Saw IV (2007)

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Starring: Tobin Bell, Donnie Wahlberg

More Info: IMDB

Tagline: It's a Trap

Plot: Picking up where its grisly predecessor left off, Saw IV finds Jeff searching for his missing daughter. A videotape from the dead serial killer Jigsaw is Jeff's only lead in this frantic hunt. The film leapfrogs back and forth in time throughout the Saw series and ties up some bloody loose ends lingering from the previous films.

My Rating: 5/10

Would I watch it again? highly unlikely

Since I watched the previous three SAW films before I started this blog and I have no desire to ever re-visit them, I'll throw down my brief thoughts.

SAW (2004) - A great concept and stylized look marred by some really bland dialogue and really bad decisions by some characters like when Danny Glover is chasing the killer, rather than shoot him he leaps to the killer's feet to stop him. Naturally, Glover is separated from his weapon and suffers for it. Major Fail. 7/10

SAW II (2005) - More of the same from the first film but this time the traps are more elaborate and grisly. However, more of the same means more laughably bad dialogue and line delivery. 6/10

SAW III (2006) - It's interesting how they keep coming up with ways to continue the story but, alas, there's still the shit dialogue and acting. Although still watchable and interesting to a degree, this series is dying. Repeat viewings are not an option at this point. 5/10

Now with the latest one there's not much more to add. The franchise is fading. The fifth one is out and there'll likely be a sixth later this year. Here we still have more of the same BUT there are some real highlights. The opening autopsy sequence is squeamish and fun. However, I'm getting sick and fucking tired of EVERYTHING having hyper stylized audio. There's more squishing in this movie than Madonna's gynecological exam.


Other than that, the scene transitions are really neat and inventive. I'm a sucker for hidden transitions and swipes. And I really dig how they are able to continue the story. At least they're trying. Well...sort of.

Swish.


I'll continue to watch the series but I'll never expect to truly like any of them going forward and I'll take them for what they are. After all, the franchise is called SAW, not SEE AGAIN. Bwahahahahaha. Ugh.