Oh man, here we go with SAW IV! I don't think this should come as a surprise though. You must know by now that I love this series and avidly have watched, loved and if need be, criticize it. From my SAW III review I posted earlier you know I'm not a huge fan of it, but this movie on the other hand is a nice bounce back and has always been a favorite of mine. Lets see how the second trilogy starts off!
We open SAW IV with the autopsy of John Kramer aka Jigsaw (Tobin Bell). As the coroner is emptying the contents of him stomach he discovers a tape encased in wax. He calls the police and the tape is given to Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor). Allison Kerry's (Dina Meyer) body is found four days after her death in The Angel Trap. FBI agents Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson) and Lindsay Perez (Athena Karkanis) are called to the scene where as Lt. Daniel Rigg (Lyriq Bent) is sent home. They believe that someone else put Kerry in the trap cause neither Kramer or Young (Shawnee Smith) could get her up there. Strahm also becomes suspicious of Rigg because he still believes that Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) is alive. Later that night Rigg is abducted in his home. When he awakens he finds that he has 90 minutes to save Matthews and Hoffman. Rigg must learn "what it truly means to save a life" by choosing to save or let people die in traps around the city. Jigsaw is gone, but he is still pulling the strings. The real test is if Rigg can save himself, Matthews and Hoffman.
We open SAW IV with the autopsy of John Kramer aka Jigsaw (Tobin Bell). As the coroner is emptying the contents of him stomach he discovers a tape encased in wax. He calls the police and the tape is given to Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor). Allison Kerry's (Dina Meyer) body is found four days after her death in The Angel Trap. FBI agents Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson) and Lindsay Perez (Athena Karkanis) are called to the scene where as Lt. Daniel Rigg (Lyriq Bent) is sent home. They believe that someone else put Kerry in the trap cause neither Kramer or Young (Shawnee Smith) could get her up there. Strahm also becomes suspicious of Rigg because he still believes that Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) is alive. Later that night Rigg is abducted in his home. When he awakens he finds that he has 90 minutes to save Matthews and Hoffman. Rigg must learn "what it truly means to save a life" by choosing to save or let people die in traps around the city. Jigsaw is gone, but he is still pulling the strings. The real test is if Rigg can save himself, Matthews and Hoffman.
Oh man, this for me, is easily the most suspenseful of the series and I love it. Adding a "clock" into movie or shows can sometimes make the movie feel rushed, but I didn't get that feeling out of this. The plot for this one was a huge step-up for me and the way the executed it was perfect. The clock introduced in the early-going and then it running out near the end of it. Timing was perfect. The progression of the story-line in the SAW universe was great too. Nothing is left out from what happened in three, and it keeps the essence of what was set-up in the first trilogy as a whole. Acting is pretty goods and everyone is filling in their roles well at this point in the series. But Lyriq Bent as Lt. Rigg was just awesome throughout the whole thing to me. The traps and blood and gore in this movie were cool. Shame there were no huge noteworthy traps (aside from the ice blocks at the end). But what's gotta be my favorite part of this is the autopsy at the beginning. It looks, feels and sounds like you're watching a corpse get cut, sawed and pried open as Jigsaw's body is turned inside-out.
This is one of those movies that I can just straight-up watch because I know the series so well. But people could get confused if they just decide to up and watch SAW IV. It's got the kills, the traps, the story-line, etc. But I think this movie is more for those who (up to that point) had been entrenched by the first trilogy and really love it. It doesn't break new ground, but if you're a fan you adore it. So if you like 1-3, give this a shot. If you adore 1-3 like I do, this is a must watch.
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Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #1: Halloween II
Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #2: The Devil's Rejects
Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #3: Friday the 13th Part II
Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #4: Scream 2
Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #5: Evil Dead 2: Dead Before Dawn
Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #6: Trick 'r Treat
Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #7: Planet Terror
Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #8: SAW III
Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #9: The Cabin in the Woods
Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #10: Barricade
Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #11: The Collector
Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #12: Hostel
Halloween Movie Month 2! Movie #13: Silent Hill
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