Saw IV



Plot Synopsis:

SWAT officer Rigg finds himself in a game to teach him a lesson in understanding patience as well as learning that he can't save everyone. 

Negatives:

I want to start off with my negatives for this movie because one of them actually ties into something I said in my Saw III review. I mentioned that I kind of think a couple of the characters killed off in that movie shouldn't have been. The main one for me is Amanda. She's honestly more interesting than the third apprentice revealed at the end of this movie. Speaking of the twist, so far, I think Saw IV has the weakest twists so far. This also the first movie in the franchise that feels convoluted just for the sake of it. I should also say that I will touch on the characters more in another section of my review. This is probably the movie in the franchise at this point where it starts to feel like things happen just because the script says so, even if I can't say this is the most egregious example My final major negative is the cinematography. It didn't really bother me in the first three movies. In this one, it mostly looks bland and grey. 

Positives: 

This has probably some of my favorite flashbacks in the franchise. I actually like the idea of seeing what John Kramer was like before he became Jigsaw. I also like it as a way to keep Tobin Bell around, even though his character is dead. After the third movie felt a little too long, I did kind of appreciate that this one was an hour and a half again. As a result, I did feel this movie was a little more tightly paced than the third movie was because it didn't have as much fat on it. I also still appreciate that the traps in this movie still have some ties into the overall plot.  

Mixed Aspects: 

I have one mixed aspect with this movie: The characters. The characters they chose to bring back are mostly some of the least interesting characters from the first three movies (with the exceptions of John Kramer and Jill Tuck). On the flip side, I did mostly like the new additions, especially agents Strahm and Perez. 

Final Thoughts:  

I think the best way to describe Saw IV is that it's a growing pains movie. It needs to bridge the gap between Saw III and the rest of the series. There are things about this movie that I like. However, the script is littered with plot holes, and the story is overly complicated to an unnecessary degree, which quite possibly makes this one of my least favorite entries in the Saw franchise. It's a movie I didn't care for when I first saw it, and I still don't particularly care for it. 

My Rating: 

🩸🩸

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