Director
Darren Lynn Bousman
Cast
Tobin Bell………Jigsaw/John
Lyriq Bent………SWAT Commander Rigg
Scott Patterson………Agent Strahm
Betsy Russell………Jill
Costas Mandylor………Hoffman
Justin Louis………Art
Donnie Wahlberg………Eric Mathews
DVD Release Date: January 22, 2008
Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 95 Minutes
The Movie
The last we saw of Jigsaw and his so-called heir apparent Amanda they had both been killed as Jeff was still searching for his daughter. Amanda was shot to death while Jigsaw had his throat slashed open killing him almost instantly instead of his cancer continuing to eat away at him from the inside. But just because he is now dead, that doesn’t mean his work is done.
SWAT Commander Rigg is the only remaining member of his team alive as he still hunts for Jigsaw and tries to save everyone he can. Things aren’t going to be so easy though as Rigg soon realizes that he can’t save everyone as hard as he may try. Jigsaw knew that was Rigg’s weakness though and had long had plans for the officer and needed to test him in order to defeat his demons himself. The police are completely confused at the time though because they believe Jigsaw is recruiting someone to help him and Amanda continue on their work.
As Rigg goes around trying to complete his tasks and make his way to his final goal, whatever that may be, Agent Strahm is hot on the case because now Agent Hoffman is missing and there is still hope that Eric Mathews may be alive. Time is of the essence as bodies are being found everywhere tortured by their own hands but by methods they couldn’t possibly control. It is a never ending cycle and Jigsaw has control of the game. Rigg is searching for his colleagues in hopes they may still be alive. Agent Strahm is in search of Rigg because he believes Jigsaw has gotten inside Rigg’s mind and recruited him for his cause. Who is right and what lengths will they all go to in order to find the answers? All they must do is play the game.
Back in October, I had gone to the theatres and watched Saw IV on the big screen because for one, I love the franchise. Two, it helped keep my streak alive after viewing the first three films in theatres too. When originally viewed, something just didn’t quite sit right with me. Instead of walking out of the theatre in total shock and awe, my journey to the car was one filled with confusion and disappointment. A little conversation with my girlfriend as we discussed the film made things a bit clearer, but we were both generally bewildered by what we had just witnessed.
Now think about films like Memento and Pulp Fiction. How many of you totally understood those films after watching them the first time? Highly doubtful that many of you said yes, but surely some did. That is how things worked for me in Saw IV as so much became clearer viewing it a second time through. The franchise has always impressed me with its continuity spawning over each film and connecting things that happened in the first two films to the third and so on and so forth. Everything that happens here needs to be analyzed and paid attention to closely or you’re bound to miss something.
For all those that are blood and gore fanatics, and don’t focus so much on the intelligent aspect of the franchise, you won’t be disappointed either. The traps showcased in this film are just as elaborate and even more disturbing then some of the other things we’ve seen Jigsaw create. The whole ice block skull crusher just totally makes me cringe simply thinking about it. You are not going to finish watching and be upset by not seeing enough blood and carnage, so make sure you watch everything because you don’t want to miss a single kill.
Saw IV originally let me down and had me thinking it could possibly mean the decline of such a great series considering there are two more films (at least) being made. But after watching it through at home and really being able to suck in all of the clues and information, I’d have to say that it is now close to being my favorite out of the four, right behind the first one. Seeing a deeper history of Jigsaw’s life and how he became who he was made the story that much deeper then it already was. Fantastic performances by Costas Mandylor, Lyriq Bent, and Justin Louis show that no matter who is put on the cast for a Saw film it’s going to be great. The intrigue and drama keeps you on the edge of your seat with fright, holding your stomach in queasiness, and scratching your head wondering why something just happened. But don’t worry because you’ll find out later on as you always do. Jigsaw doesn’t keep his fans guessing, and it’s proven by the end of Saw IV that he will keep his work going well in the fifth and six installments.
The Video
The film is shown in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and is gorgeous. A lot of the film is presented in a greenish tint that almost makes a lot of scenes look black and white, especially at the beginning. Then the bright red blood stands out even more and makes it that much creepier. All of the darker scenes can be seen nicely and every other color is very vivid and crisp.
The Audio
The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and makes the experience of watching Saw IV just that much better. The fantastic orchestral music adds a great mood to everything while never overpowering the dialogue and being able to hear what everyone says including Jigsaw when he whispers.
Special Features
Audio Commentaries – The first commentary includes producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg along with executive producers Peter Block and Jason Constantine. The four are very interesting to listen to and give a lot of detail in the film as to things that carried over from prior films and were explained in this one. There is a lot of humor and not a whole lot of “what you’re seeing on screen now” which makes for an enjoyable commentary. They also further my point that watching Saw IV a second time will help people completely understand everything. Also listen for the Rockies/Red Sox banter back and forth, quite funny.
The second commentary is with director Darren Lynn Bousman and actor Lyriq Bent (Rigg). This commentary is also incredibly entertaining because it is Lyriq Bent’s first time watching the film all the way through. Bousman and Bent have a great amount of back and forth interaction that shows how good a time they had while filming. Bent’s reactions to some scenes he’s never actually watched for is fun too because he just gets so amazed or grossed out while Bousman is constantly discussing it and cracking jokes. He also drops a lot of plugs for his upcoming film Repo so be prepared for that.
Darren’s Video Diary – This is a thirty-two minute feature of someone with a video camera simply following Bousman around on the set for the full shooting. It is a lot of fun to watch because it is candid, lewd, funny, and shows a great “making of” aspect without actually being one. It even shows a bit at the beginning where it was five days before shooting was to begin and Bousman got pissed because he saw a website that actually had info from the film already released.
The Traps Of Saw IV – Any and everyone on the crew chimes in during this close to seventeen minute feature that goes into great detail about all the traps in the film. You can watch them all together or separately. It is quite neat seeing how they came up with the ideas for each one and just taking a peek inside the demented minds that actually created them. Makes you sort of wonder what you could come up with if given the chance.
The Props Of Saw IV – This feature goes a step further then the one with the traps does as it shows the incredible amount of detail that went into the smaller props used throughout the film. The spike gun, the neck trap, Jill’s locket, toy soldiers, and so many other things that you may not have even noticed, got great detail put into each of them so as to make everything perfect. When you watch this nine minute feature, you’ll start remembering everything that you thought you didn’t see while watching the first time through.
Saw IV Music Video “I.V.” Performed By X Japan
Bonus Deleted Scene – I’m not sure why this one scene in the police station was left out, but maybe they had their reasons. It shows Agents Hoffman, Strahm, and Perez are looking at a board containing sixteen pictures of people who have gone missing and could possibly be Jigsaw’s accomplices or victims. This scene could have really led to a new direction for the fifth and sixth films, but I guess wasn’t needed.
Trailers – The Eye, Boy Eats Girl, Skinwalkers, Rambo, WAR, FEAR.net, and The Condemned 2 for PS3 and XBOX360
The Inside Pulse
Without a doubt Saw IV is one of the most enjoyable so far in the entire franchise and it’s going to be very hard for the fifth or sixth films to bypass it, but I hope they do. The second time around really did it for me and got me to appreciate it more then I originally did so if you pick it up and watch it, make sure to watch it a few times. Things and clues became even clearer when I checked it out a third and fourth time with the commentaries. For the first time ever quite possibly, I actually enjoyed both commentaries that were included on a DVD which is rare for me. There’s a lot to be learned here for fans of the series so pay close attention. If you’ve never seen a Saw flick before, then don’t start here because you’ll only ruin it for yourselves. One problem I have is that you know damn well there is going to be a two-disc special edition of Saw IV released in the coming months. This is my seventh DVD for four films so far so it is up to you whether you wish to check it out now or wait for the special features filled version that is bound to come out.
Oh and if someone who has seen the film can tell me one thing, I’d be greatly appreciative. In the second scene there are the two guys connected to the winding chain trap in a mausoleum. One guy is obviously Art and featured throughout a lot of the rest of the film. The other guy (who Bousman identifies as a stuntman in the second commentary) seems to have no other purpose or history except that he dies. Every character in the films so far has had a deeper meaning to them. Maybe it will be described in later films, but I mean…he’s already dead. So if anyone has seen him in the first three films or knows who he is as relating to the film itself, please drop me a line.
