say, I disagree. Saw does offer more substance than torture porn, whatever that may be.

In relation to this particular chapter in the ongoing ‘Saw’ story, how much you like Saw IV will depend on your penchant for pain and a pseudo-Sadistic storyline that hinges on a victim’s ability to properly play a game and follow each of the rules therein.

Release Information:
For the past few years on Halloween, movie theaters across the country have been filled with Saw fans that were hungry for the next installment. 2007 was certainly no different, offering the fourth installment in a series about a madman serial killer that doesn’t truly kill anyone, but instead offers them a choice to see the true value in their life.

Saw IV made its DVD appearance on January 22, 2008. This Unrated Director’s Cut offers more of what you have come to expect from the franchise including several special features to tide you over until the next movie is released in October of 2008.

The Saw IV Unrated Plot
For obvious reasons this review has spoilers from Saw III. If you have not seen Saw III or have any intentions to do so, you may not want to continue reading.

The end of Saw III wrapped up the lives of Jigsaw (Tobin Bell - The Quick and the Dead, Goodfellas) and Amanda (Shawnee Smith - Summer School) pretty thoroughly. At the end, you would find both Jigsaw, who had his throat cut, and Amanda, who was shot to death, dead and Jeff left searching for his daughter. However, Jigsaw was a man with a plan. Don’t expect death to stop him and his games. Saw IV actually offers a more intensive look at Jigsaw’s life and gives you insight that previous films have lacked when it comes to his mindset and the method that came with his madness.

The traps, this time around, are set for SWAT Commander Rigg (Lyriq Bent - Four Brothers), who is the final member of his team. The rest of his team is now either dead and buried or missing and has been gone for months. As Jigsaw so aptly points out, Riggs spends too much time trying to save everyone. He needs to learn who to save and who he has to let go. This is Rigg’s test.

Naturally, the police are out attempting to track down Rigg and find the remnants of Jigsaw’s dreaded traps. The police have their own problems though as they hunt to find a second person working to help Amanda while having no clue who this person could be. Like the others, in the beginning, you are only able to see what you are meant to see. You will learn a great deal about Jigsaw’s past when you are not watching Agent Strahm (Scott Patterson) hunt for Rigg, Agent Hoffman (Costas Mandylor - Beowulf), and Eric Mathews (Donnie Wahlberg - The Sixth Sense, Dreamcatcher) who is believed to possibly be alive at this point, despite having been missing for several months.

Self-mutilated bodies are found along the trail as Strahm and his agents get closer to finding Rigg and whatever it is he is going after. In some sense, Saw IV works best if you consider it in terms of a twisted cycle with a dead man at the helm of the cycle. Jigsaw has Rigg searching for something while the Agents are searching for Rigg. Strahm is set on finding Rigg as he believes that he will become the next Jigsaw. The question is…will he find him in time to stop that from happening? The only way for him to find out is to play the game.

It should be explained that Saw IV differs from the other movies for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that all of the endings are not tied up like you expect in the other movies. There are some definite loose ends waiting to be tied up. The second reason is that there are parts of this movie that occur concurrently with Saw III. There will be moments where things overlap and the first time around, many things will leave you confused, bewildered, and maybe even mad at the series.

If you get angry, try giving the movie a second chance. Horror fans will find plenty of self-inflicted blood and gore, wrapped around a semi-intellectual storyline. Admittedly, there were a few more holes and loose ends than I would have liked. However, there were not enough to stop me from watching the next installment in the franchise.

One of the main things that got on my nerves was some of the actors. Naturally, you have your great performances, put in by Tobin Bell and Lyriq Bent, but you also have some incredibly weak and annoying performance, with the worst performance going to Scott Patterson. Of course, this was just one performance and with Tobin Bell in the film, I was able to look past it.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
Saw IV looks simply stunning in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. As with some of the other films in the franchise, there is a greenish tint that is cast over a majority of the movie. This causes the movie to, at times, appear as if it were being filmed in Black and White. The dark scenes are still incredibly strong and all other colors, especially the blood come through in a dazzling presentation.

The audio quality is delivered in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. As you might expect, the audio only adds to the presentation and makes the overall presentation absolutely perfect. The music comes through strong without taking over the scenes and the dialogue is understood without a problem, even when the actors are whispering. There were not any instances where volume toggling came into play. The transfer was steady throughout.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
If you’re looking for special features you will find more than you could hope for in this set. There are two audio commentaries, one with the producers and the second with Darren Lynn Bousman and Lyriq Bent. Of the two, the second tends to be more entertaining, permitting you can ignore the plugs for Repo, which looks to be dreadful despite some (but certainly not all) of the semi-decent actors in it.

Other features include “Darren’s Video Diary”, “The Traps of Saw IV”, “The Props of Saw IV”, deleted scenes, and the Saw IV Music video by X Japan. Trailers for several films including “The Condemned 2″, “War”, “Skinwalkers”, “Boy Eats Girl”, “Rambo”, and “The Eye” are also available.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
Saw IV is one of those movies that needs to be watched closely and often more than once before it can be fully appreciated. If you are new to Saw it is highly recommended that you start with the first film and continue through the series that way. This film will only seriously confuse you and will not be as appreciated if you start here.

For fans of Saw this is going to be a mixed bag. True fans will want to add this to their collection. As for others, it’s highly recommended you rent this one first. Personally, I couldn’t be happier that this one is part of my collection along with all of the others, but I know other fans who found it to be somewhat disappointing.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: Saw IV, Horror, Gore, Jigsaw, Tobin Bell, Halloween, There Will Be Blood, Torture, Unrated, DVD, Director’s Cut, DVD Review

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