Saw IV (Unrated Widescreen Edition) Reviews

• Slicing up the timelines

  
  By A3KJ6JAZPH382D on 2007-12-25
  Surprisingly better than Saw III, the fourth installment in the franchise delivers the suspense in a very tricky manner. While I can't divulge just why the movie ups the ante, just suffice to say that, with Jigsaw dead, this movie takes place begining in the moments before the awful scene at the end of number 3 (and other info deleted to appease other Amazon crybabies).
  
  You are also given a deeper back-story for Jigsaw, (Tobin Bell, again deliciously malevolent) and the lady that appeared in his flashbacks. Other characthers reappear as pawns in a dangerous game, as the dearly departed seems to have left posthumous recruitment tapes for SWAT Commander Rigg. Along with the typical ominous warnings, Rigg is led through the well-known series of SAW traps as Jigsaw tests his mettle. At the end of this test are two other fellow officers, including a returning Donnie Wahlberg, restrained to another nefarious device. As you can guess, not everything goes according to plan. The final twist is a doozy, and for a change, hard to see coming.
  
  The script, which plays out more like a mystery/whodunit than a horror show, is what really bumps this movie up. Again, while not giving away the twist, I can say it was a major mind-bender. It may even take a few folks a bit of time to realize what just happened. To me, that made it great. For a change, I am looking forward to where they take this next Halloween.
  
  

• Tried to be a smarter film, but ultimately failed

  
  By A33CLVW2K7SL1P on 2008-02-23
  Before watching Saw IV, I might suggest watching Saw III again, or at least finding a review that summarizes the main plot points. Anyone other than an entrenched Saw-vehicle fan or someone with a very good memory is going to find themselves a tad lost or confused. Not that I think it matters, though, because rewatching Saw III for insight into Saw IV is a waste of time in my opinion. But you'll be less lost.
  
  I've enjoyed the Saw films for their vague and simplistic morality tales spun with healthy (or unhealthy) amounts of stomach wrenching carnage; somewhat of a dumbed-down and gored-up Seven. This film tried to buck the trend: it tried to be smarter, and while the gore is present, it's dealt out in significantly smaller portions.
  
  The movie has a surprise ending. It could open doors, or it could have shut them down forever. Whichever, I've stopped caring, and if there is another film, I certainly won't watch it.
  
  At least five minutes of this ninety-five minute film are repeated scenes. For example: a furious FBI agent flies into a rage and throws all of the papers off of his desk. Then they show the scene from a different angle, at a different starting point, and then they do it again, and then they do it again, and then they do it again, and then they do it again. Did that last sentence annoy you? Well, that's how the scene felt. Sadly, there were several scenes just like it, and they were incredibly annoying. It's not a hallmark of good filmmaking; rather, it's exactly the opposite.
  
  As it was trying to be a smarter Saw, I was surprised at the outright stupidity of some of the characters. While I won't reveal secrets, I will pose this question: if you were a highly trained FBI agent (aren't they all highly trained?), and you come across the marionette/puppet that Jigsaw used in his videos, and you saw that the eyes of the puppet were red, and that they were moving, would you immediately get closer for a better look, or back away quickly, concerned of a potential trap? If you chose to get closer for a better look, then you're an idiot, and deserve what happens.
  
  A film that presents its audience with a surprise ending has to stand up to the test of the `Second Viewing'. The Sixth Sense is the perfect example of such a film. Most people were surprised at the ending, and a good number of people watched the film again, to see if the director cheated at all. We all know that he didn't. It was a perfect film (the last perfect film he made, but how many people make even one downright awful film in their life?), and it stood up to the second, third, and fourth viewing. Everything is done absolutely right so that when the veil is lifted, you don't feel cheated.
  
  Saw IV did not stand up to that test. It didn't stand up to its own `recap', where when the secret is revealed the director flashes back to important scenes as if to say, "See, I wasn't cheating...I set it up just so." But it wasn't just so, because there was absolutely ZERO motivation for the person involved in the surprise ending. None. And watching Saw III won't help you find any, because it's not there either.
  
  My last beef with this is similar to a problem I had with Saw III. No offense to Tobin Bell personally, but on what planet does someone as pretty as Betsy Russell tie her star to him? I mean, is this pornography, where men could only feel comfortable watching it if a vile and unattractive man was involved in the picture, to ensure no homoerotic `uprisings'? No, it's not. And yes, every so often a Julia Roberts marries a Lyle Lovett--but not to the extent that it happens, or is displayed to have happen, on the silver screen. This is a problem endemic in Hollywood, even (or especially) in sitcoms. How many of George Costanza's girlfriends looked right with him?
  
  At least one element of this film could have been realistic.
  
  
  

• Getting long in the tooth

  
  By AJKWF4W7QD4NS on 2008-01-28
  Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) may be dead, but that little disability isn't stopping him from continuing his bloody and deadly games of life and death. Agent Strahm (Scott Patterson) seeks to avenge the death of Kerry (Dina Meyer) from Saw III, and also tries to unravel how Jigsaw's games are continuing from beyond the grave. Familiar faces are abound once again as well, including Rigg (Lyriq Bent), Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), Jeff (Angus MacFadyen) and Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg), whose situation gets incredibly worse and worse; and all are still caught in Jigsaw's web. Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed the previous two films in the series, directs with occasional flare and squeamish moments. Sadly though, there isn't anything too compelling that's really going on in Saw IV, as a good number of the various traps just don't seem as imaginitive as they did in the past films, and as a whole, Saw IV just comes off as sadly boring and predictable. The best moments of Saw IV though are undoubtedly the scenes where we get past glimpses of just what lead brilliant engineer John on the road to becoming to Jigsaw, and the traps are grisly and gorey enough to satisfy fans of the franchise. Of course, there are plenty of openings left for future films, which hopefully will improve upon the foundation that has been built by original creators James Wan and Leigh Whannell, as well as by Bousman (who will not be directing the series' next installment). All in all, Saw IV is worth a look for fans of the series and gorehounds as well, but in the end, there just isn't much here that hasn't been seen before.
  
  

• By Far The Worst

  
  By A199SWIHX0F1IO on 2007-12-09
  Stay far away from Saw IV!! It is terrible, and it's very disappointing because the others were very good and had incredible traps, but the traps in this one (aside from the one with the woman's hair, and the fat guy) were so mediocre and awful. It seemed as though they had no ideas and just threw something into the pot.
  
  The plot is about a man who cares too much about saving people, and when he runs into all these people, he has to choose whether to save them or leave them to save his fellow detective, from the second movie. It's an okay premise.
  
  This is definitely the worst in the series, so stay away unless you want a real stinker. Only two of the traps could save this atrocity.
  
  

• Best horror movie of 2007

  
  By A39W3263A9HCMN on 2007-12-10
  would have followed the tradition and put the review of the SAW movies right after I had seen them, but the amazon page wasn't up, WTF?????
  
  But anyways, I saw this in the theater the weekend it came out, and LOVED it! this is easily the best horror movie of the year!!!!!
  
  STORY: Jigsaw and Amanda are dead. At the crime scene of Kerry's death, Rigg sees Kerry dead and becomes depressed over it. On the same night, Rigg gets captured and put in a game which requires hom to save people from the following tests: SEE AS I SEE, FEEL AS I FEEL, SAVE AS I SAVE, and JUDGE AS I JUDGE. Meanwhile, Jigsaw's wife Jill is interrogated, and the detectives try to find out about Jigsaw and Jill before it's too late...
  
  THOUGHTS: I don't understand people saying 3 was better, because this is the best in the series by far!!!! Sick, and twisted, and the ending is a HUGE cliffhanger that had me on the edge of my seet the whole time!
  
  So go see this if you already haven't seen it. You will NOT regret it!
  
  
• awesome addition to the series
  By AZHUXT9I9YIGD on 2007-12-10
  SAW IV was a great addition to an already amazing series. it fits in nicely with the rest of the series and adds a whole new story line... this new story line (which i wont say) is revealed at the end and was very unexpected. i was shocked that they were able to come up with such a great twist.. the plot may be confusing to some but true saw fans will understand. this is deff a movie that you need to see more then once take in all the info given
  
  the plot of saw 4 has Rigg(saw 2 & 3) as the main character. Rigg wakes up to a tape and instructions from jigsaw. Rigg is forced to get over his obcession with trying to save everyone. he must learn to let people make their own decisions and save themselves.
  
  the traps are very interesting and gruesome. Jigsaw's life is also explained more in this film. we learn his past and why he became what he did.. we also see his first trap.
  
  everyone should see this movie and add it to their saw movie collection
  
  
• Riveting and mind boggling...after three sequels, the SAW franchise skyrockets
  By ASR6EDD3ES7JW on 2007-12-14
  Who would've thought that a slasher horror film franchise, after three sequels, could STILL be one of the best things Hollywood has to boast today? Not I, that's for sure. The intricate, original, crowd pleasing, absolutely shocking, riveting, suspenseful "Saw" wowed audiences in 2004 and a very solid sequel did the same in 2005.
  
  I still remember seeing Saw and Saw II for the first time and realizing how amazing they were. Yet, I was unhappy with Saw III along with many others for reasons being: it focused more on violence than plot, there was no twist, and the ending was very unsatisfying.
  
  I know for a fact I wasn't the only person who thought the "Saw" franchise was officially over, judging by the very disappointing third film...yet, I still possessed a strange love for these films and couldn't wait to see the fourth when it hit theaters. I wasn't expecting a masterpiece at all...but I got one.
  
  "Saw IV" is not the average horror flick. If you're a Saw fan that likes the series for its blood and guts, you're going to despise it. If you're not willing to completely concentrate on the film's every little detail, you're going to despise it. If you feel like just kicking back, watching a nice gory horror film, and not spending a night analyzing the film, racking your brain until you drive yourself insane, you're going to despise this film. Quite honestly, that's why so many people hate this film: because they were expecting something completely different. Make no mistake--the Saw franchise as we know it is now going in a completely different direction.
  
  Here's where the line's drawn between Saw IV and it's predecessors. With the deaths of two main characters in Saw III, you can't possibly think of how Saw IV could really be close to a decent film. Instead of a basic storyline of traps, unlucky individuals who don't appreciate their lives, and suspenseful jump scenes, Saw IV delivers a completely different premise: it's darker, edgier, scarier, more complex, more intricately designed, and more controversial than its predecessors. In some ways, the most horrifying thing about the film is instead of watching people being tested on screen--YOU, as a viewer, are tested--challenged to see what Jigsaw sees, feel what Jigsaw feels...judge how Jigsaw judges. The traps aren't there to entertain, or to make you recoil in disgust...they're there to make you THINK.
  
  Even if you don't want to, or don't feel like it, Saw IV will whisk you away into a land of nightmare where you're forced to make the choices to what happens to the individuals on screen--you're the one in control. By the end of the movie, you'll be so shaken up you won't be able to move. For me, this one "Saw IV" HUGE points because it's actually scary, unlike II and III! It's not a body-count movie--it's a riveting, mind-boggling psychological thriller in the sense of the first film. The film feels like it balances a huge amount of plot and story and a huge amount of gore and ends up taking the cake. The film is exceptionally, brutally violent (even more so than Saw III) and some scenes are very, very disturbing--not because they are violent, but because stuff so horrifying is happening you just want to vomit your brains out. Saw IV is NOT for the faint of heart and there is some very disturbing sexual violence in one scene and another massively disturbing scene where five people in my theater got up and left...and this scene has haunted me since I came out of my theater.
  
  Though horror veterans James Wan and Leigh Whannell, the original creators of Saw, did not write Saw IV--it almost seems better. Darren Lynn Bousman's exquisite directing incorporates a dire sense of urgency throughout the whole film, making it feel like you're watching a "24" episode.
  
  I will warn you now the ending will confuse the hell out of you, which apparently is another reason for people to completely, wrongly condemn this film. Me and my friends spent a good two hours discussing the film afterwards and it made much more sense to us. Be prepared to watch this film with an open mind and be ready for some serious post-viewing discussion afterwards. The ending is very much like that of "The Prestige," and you may have a desire to watch "Saw IV" again the minute it ends.
  
  If you're a Saw fan that was disappointed with the lack of psychological horror in Saw II and Saw III---fear not. Saw IV has what you're looking for and will take you to hell and back...but hold onto your dinner. I have no idea how this film made it past the MPAA without an NC-17 rating. Along with your dinner, try to hold onto your sanity while watching the film...good luck with that.
  
  Enjoy which, is in my opinion, one of the best treats of the 2007 movie season.
  
  
• Tobin Bell Is The New Vincent Price
  By A28FO9TRAR77PM on 2008-01-01
  I can't wait to buy this dvd. I am now hooked on Saw and Mr. Tobin Bell. His Jigsaw character has brought new life into the Horror genre and this installment has it all. Loose ends are tied up, new questions are tossed at us, we find out even more about Jigsaw's past, and there is action, thrills, and gore galore. Saw's mixture of terror, CSI style detective drama, and action is very addictive. Tobin Bell holds it all together though. This man is a great actor and a modern day Vincent Price in my opinion. Check him out in Boogeyman 2 and Buried Alive also.
  
  
• ENOUGH already, we've seen enough Saws
  By A36RS3ZMNE9JSQ on 2008-01-08
  I watched this with the same disdain and spiteful attitude that I watched the second season of Heroes and the third season of Prison Break with, just thinking, "ok, let's see how much worse this gets."
  
  This series has progressively got worse with each sequel, not only the writing and the story, but the traps. The most iconic thing about Saw are the traps, and they don't even make sense anymore. These traps are about as arbitrary as the placement of those impossibly hidden items in Super Pitfall. The traps used to be clever, and the theme of the trap used to tie in with the recipient of the trap. For example, from Saw 1, a person who had slit his wrists was ironically in a razor wire trap. In Saw 4, a prostitute was in a trap that... rips her scalp off, obviously.
  
  The story isn't even coherent anymore. When 90% of the movie is told through flashbacks, you've got a problem. With all these flashbacks, they're creating this false sense of artificially created depth and lore to the characters which is simply not there. You can't just arbitrarily concoct a character's history and customize a story already told by just creating a flashback on the spot and saying, "see, see all that? That's the history on this guy, isn't it interesting what all is going on with him and how it ties in to everything else?" No not really.
  
  Parts I hated:
  
  --Jigsaw's wife was annoying. She had that one expression the entire movie, that unrealistic sneer on her stupid little face.
  
  --When that one cop lady got shot through her mandible with that bow and arrow, the two other cops' reactions weren't realistic, they didn't appear as startled as they should be after witnessing something so gruesome.
  
  --In general, I hate how this series now relies on gore to scare you. It's no longer the clever writing, the atmosphere, or the logical traps, now it's just relying on showing you the uncensored dismantling of the human body to creep you out.
  
  --Isn't it about time they done away with that little camera effect they use where it speeds up and does that panning 360 or whatever around the person/trap and then slows down. Isn't that just a bit old now? No?
  
  --The guy named Rigg that's going around trying to save everyone- so basically he wants to save everyone's life, and has the kind of disposition and values that drive him to do that, yet this same guy would put another human being in a TORTURE DEVICE? I'm not saying I wouldn't do it (whether the unlucky person was a rapist or not), I'm saying, these two actions should be mutually exclusive. A person who's sooo blindly caught up in having to save the lives of all these people he's coming across, yet he's twisted enough to knowingly put another person into a device that will most likely leave them significantly lighter by several pounds? I don't buy it. You're either the kind of person that does one or the other, but not both.
  
  
• you think its over just because im dead?
  By A2OR09N5HH20PY on 2008-01-23
  I could always sympathize with John Kramer(jigsaw) on some level because i watched my mother die from cancer. he has easily become my favorite character in the genre. seeing this installment just shows even more, the man was a genius. twisted as he may have been.
  
  this movie focuses on the events in the aftermath of Saw III and Jigsaw's past. We see more of what drove him to the point he was at, and we get to see his first game.
  
  the main storyline is about Detective Riggs trying to find Detective Matthews from Saw II. its now been 6 months since his disappearance. i dont want to give anymore info away, b/c realization is half the fun with this series. ill just say it goes back and forth between Riggs situation and looks into Jigsaw's past.
  
  The overall story is by far the most interesting in my opinion, even if only for the better look into John's past. not that the rest of the movie falls short, this is possibly the most engaging in the series. the traps are very clever, and in a case or two the pons really seem to deserve their fates.
  
  i dont know how they'll keep the series going after this entry. Tobin Bell(Jigsaw) is the face of this series and a future horror icon. excellent movie.
  
  
• SEE SAW 4
  By A2FVPTS77ALKLV on 2008-03-07
  The fourth installment of this popular series is much like the others. A bit more confusing than the first 3 because your not sure where you are in the timeline since its seems saw 4 runs concurrent with saw 3. we find that jigsaw has had another apprentice who continues his work. Amanda is dead as we saw in III. We dont know who it is until the trademark twist ending that all the saw movies have. Jigsaw states in a tape his work will go on and his new apprentice will be tested im sure that will be the make up of saw 5 and 6 due out in 2008 and 2009
  
  
• The Most Complex Saw Yet
  By A3I69IXPTDVKQF on 2008-05-02
  In many ways, it's hard to reach a definitive verdict on the level of "Saw IV" until the fifth chapter comes out this October; Saw IV, much more so than any of its predecessors, felt like it didn't so much actually end, as it paused for a year-long intermission. The series has become very complicated (too much for so some, although I'm loving the increasingly labyrithine structure) and just as it hits a major revelation that makes it clear what's been happening in this chapter, the end credits roll, seemingly with so much poised to start taking place. Saw III ended on a cliffhanger like "The Empire Strikes Back", Saw IV's strange non-ending is more like the finale to "Matrix Reloaded".
  
  The stage was all set at the end of Saw III for Jigsaw's final game, but rather than delve fully into that angle, the movie brings back some previously minor characters (some major ones, too, but it's previously 'bit' players who end up with a surprising lions share of the focus here) and greatly expands their role in the whole series through a non-linear storyline that goes through several time frames. The origin of Jigsaw and his previously briefly-touched-on relationship with his ex-wife Jill are also expanded in flashbacks, and we see the very early, simple deathtraps constructed by Jigsaw at the beginning of his 'career'. How well this will ultimately mesh with everything from the first three is still partially up in the air; they didn't foul it up here, but Saw V is going to have to be very tight to tie everything together fully - not just events but the different characterizations of Jigsaw and the others as they've progressed and changed.
  
  Lyriq Bent's character of Rigg gets turned into a much more central character this time around, having been personally selected by Jigsaw to be put through a wringer of tests designed to force him to make choices between risking the lives of the innocent characters he's searching for, or allowing those already judged guilty by Jigsaw to die along the way. The immediate question people will ask is how can the games continue after Saw III's rather definitive endscene, but things have been organized well in advance; the much greater use of flashbacks also opens up possibilities.
  
  It was a risk to deliberately complicate things so much this far into an already highly involved series, but this is in keeping with the series. The first Saw was great but it was questionable from the beginning whether it should spawn even one sequel, let alone a long-running series. Each new chapter though, has not only succeeded but gotten more complex, deeper, and has enriched the films that came before it. Often even more intense too, and Saw IV is probably the goriest chapter yet. It's left a lot more unresolved than the previous ones (and requires even closer attention to understand); despite its status where I may not be 100% sure how this will ultimately hold up once the storylines it launched play out in Saw V, I'm still going to go with a 5-star rating. First of all, there's no way that, however Saw V turns out, that this will rate less than a four, or probably four-and-a-half star rating - regardless of how a sequel plays into its successors and predecessors it still has to be judged primarily on its own merits. For that little bit of doubt, the series has earned the benefit of the doubt: thus far everything they do keeps doing justice to the earlier ones, and I suspect (and hope) the next entry will do the same.
  
  And even if it doesn't, Saw IV succeeded on a difficult track. It could have been great without adding these new angles to the mix, but apparantly they thought these angles were worth exploring, so in they came and the risk payed off. Another winning chapter in what's emerged as one of horror's all-time greatest series.
  
  
• Best horror movie of 2007
  By A39W3263A9HCMN on 2007-12-05
  would have followed the tradition and put the review of the SAW movies right after I had seen them, but the amazon page wasn't up, WTF?????
  
  But anyways, I saw this in the theater the weekend it came out, and LOVED it! this is easily the best horror movie of the year!!!!!
  
  STORY: Jigsaw and Amanda are dead. At the crime scene of Kerry's death, Rigg sees Kerry dead and becomes depressed over it. On the same night, Rigg gets captured and put in a game which requires hom to save people from the following tests: SEE AS I SEE, FEEL AS I FEEL, SAVE AS I SAVE, and JUDGE AS I JUDGE. Meanwhile, Jigsaw's wife Jill is interrogated, and the detectives try to find out about Jigsaw and Jill before it's too late...
  
  THOUGHTS: I don't understand people saying 3 was better, because this is the best in the series by far!!!! Sick, and twisted, and the ending is a HUGE cliffhanger that had me on the edge of my seet the whole time!
  
  So go see this if you already haven't seen it. You will NOT regret it!
  
  
• A "Cut" Above the Other Saw Movies
  By A3KY68OTSNHM3G on 2008-01-25
  Even death can't stop Jigsaw, once again played marvelously by Tobin Bell, from another killing spree.
  
  This time, the focus is on Sgt. Rigg (Lyriq Bent). Rigg originally appeared in Saw II. All of the partners he's worked with have died at the hands of Jigsaw, except for Detective Matthems (Donnie Wahlberg). Matthews has somehow managed to survive for 6 months, but his life literally hangs in the balance. Rigg is captured and forced to endure one of Jigsaw's puzzles in order to be able to save Matthews. Also captured is Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor). His fate is tied to that of Matthews. If Matthews dies, so will Hoffman. Rigg has 90 minutes to locate Matthews, but along the way, he's forced to deal with the challenges set in place for him. Each involves a choice; Rigg can stay and help, but use valuable time, or he can simply ignore the victim and move on. What will he choose? Will he reach Matthews before its too late?
  
  I've seen the previous three Saw films, and this one is better than those. One part I especially liked about this move was the look back into Jigsaw's life when he was simply John Kramer. John had to deal with many problems in his life, including the loss of his unborn child. This single event is what sent John over the edge. I also liked how the characters from the previous films were brought back together in this movie. The ending is the best part of the movie, as many people competing to overcome their own series of traps meet in an explosive climax. Many questions are answered at the end of the movie.
  
  I give this fine suspenseful movie my highest recommendation. The Saw series has become one of my favorites, and the movies keep getting better and better. I can only hope that the director will somehow find a way to keep Jigsaw around for part 5. Don't miss this great movie.
  
  
• Torturing Myself with Torture Porn
  By A34D4KCP94ACJZ on 2008-02-27
  There are a couple of things one needs to know before reading on or for that matter watching this film. Firstly, if you are a Saw fan you might like this. I am a not a fan of the Saw sequels. I actually despise them so take that for what it is. Secondly, if you haven't seen these films this is no place to start. If you watch the first one and then find your brain craving some bizarre inner need to watch even more unnecessary and gratuitous depictions of bloodshed, then soldier on through its sequels. For the record, I don't put much stock into the quality of the original either.
  
  The Jigsaw Killer died in the previous sequel, so here we just see the echoes of his self-righteous manipulations take their toll and wreak havoc on his victims even after his death. The plot detail is long and a bit convoluted but really the ideas behind the traps and the many twists the film has are not bad, it is just that the cliche gets a bit tiring after a while. If the film were done outside of the context of an obvious exploitation money-making machine I might even be praising how clever some of the film's details are. The trouble is the film's goals are so obvious that quality in other respects (e.g. acting) is clearly placed aside in favor of making it's targeted audience squirm and cringe. This is the modern day A Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th sequel but disguised underneath its surface of complexity and with far more in your face death/torture scenes. To me, those aforementioned slasher film sequels had some comical charm within their obvious exploits, but the Saw franchise is pretending to be above that and that is unforgivable. It is also somewhat sad that so many people would flock to see this. It made $133 million worldwide ($63 million domestically) but cost just $10 million to make. Either I don't get it at all, or I do get it and it's pretty twisted that so many people enjoy something so violent and so poorly done.
  
  I'm making myself out to be a movie snob for sure (and I probably am) but keep in mind I'm not opposed to violence in films. In fact, I can even appreciate the use of violence to this extreme when it occurs in a serious and believable production or better yet in a film that doesn't have the intention of being taken seriously. Saw IV's problem is that it takes itself seriously but doesn't in anyway feel remotely believable and even within the franchise's existence as a streamlined blockbuster producing monster, that is not acceptable to me. Then again it's quite definitely acceptable for a lot of people. That fact makes me squirm and cringe far more than the clever antics of the Jigsaw Killer.
  
  
• very well done
  By A2NJB64RY1P6KD on 2007-12-11
  people who trash this movie probably went into it looking to pick it apart because it was the 3rd sequel, or they just didn't understand what they saw. this is not a perfect movie obviously. it has its flaws. however, this was the first saw movie not written by the creator so there is gonna be small problems. overall i believe it fits into the story given to us in saw 1-3 and provides some very enjoyable scenes regarding john kramer's (jigsaw's) past including diving deeper into the genesis behind jigsaw, how he came to use billy the doll, the pig mask and more. you get to see quick glimpses of characters from the past movies as well, and the ending is a typical saw ending. it may not have been the best ending but it does introduce an interesting arc to the story line you allready know from 1-3 and im excited to see where it leads to in saw 5 and 6. and any saw fan knows what tobin bell brings to the role and hes once again very very good. as i said, has its flaws but i think its clearly heads and shoulders above alot of the other "horror" movies that have been released. it may be starting to run a little thin but i think it still has a ways to go before its overkill.
  
  
• Great Movie!
  By A30HVGAXCDDBUL on 2007-12-17
  If you liked the other saw movies you'll like this one too. More crazy traps, blood and gore. You never know what to expect to happen in the saw movies and Saw 4 is no different. I love all the Saw movies and if like the other three you'll love Saw 4 too!
  
  
• bad and not good at all
  By A1ZBGFVVMDPOPD on 2008-01-28
  Saw 1 is good, the rest really, really suck. this one was so, so, so very bad. boring violence, lame plot, and really boring characters. Oh, character development, it only took the 4th movie to get into it. Guess what? it was unnecessary and boring character development. I don't care what made Jigsaw so awesome (obviously only referring to the first movie), but he is, so stop prying. I don't need to know about his ex-chick-E-baby to know what makes him tick. What am I his girlfriend or something? He kills people for a cause, don't muddy the waters. Once you kill off a character, guess what, don't go and tell us his life story, that's just lame. while I'm at it, the girl from "Becker" are you serious? That is the WORST casting that I've ever seen. So, So Bad
  
  
• Avoid this movie.
  By A1NVKR1UB2Q754 on 2008-08-09
  I watched this movie and then my cat died. Was that supposed to happen?
  
  
• judge as i judge
  By A26XN37H7QFCK on 2007-12-30
  Wow...what a splendid film!!! I personally thought it was the best out of the series...It kind of gave the audience info on how he got to be "mad"...About what happened to Jill and all...I think every Saw film was worth the watch, if not worth the purchase...This was the first Saw film I saw in theatres and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!! Just because the "traps" weren't so gruesome doesn't mean the film is the worst of it's trilogy...Cant wait until the 5th one comes out..
  
  
• The absolute best of the franchise so far
  By AQUVTQFFXP4AC on 2008-01-08
  After Jigsaw died, I had a feeling the franchise would be over. Then I heard studios green-lighted Saw IV BEFORE Saw III was even made, and I thought oh god, not another one. I had my doubts, but listening to the commentary on Saw III assured me they had a plan.
  
  And what a plan it was.
  
  So far, it seems all the Saw movies have had one prevailing theme to them. Saw II: Patience. Saw III: Forgiveness. Saw IV: Self Preservation. The most vital theme involves people in traps saving them self.
  
  Thus is where Lieutenant Rigg is tested, the black cop who has been in all the Saw movies, and seen all his partners die. The film makes it clear right away that Rigg's problem is he cares too much---he wants to save everyone, and everyone (from Jigsaw to his wife) is telling him he can't save everyone.
  
  Alongside this, two other story lines go on, including a Lawyer who survived Jigsaw's first test, being put in a second, and flashbacks showing John Kramer's (Jigsaw) life before the events of the series, with his wife Jill, and his job as an engineer. We see what causes him to change, and leave his wife, and eventually (as well as getting cancer) sets about his games, where he personally witnesses his first victim succeed, only to blow it and try to attack Jigaw---to then get himself killed by his own stupid actions.
  
  Despite all that's happened, Saw IV has plenty of twists and surprises, including the ultimate shocking turn involving Rigg's game, which I won't reveal here even though I checked the spoiler alert. It's simply too juicy.
  
  The events of the film (sans flashbacks) happen simultaneously to the events in Saw III, with the final autopsy shown in the beginning of the movie to set the tone, and to assure people Jigsaw truly IS dead.
  
  The gore? Plentiful. It manages to improve upon its predecessors (as the movies always have) without getting overly excessive. The gore isn't there just to gross out or entertain the audience, and is rather tastefully handled, giving it an edge for realism as well as art. The traps are nothing garishly out there, but definitely some of the most creative in the entire franchise.
  
  As with Saw III, potentially the goriest, most shock-inducing scene involves Jigsaw himself. Where in Saw III, it was the live, amateur brain surgery, Saw IV steps it up with a live autopsy complete with the nauseating buzz of saws, cracks of bone, and squishing of still-wet flesh and organs, which resemble a true autopsy.
  
  For the sake of quashing dreams of fan service, I will safely spoil by saying Dr Gordon is NOT tied to Jigsaw in any further way (though that would remain to be seen for the next two Saws) and both Jigsaw and Amanda are dead.
  
  With the series running the risk of being milked by greedy executives into oblivion, the writers/director of the series show that they are masters of the craft of not only modern shock horror but noirish storytelling as well.
  
  
• SAW should have died with the death of JIGSAW
  By A2P0L2XE35BYQW on 2008-01-20
  Saw IV, is quite possibly the worst in the series. Three factors hinder the film: 1) A predictable storyline, 2) Sloppy writing and 3) Mediocre direction. What saved this film is the acting, it was surprisingly a vast improvement over the previous installments. The film is reason alone why the series should conclude. Unfortunately, that is not the case, with the fifth heading our way.
  
  Saw IV, is evidence that Hollywood continues to beat a dead horse. The film is nothing more than a cash crop, as the last two have been. The first Saw was groundbreaking for the "detective thriller" genre sampling from Se7en another amazingly disturbing film of the same theme. Nearly, everything about the first installment was done correctly right down to the shocking ending that no one could have predicted. Sadly, the same cannot be said about the forth. It offers nothing shocking, interesting or puzzling. The traps were no where near as vicious or thoughtout as the ones featured in the previous films. The ending was boring and left the feeling of "duh" in the mind. The film, lacked the degree of depth the others have. But, that is expected seeing how you cannot possibly shock the audience anymore.
  
  *spoiler alert*
  
  Anyone that watched Saw III's "Troy Trap" scene could figure out what's in store for the fourth. I predicted who the next "Jigsaw" would be by watching that specific scene. It's so obvious, it angers me that they would actually go that route, but sadly they did. Oh well, such is the film industry. I did not have high hopes for Saw IV, now I even have lower for number V.
  
  So, if I hated this movie so much why give it 3 stars? I did not hate it, I merely see it for what it is, the beginning of the end to an otherwise good series. A movie that was made solely to rake in cash and it achieved just that, scoring a place in the number one spot at the box office. And, I'm sure Saw V will do the very same. It achieved its goal, so give the audience what they want, blood and gore. So, one of those stars I gave is strictly because the film served it's purpose. The second star was because the film's writers in their own way, pushed Saw into a different direction. Lastly, the third star was because the movie kept me awake (even though, I did yawn and close my eyes a few times).
  
  So, yes the film succeeded where other movies of the same genre fail. Could it have been better? Of course, it could have. Did they really need number IV? Like they needed II & III, not at all. Will I pay to see number V? Yes, only because I'm a true Saw fan.
  
  *note*
  
  This review has nothing to do with the remarkable Blu-ray format which I am positive will look and sound outstanding.
  
  Recommendations: Death Sentence (Saw director, James Wan)
  
  
• Another strong installment in the Saw series. One of the best!
  By A35FMDBNQ2SI52 on 2008-01-25
  *Note* Most of this is copied and pasted from my review of the theatrical version of the movie. The rest is on the DVD itself.
  
  _______________________________________________
  
  Was Jigsaw killed off in Saw 3? Oh yes. The autopsy at the beginning assures us that he's never coming back. What about Amanda? She's dead too, make no mistake. So how can the Saw franchise continue? This movie shows us very well.
  
  Now before I go on with the rest of my review, I would like to take a moment to adress all of the negative reviews. Most of them are from people who...
  
  1. Barely paid attention to the movie.
  
  2. Disregard ANY movie that is labelled "horror" and has gore.
  
  3. Hate horror movies in general.
  
  4. Haven't even seen any of the other Saw movies!!
  
  I'm not kidding either. These are the majority of the people who have reviewed Saw 4 (though some are sincere fans of the series and were dissapointed by this one). If you haven't seen any of the other Saw films, or just hate horror movies in general, DON'T WATCH IT!!!! Simple as that. You will >>>>NOT<<<<< understand Saw 4 AT ALL if you haven't seen the other 3 movies (especially if you haven't seen the 3rd, but I'll get back to that later). The series is like a book: You can't just start in the middle and expect it to make sense! Nope, the Saw films just aren't like that, and should be applauded for it.
  
  Now for my actual review....
  
  Jigsaw may be dead, but the audio tape found in his stomach assures us that his work will continue, and everything happening in the movie seems to assure us that it will. SWAT officer Rigg (who first appeared in the 2nd film) is abducted and put into a series of traps that force him to play Jigsaw for a day (make no mistake though, he's not going to become the new apprentice!) so he can save Detective Matthews (first appeared in the 2nd movie) and Detective Hoffman (first appeared in the 3rd movie). FBI Agents Strauhm and Perez follow his game and find clues that lead them back to Jigsaw's ex wife Jill. Jill helps reveal a ton about Jigsaw's past, including what made him evolve into what he is. It's very interesting going back to Jigsaw's past to see him as the successful engineer before he became a moral serial killer.
  
  There are 3 other storylines beside's Rigg's game, and all are very compelling. While one is the main focus of the film, it makes you wonder what's going on in the other 3. The movie is very fast-paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat - speaking of which, do NOT turn your head for a second while you're watching this movie. You will miss a lot of vital information if you do. But hey, I guess that's what happens when you try to cram 4 storylines into a little over 90 minutes and succeed in doing so.
  
  Saw 4 is, by far, the most complex, intricate, and detailed Saw to date. So many ideas, and so much time manipulation. In fact, Saw 4 also has the most time manipulation and flashbacks out of any Saw. Now of course, the Saw films are notorious for these things; they were since the very first movie. But Saw 4 really takes it to the next level, which of course is welcome. It also has the most police activity out of any Saw as well. Of course, if that's not enough, there is more character stuff in Saw 4 than there was in the others as well! There are some new characters as well as some old ones. There are also some flashbacks which show a lot of previous characters that haven been killed off. If you ask me, it makes the Saw series appear very human and actually plausible. I read an interview with director Darren Lynn Bousman (who also directed 2 and 3) that they're trying to create a world with the movies, to make them appear more realistic. I, for one, think that they do this quite well.
  One thing that Saw fans will LOVE about Saw 4 is the high amount of twists and revelations that the movie has. There are several twists in almost every scene, which keeps the viewer interested. The Saw films have become well known for the plot twists as well, but WOW! They really outdid themselves here. All of these twists add up to reveal a huge gargantuan revelation at the end that has confused as many people as it's impressed (which I won't spoil).
  
  Here's a tip: Do NOT watch Saw 4 BEFORE you watch Saw 3. Not only will you not understand the ending, but it won't be as impressive.... I'm serious.... watching Saw 3 before 4 will help out a TON.
  
  Is this the best Saw movie? Well, I can't really say, because my favorite Saw film has kind of been shifting lately. In my review for Saw 3, I ranted about how it was easily my favorite of the series. Looking back, I don't find it as impressive as the other 3 films. I mean, 3 was good, but it was lacking a memorable storyline. It was slow-paced, and the twists at the end didn't really make me say "WOW what's going to happen next?!?!" like it did the first time I watched it. But Saw 4 is a great return to form and it's probably the one I've been thinking about the most lately.
  
  Now, this was a great movie, but I do have one complaint. Director Darren Lynn Bousman promised us that we would finally know what was in the envelope Amanda read in the 3rd movie that made her freak out. We do get to see a flashback of her opening the envelope, and we also get to see who wrote it (which I won't get into), but we were never shown what was in it! Hopefully the next Saw movie will show us
  
  Oh, and trust me, there WILL be more Saws. Not only does the ending set up future sequels, but it's already common knowledge among Saw fans that Tobin Bell (Jigsaw) has signed up for 2 more movies. And 5 and 6 are actually being filmed at the same time. Sweet...
  
  If you have seen the past Saw films, and you don't mind to ACTUALLY FOLLOW the storyline in the movie, then I highly recommend you go see Saw 4. Another excellent installment in one of the most intelligent horror franchises of all time.
  
  __________________________________________________
  
  The DVD version of Saw 4 is even better than the theatrical one, and not just because it's unrated. The movie contains scenes that weren't put in the original release. And I don't mean that they're in a deleted scenes section, they are physically put into the movie (although there is one scene under the deleted scenes section). This makes it all the more awesome. And as for Amanda's letter, Darren Lynn Bousman said, in the commentary, that it doesn't matter what's in it, and that all fans need to know is that [one again, I won't spoil who wrote the leteer] wrote the letter, and the fans ought to intrepret what it says (I guess he's been getting a lot of flak from fans... ha ha). And, you have to admit, the fact that a person other than Jigsaw wrote it definitely changes the way you think about the letter.
  
  This is highly recommended to any and all Saw fans.
  
  
• By Far The Worst
  By A199SWIHX0F1IO on 2007-12-10
  Stay far away from Saw IV!! It is terrible, and it's very disappointing because the others were very good and had incredible traps, but the traps in this one (aside from the one with the woman's hair, and the fat guy) were so mediocre and awful. It seemed as though they had no ideas and just threw something into the pot.
  
  The plot is about a man who cares too much about saving people, and when he runs into all these people, he has to choose whether to save them or leave them to save his fellow detective, from the second movie. It's an okay premise.
  
  This is definitely the worst in the series, so stay away unless you want a real stinker. Only two of the traps could save this atrocity.
  
  
• Second best SAW movie
  By A3RUG7P3B31L3V on 2007-12-29
  In order of Jigsaw goodness....
  
  2, 4, 1, 3.
  
  'Nuff said.
  
  
• Very Impressive
  By AV30RYVPJJJ34 on 2008-01-24
  Wow. What more can I say but wow. I can't wait for another Saw movie to come out. In all of the saw movies I've never seen the same thing done twice. This one is defently the sickest, and also has a more complicated plot, but like all saw movies, this one picks up where the third one left off. Although there is more story line to Saw 4 it left me wanting to know more, which I'm hoping the next in the series will answer these questions. In my opinion Saw 4 was probably the best out of all 4 saw movies.
  
  
• WARNING: You don't want to watch this one without seeing saw3
  By A5X1B2HBQUR3P on 2008-01-25
  A bold movie just for the fans. A top reviewer said to the effect that to understand saw4, you need to eat a lot of fish the previous night and see all the previous films in order and then walk into the theater to see saw4. No doubt SAW4 is for the the fans. I am amazed at how Lionsgate has had the guts to care about narative continuity and episodic sequence in a major hollywood movie. Most horror movie franchise base themselves on producing movies which have the same recurrent theme but try to keep each movie as a standalone story so as to increase its marketability. Obviously Lionsgate is sure that the saw franchise fan following will see them through by bringing in the saw fans. There is no doubt that a non-saw fan who has not yet seen saw2 and saw3 will understand squat in the movie. It is interesting to note that the makers of the film expect you to actually remember what happened in saw3 which we probably saw a year ago. Because saw4 refers to a lot of details, situations and characters who were introduced from saw3 onwards, you need have seen saw3 last year and saw3 again on DVD now and refresh your memory before going into saw4. You may get by not seeing saw2 but seeing saw3 is a mandatory absolute prerequiste before watching saw4, that is if you want to understand what the hell is happening on the screen. I won't say too much about the traps and detailed story line. We all know what a SAW film will be about and what to expect. Giving away the traps will reduce the surprises in the film, the very core and the uniquenness of the saw series relies on the inventive ways in which people are made to kill themselves. The traps in saw4 are tame compared to the traps in saw3. A fantastic autopsy shot of jigsaw sets the tone of the saw4 movie and sucks us into the saw universe. A surprise ending is in store, which only the saw fans will be able to understand. Those who did not see saw3 will leave the theaters scratching their heads because they would be thinking "Jeez I didn't get the film and I didn't get the ending".
  
  I've also written reviews on saw2 and 3 (a bit more extensive on the story than I do here). It can be found in read in "see all my reviews" section.
  
  I'm hanging on to the SAW ride till the end. I'm ready for SAW5 and SAW6 which have been announced. And I love the SAW theme music, the way it plays at the very end of every film before our saw apprentices close the door on our victims....
  
  "You think it's over, but the games have just begun"...you bet.
  
  regards, Vikram
  
  
• MOST AWFUL SAW OF THEM ALL!
  By A2Z0VIEYPJNFB3 on 2008-01-28
  Let me start off by saying I REALLY LIKED the first three SAWS. This SAW was really, really, really bad. Jumbled plot, bad acting, and really you don't care about ANY of the characters in this DUMB movie!.. DO NOT rent, buy, this movie REALLY SUCKS!! Hopefully this is the end of this series. I will not even bother looking at SAW V if it ever comes out!
  
  
• Very good addition to the SAW series.
  By A20DZX38KRBIT8 on 2008-02-01
  As each sequel arrives every year for the SAW franchise I always wonder when they are going to screw it up. They are still making respectable additions to this great series and part 4 is no exception. Very well made, great traps and effects, but most of all it fits into the SAW story perfectly with the usualy shocker for an ending. Jigsaws work will go on for another two sequels at least.
  
  Great sequel.
  
  
• This Franchise Is Fading Fast...
  By AIFXFHO2N9WJB on 2008-02-03
  
  How long can a horror franchise continue before the movies within the series become just plain bad? For most franchises it's only a matter of two, maybe three movies before this occurs. Some examples would be the 'Halloween' series, the first 2 movies were solid entries into what at the time was a burgeoning franchise, but by "Halloween 3: The Season of the Witch" the series lost its footing and never seemed to regain it until the seventh installment "Halloween: H20". The majority of horror franchises aren't as fortunate as 'Halloween', because generally speaking once a franchise suffers one negative entry in terms of box office take or audience reaction, the series never gets back to what made it work in the first place. A perfect example would be the 'Friday the 13th' series, by the third film the series had tanked; however, in its case the films, as bad as they were, still made a lot of money so the studio kept cranking out more and more until the series eventually ran its course with the 10th entry, "Jason X". Now I come to the series at hand, the 'Saw' franchise of horror films. The first 3 films in the series were better-than-average horror films, with the first film being the best. After releasing "Saw 2" and "Saw 3" with great success in terms of box office returns, Lionsgate had a virtual no-brainer when it came down to whether or not to return to the lucrative series for more traps and more lessons on valuing one's life. Well, Lionsgate gave the 3rd sequel a go ahead, but the difference between this film and its predecessors was the fact that the writers for the previous three films did not return for this installment. So, with a different set of writers, along with the same director that helmed the previous two films, and numerous returning cast members from the first 3 movies, plus a few new ones to throw into the mix, the question that needs answered is, "Can this latest installment into the franchise possibly live up to the standards of the previous films?"
  
  "Saw 4" does the exact same thing as the previous films had done; it begins exactly where the previous film left off. Meaning, Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is dead, yet his traps that he set into motion prior to his death are still being played out. The victim this time is Sgt. Rigg (Lyriq Bent), whose only flaw is the fact that he feels the need to save everyone, but through his obsession he has managed to alienate his wife and some of the people that he works with at the police department. Now, from beyond the grave Jigsaw, will test Rigg's commitment to his obsession with saving lives, and whether or not he can actually let go of some of the lives he failed to save in the past that continually haunt him to this day.
  
  Well, it finally happened, the 'Saw' series has now joined the pantheon of average or below average horror franchises by having an installment whose quality is so beneath its predecessors that it reeked of existing purely to cash in on the name and the fame of those that had come before. When neither of the two writers from the first 3 films (James Wan and Leigh Whannell) opted to return to pen the fourth installment, that was the first warning sign that this series was going down the tubes; however, the one possible saving grace for "Saw 4" was the fact that director Darren Lynn Bousman ("Saw 2 and 3") was returning to helm this current installment. In the end, the only thing Bousman's presence did for this movie was ensure a steady directorial hand that has had plenty of experience with this franchise to keep the proceedings in a similar tone and feel, but other than that his presence did nothing to elevate the film above its meager standards. From this moment on the 'Saw' films will most likely be no different than your average, run-of-the-mill horror series, where each installment is worse than the previous one, yet until the movies quit making money at the box office we'll still see more traps, more gore, and more mayhem at the hands of the now deceased Jigsaw (for those unaware he died in the third film).
  
  The cast of "Saw 4" was essentially a reunion of many of the primary cast members from the first 3 films in the series. Donnie Wahlberg, Lyriq Bent, Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, and Angus MacFadyen each make appearances in the film, some with more substance than others, with a few of the appearances feeling like nothing more than tacked on cameo appearances that seemed to come out of nowhere. The newest addition to the cast, Scott Patterson (TV's "Gilmore Girls") was average as an FBI agent trying to piece together the recent murders that were the result of the various nefarious traps set by Jigsaw. However, the problem with Patterson's performance was that he seemed to overact in many places, trying too hard to seem like the tough-as-nails, no nonsense FBI agent, that he instead came off as fake and even a little forced, allowing for none of his natural charisma and charm that he had shown so often on TV to shine through to make for an interesting character that the audience could root for.
  
  My biggest complaint in regards to "Saw 4" lies in the inferior story that was written by series newcomers, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. Not only did these two writers craft the worst installment in the series thus far, but they also continued the trend that had begun in "Saw 3", by trying to humanize the villain Jigsaw to the audience. As I said in my review for "Saw 3", when the initial signs of trying to gain sympathy for Jigsaw first appeared, why do Hollywood writers feel the need to make villains in movies more human so that the audience will possibly empathize with them? I just want a villain to remain simply that, a villain, with his motives selfish and evil, not having his actions be caused by some unfortunate incident in his past that twisted him in such a way that he felt he had no possible alternative than to allow the darkness to consume him. I didn't mind that in "Saw 2" the writers introduced the fact that Jigsaw had cancer, and that this terrible news essentially drove him insane and started him on the dark path to murder and mayhem that we had seen in the series. This aspect of the character was fine, and provided just the right amount of back story as to why Jigsaw does what he does, but it didn't make any overt attempts to create sympathy from the audience, and seemed to serve the purpose of showing that the darkness had been within Jigsaw all along and merely needed a release.
  
  "Saw 4" is without a doubt the weakest installment in the franchise, but it is also the goriest as well. It seemed like the biggest purpose for this movie was to just put more blood and guts on the screen, and not worry too much about substance within the story. In the defense of "Saw 4", though it is the weakest of the series, it merely continued the already weakening storyline that had shown signs of trouble back in "Saw 2" and barely redeemed itself ever so briefly during portions of "Saw 3". Ultimately this series was destined to fall prey to the shortcomings that befall most horror franchises; the shifting of focus from providing quality storytelling and good scares to merely cranking out as many films as possible before the interest fades. When this occurs the subsequent installments become lesser and lesser in quality and entertainment value.
  
  "Saw 4" is available in rated R and unrated editions, both contain violence and language.
  
  

• Saw III (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
• Saw II (Widescreen Edition)
• Saw
• Resident Evil - Extinction (Widescreen Special Edition)
• I Am Legend [Blu-ray]