SAW IV (2007)

"If not for the climax's downright awful "twist"; Saw 4 might have been the best addition to the series since the original."

- Bryan Yentz

(2.5/5 Stars)

5 Comments

Yeah, I know what you're thinking, "Hey, isn't Jigsaw dead? Didn't they wrap things up with Saw 3? Why are they making another one?" Well, I was wondering the same thing... And sadly, I'm still wondering.

Much like Saw 3, and well, every other Saw movie; the story for big ol' 4 follows multiple paths in order to better tell the story of Jigsaw. Like the films before it, Saw 4 maintains consistency with its characters, all the while adding new ones into the bloody mixture. Borrowing from its last venture into suffering, the story of Saw 4 involves the Swat leader from Saw 2 (Rigg) being thrown into a twisted game of trials. Here, he must act as a type of judge to decide whether or not to help people, or let them help themselves (and possibly die in the process). On the same crimson trail of agony is a group of detectives trying to link the murders to Jigsaw's ex-wife. In between all of these confused protagonists are victims. Some new, some old, but victims nonetheless.

Honestly, the movie is quite intriguing. The story is well paced and actually doesn't constantly rely on the gruesome violence to tell the story. Serisously; after Saw 3, the pacing of this sequel is a breath of fresh air. Even the transitions are perfectly handled and take the viewer by surprise without taking them out of the movie (much like Saw 2). One scene in particular has Rigg throwing a character into a mirror. When the character falls through the glass, it gives way to a police officer walking by; all of the sudden we're now in a police station. Moments like this break up the monotony, and make it appear as though the screenwriters weren't just dwelling on another cash-in, but were actually trying to apply creativity to the stale formula.

The biggest fault I have with the movie has to be the ending. While the Saw series is known for its climactic twists; Saw 4's is... Well... Horrible. Really, just horrible. Actually, even calling it a "twist" is giving it far too much credit. In Saw 1-3 (yes, even the rather poor third installment), the final "gotcha" moments were always significant and consistent with the movie itself as well as the series supporting it. Saw 4's ending on the other hand, is not. I can't say how disappointed I was when I heard the "zepp overture" begin playing. It's an awesomely amazing song; but as soon as you hear it starting, you know the film is just about over. As Charlie Clouser's theme continued to play out its audible goodness, I just couldn't help but think, "Wait, what? That's it? That's the 'big' twist? What the-- that's not even surprising AT ALL?" In all honesty, up until the last 5 minutes of the film I was thoroughly enjoying the movie.

Oh, and I guess I should mention the violence for everyone pining to see it just for that reason. For many, after Saw 3, or Hostel: Part 2, I don't think that a lot of the violent content will surprise. Yes, it is horribly cruel and gruesome at points; but it just doesn't feel near as gratuitous as other horor films released this year. And for that, I'm grateful. To truly grasp the reality of a situation, I don't think you have to see every graphic detail. Like the first Hostel (definitely not the second), I think knowing what's going on and having your mind do the rest is far more emotionally powerful than outright seeing it. But for all of you gore hounds out there, you'll be happy to see another surgery-esque scene, as well as some pretty gruesome traps (a bed that tears you apart, a scalping machine, etc.)... Yet I have to say; a lot of these traps are fairly simple and lack a bit of "oomph" that we've come to expect from the brutal series.

In the end, if not for the climax's downright awful "twist"; Saw 4 might have been the best addition to the series since the original. That and I would have scored it higher... For me, the poor excuse for an ending really did hurt my enjoyment quite a bit... Oh well... Guess we'll just have to wait and see what kind of tricks Saw 5 will pull. And I'm completely serious.

5 Comments & Responses

Juve4Life

October 31st, 2007 6:53am

(Spawner)
My apologies dudette, thanks for the reply.

Ok, Saw 1 was about a lot more than two guys locked in a bathroom, it was a breath of fresh air. It came out of nowhere and gave us hope and belief that Hollywood does have fresh ideas and not just remaking classics and surfing the success of past movies. Saw 1 had flaws but you kind of expect that with a horror movie, I agree, Amanda's trap was cool but Saw 1 was more about less is more, I mean for example, had we have seen more about the guy having to make his way through the razor wire to get to the exit I'm sure it would have been more appealing to fans, but it worked either way, and the twist!! Dudette! There is no way you could have expected that! Now that was a cinematic experience!

Ok, Saw 2, I didn't care much for, the twist involving Amanda was once again an excellent twist and idea. The traps were ok, the needle pit was realistic, and the hand trap was so-so. And the acting! Ok the less said the better, the movie was completely overwhelmed with the Xavier character, his character turned the movie into a stalk and slasher.

Saw 3, Ok, your criticism is clearly justified but I definitely preferred this to Saw 2, the traps were back on form, notably the Angel Trap, and the Classroom Trap, but the most effective was the pig pit, I mean just imagine drowning in that stuff, by the way it also had the best intro out of all of the movies so far. I liked the idea of Jeff's journey to forgiveness, god forbid you lose a loved one in that way, given the opportunity to avenge, what would you do?

Saw 4, I agree, the abusive relationship was effectively recreated in the trap, for once the woman was in control of the pain, I liked that and the knife chair, but that's pretty much all I did like. I mean the scalping trap?? The idea was good but would you really have the energy or focus to get up and try to kill somebody after half your scalp has just been ripped off to avoid a 6-month prison sentence??? I mean come on!! The traps were boring and unimaginative, and as I said, the twist!! Where was it?? It was so obvious, the only redeeming hope that I have is that Hoffman isn't the new jigsaw but will only be tested as the tape said at the start of the movie, I think it said something along the lines of "you may be the last man standing but you will not go untested".

As for Saw 5, I've got a feeling it will be based around Hoffman's test and hopefully explain just why he got involved, which will then introduce the real new jigsaw (I hope!!), the story might also focus on Agent Strahm searching for Jeff's daughter.

Spawner_

October 30th, 2007 2:18pm

(Juve4Life)
Well, I'd respect dudette, instead of dude, but that's besides the point.
They've all ready decided to release V in '08 and VI in '09, by the way.
But think about it? We didn't get that much from Saw I, besides two guys locked in a bathroom. Besides the trap concearning Amanda, I didn't find any trap that "kudosable" if you will?
Saw II. Ok, who the hell puts a furnace in a basement? The needle pit was a good trap, poking at the main fear of everyone, and the trap where the one woman winds up bleeding out wasn't that bad, but nothing else was really comparable to that of Saw IV. And Saw III, please. It wasn't about the person themself, but about Jeff, and his forgiveness. None of the traps seemed likeable to me. The Wrap was, ok, but I don't think we had a chance to fully understand it. So you have to take a bullet for the man who killed your child. That has a lot of meaning to Jeff, which we know as the main character, however, the trap itself wasn't that impressive.
Now, c'mon. If you (Gawd forbid) were in an abusive relationship, wouldn't you want what that woman wanted? Sure, she was in pain, but a chance to hit her husbands vital points was probably enough to outmask the pain from the (stakes, can we call them?). Plus, the pain of abuse is nothing compared to what she went through.
Of course, one trap I didn't really like was with the two men with the eyes and mouth sewn shut. If Art would've cut the patches off of his mouth, he could've tried talking to the unknown man with his eyes sewn shut.
As for the twists?
Saw I-Adam's screaming. Wow, can't get a better face than he showed. Of course, what really was Zepp's reason for his test?
Saw II- Amanda as his apprentice. And Daniel stll alive. That was good, I will admit, but c'mon. Who has two houses that look EXACTLY the same on the inside? And how do you not notice all this stuff going on, as a neigbor?
Saw III-"Amanda, I was testing you, because apparently, you don't listen, and we're not going to tell you what was in that letter until the next movie (not!)"
Saw IV-Could we really have seen that coming? Another Jigsaw. C'mon! And he taught us something! To listen, just like he "taught" detective Matthews in Saw II. "All you have to do is talk to me, listen to me." It was an amazing twist. I didn't expect to see Hoffman as the new Jigsaw. And the end of the tape "you won't go untested" gives us a little foreshadowing to the fact that Hoffmann himself might be tested.

Juve4Life

October 30th, 2007 5:01am

(Spawner) "The most amazing of all twists I have seen throughout the Saw movies??" each to there own but dude you can't be serious, the twist was so predictable and poorly executed, it felt rushed, really let down by Saw 4, I'm just glad that they decided to take a year off so they can think harder and compensate and truly shock like Saw 1 did with Saw 5. By the way, the traps lacked imagination apart from the knife chair, which was cool.

Spawner_

October 29th, 2007 2:36pm

(Note: Possible semi-spoiler points ahead)

Ah, I respect your comment, and your opinions, however, I do disagree with you. The "twist" was the most amazing of all twists I have seen throughout the Saw movies. If you think about it, how many times do we react on impulse, rather than thinking about the mistakes we have made before? Jigsaw was testing Rigg, and yes, we knew he was testing him on his impulse to save a life, though, how many people actually remember the first few minutes of the movie? Also, we now have a problem. There are two "Jigsaws" (can we call them that? Not implying to the character played by Tobin Bell, by the way) now. We have an intuition that Officer Rigg will be the next Jigsaw. He isn't a cop anymore. A cop is not the judge and jury, as Rigg was throughout the movie. A cop doesn't tie a man down to a bed and make him face his trap. He doesn't leave a woman to possibly die with so many wounds. He doesn't "see what I see" "feel what I feel" "save as I save". He does his job as an officer. So Rigg, now corrupted, is a candidate for the next Jigsaw. And what about the other officer? Has he gone through his trap yet? Or is he to yet be a victim of Jigsaw, or Rigg?
Of course, one thing I will add as a dislike is how every victim revolves around one person. In Saw III, all victims to a trap revolved around Jeff, and he had to decide their judgement. Eric Matthews didn't have to do that with the people in Saw II. So it sort of ruined the "random" effect it had to it. Of course, it did sort of come back in Saw IV?
Saw V will probably be better than Saw IV. We will just have to wait and see.