SAW IV

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Stars: Lyriq Bent, Costas Mandylor, Tobin Bell, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell
Year: 2007
Rating: R

You won't find a bigger fan of the first Saw film than me. I loved it, and felt Saw II was in many ways a worthy sequel. It took awhile to catch up with the other two in the series, but recently I watched parts three and four back to back, with friends, on DVD. Brother, that is WAY too much gore for one evening.

If you aren't familiar with the films, without spoiling anything let's just say it's about a guy who goes only by the name Jigsaw who abducts people he feels aren't appreciating the life they have, for whatever reason. After kidnapping them, Jigsaw then puts each of his victims into a trap of some kind, challenging them to often do sick, self-mutiliating things to themselves in order to stay alive and appreciate that life given to them. Sure, you might lost an eye, have cut off your own foot, or even kill a total stranger to save yourself - but Jigsaw is determined to make sure you never take your life for granted again.

Part four opens after Jigsaw's death, where - during his autopsy - forensics finds a cassette tape in the dead killer's stomach, sealed in wax. Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) listens to the tape, learning to his horror that just because Jigsaw is dead doesn't mean the games are. In fact, this time Jigsaw's main target appears to be yet another of the force's own, a SWAT cop named Rigg (Lyriq Bent, again reprising his role) - and the game has already begun. You never know, with Saw films, if what you're seeing is real or a trick of the filmmakers - but when Hoffman himself is kidnapped, it seems for sure the Jigsaw has yet another minion helping him in his crimes of redemption.

I really didn't care for Saw III at all - in that one, it seemed the puzzles of the game and ingenuity of the traps were thrown aside for pure blood-and-guts horror on a strictly visceral level. Saw IV brings you back to the game again, still with the stomach-turning gore but this time with something for your mind to do, too. Lyriq Bent is great in the film as the good cop forced to play, and the rest of the cast does a good job (complete with a face or two from previous installments of the franchise that you might be surprised to see). You really have to suspend your logic to accept some of what the filmmakers do here, in "tricking" you for the surprise finale - but part four, overall, really does fit well into the series (certainly better than the big letdown of part three), and sets you up a bit for part five (which starts filming this spring). Not a great film - the first remains the best - and the franchise is coming dangerously close to wearing itself out ... but if you like the series, then four should satisfy. Just pay REALLY close attention throughout, otherwise you could end up very, very confused by the end. If you remember two thing - that Jigsaw ALWAYS plays fair, and can prety much ALWAYS be taken literally ... that will certainly help here. *** - Reel Cool