Matt Greene I'm starting to think this franchise is a convoluted cruelty device itself, in which Jigsaw is trying to teach me some sort of moral about continuing to watch these dumb movies. The nu metal of horror franchises, they seem to be getting more obnoxiously agro and ridiculously elaborate as they go. Still, this one is slightly better than the last, with its really cool opening blind / deaf death machine scene and some interesting decisions forced upon the main guy.

Davis P Saw IV (2007) does not waste ANY time at all with getting to the extreme gore. The very first scene in this fourth installment features the autopsy of John Kramer's dead body. I had to overt my eyes through about 75% of that first scene, I am not a fan of that kind of EXTREME violent content. This movie dives straight into the traps and continuing the jigsaw, Hoffman and Jill Tuck storyline. The acting is so-so, nothing to rave about at all, but I wouldn't say it's Razzie level. I liked Tobin Bell and Betsy Russel's performances, their storyline is interesting, it deals with exactly what drives John Kramer/Jigsaw into lunacy and into a serial killer. The traps are of course extremely gruesome and to be honest, not all that interesting. The characters other than Tuck and Kramer aren't interesting or well developed. This film has moments where it's interesting to see people's motivations behind what they do, but those moments come far and few inbetween and it certainly doesn't save it from being mediocre and mostly uninspired. Gotta give Saw IV (2007) a 5/10 due to the sense of unoriginality that runs rampant throughout the whole movie.

Rickting Saw IV is all about torturing and killing people in the most sadistic way possible. That's all it is. Just loads of gore. Jigsaw may be dead, but his legacy continues. Jigsaw continues to appear in a lot of flashbacks which completely slow the film down, yet they are the best part of it thanks to Tobin Bell's magnetic screen presence. Meanwhile, yet another unfortunate person is being put through a brutal test so that he can overcome his flaws and appreciate life. What is his crime? Being a bit impatient and being obsessed with saving his friend. That's it?! That is no justification to put someone through the wringer like this at all. That sums up the slippery logic of S4. Nothing really makes sense, it's just disturbing instead of scary and this is entirely lacking in the twists and interesting themes which made the original a hit. There is still a twist ending, but by the time you've finally reached the end of a deeply tedious series of bland traps which drowns both its unfortunate (And likable) protagonist and it's possibly even more unfortunate audience in endless mountains of fake blood, it's difficult to truly care. This starts off with a pointless, gruesome and not even very well-made scene showing Jigsaw's autopsy. That opening sums up the entire movie. If this is Jigsaw's legacy, than I feel very sorry for him.4/10

Python Hyena Saw 4 (2007): Dir: Darren Lynn Bousman / Cast: Tobin Bell, Scott Paterson, Lyrig Bent, Betsy Russell, Costas Mandylor: More bodies being mutilated in all sorts of methods. Jigsaw is dead but a tape is found in his body and played thus leading to a series of events to find two missing detectives. Detective Rigg follows the clues that lead to traps set to punish those whom have committed criminal acts against innocent people. Structure is detailed but violence is graphic. Director Darren Lynn Bousman is skillful but he needs to grow beyond the Saw franchise, which he has been part of since the first two sequels. Tobin Bell is seen in flashbacks as the cancer ridden Jigsaw. As the film opens, he is dead but we are given his relationship with the Betsy Russell character. Scott Patterson plays a detective who targets Russell for questions before learning where the traps are rigged. Lyrig Bent plays another detective who is the latest victim tested with gruesome traps that will advance himself and give explicit justice to criminals who have gotten away until now. Betsy Russell plays the stunning vixen who is revealed to be a target. She tells of her miscarriage and destroyed marriage before her relationship to Jigsaw. Costas Mandylor plays the detective listening to a tape and being tested. The ending rots like its victims in its disgusting display that opens for another sequel. Score: 5 / 10