Saw 4

Theatrical Release Date: 10/26/07
DVD Release Date: 1/22/08 (pretty quick turnaround)
Starring Lyriq Bent, Scott Patterson, Costas Mandylor, Tobin Bell, Donnie Wahlberg
Screenplay by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan
Story by Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan and Thomas Fenton
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
My rating: 5/10

I guess we're stuck with these movies whether we like it or not. They're cheap to make, they have a small but loyal target audiences, and if you put one out every October, apparently you're guaranteed to turn a tidy profit to the tune of 60 or 70 million dollars. Unfortunately, the gas gauge on this series was on E about two installments ago, so we're left with nothing more than a workmanlike horror flick that will appeal to no one but hardcore fans of the genre. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), I happen to be one.

As a brief refresher, the first 3 movies dealt with a killer named Jigsaw (Bell) who would set up elaborate puzzles or traps for his victims wherein if they didn't meet a goal, they would pay with their life. In the 2nd film, he takes an apprentice named Amanda (Smith). In the 3rd, they are both killed. Rather inexplicably, we now have the 4th (and if IMDB is to be believed, a 5th this coming Halloween). The story of a man running through one of Jigsaw's twisted mazes to find his child is all but abandoned. Instead, we follow Rigg (Bent), a cop who is obviously a little unstable, mainly due to the fact that his coworkers and friends seem to keep dying or turning up missing.

Rigg himself is then abducted by Jigsaw and sent through a series of twisted obstacles while attempting to save Detective Matthews (Wahlberg picking up a paycheck). Don't know who detective Matthews is? That means you've never seen Saw 2. This is one of the cardinal mistakes of number 4. It's not self sufficient. It's plotted heavily enough that you need to have seen the first 3 in order to really get a grasp on it. ANYWAY, all the while, 2 FBI agents (Patterson and Athena Karkanis) and a police detective (Mandylor) are in pursuit of Rigg, who they suspect (probably rightfully so) has snapped a bit.

It's kind of hard to review a movie of this nature. As previously stated, if you like this kind of thing, you will have a good time with it. If not, stay far away. It's a little more comprehensible than the 3rd one, which suffered from even more overplotting than the current installment, as well as annoyingly murky cinematography. It is, however, completely devoid of the fresh concept that made the first film enjoyable, or the off the wall nihility that carried the second. It is a slasher film that conforms to all the expected cliches (except for the killer coming back to life, but maybe the filmmakers were saving that for the 5th installment). It even has the obligatory plot "twist" that has become so commonplace these days and usually needs to get completely shoehorned into the plot.

There is really nothing else of any note to say about this movie. I saw it about a week and a half ago and I had to go to IMDB to look up the names of characters and actors. It's not horrible for what it is, but it's a total cash grab for everyone involved, and all aspects of it reflect that. If you're a true fan of horror films, I'm sure you can find something a little more worthwhile and substantial to watch than this thoroughly forgettable sequel.