Saw IV Review

You can imagine media studies lecturers using "Saw IV" to explain exactly what is meant by the phrase "the law of diminishing returns". It's basically business as usual for the death-trap-happy franchise but there's nothing here that you haven't seen before.

If you thought Jigsaw's death at the end of "Saw III" meant that his reign of decision-based death-trap terror was over, then think again - "Saw IV" opens with Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) being sliced open on a mortuary slab and his stomach contents examined to reveal that -yes!- he had time to scarf down one more tape before he died. Detectives Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) and Rigg (Lyriq Bent) duly investigate, believing that one of Jigsaw's previous victims (Donnie Wahlberg as Eric Matthews) might still be alive. Meanwhile, two FBI agents (Scott Patterson and Athena Karkanis) become convinced that Jigsaw had an accomplice on the police force, while flashbacks reveal the events that turned Jigsaw from loving husband to franchise-spawning psychopath.

Audiences go to the "Saw" movies expecting two things: gory, elaborate death-traps and a clever twist at the end. "Saw IV" has both those bases covered - indeed, if you feel like you want to see a man push his face into knives in order to release himself, then "Saw IV" has your name written all over it. However, the twist is extremely stupid and only goes to show how far the series has sunk in that regard.

The main plot is so achingly derivative that it's actually dull, so the Jigsaw flashbacks come as something of a relief, due to Bell's superb performance and the fact that, unlike most of the rest of the film, they actually make sense.

Basically, this is strictly for hardcore "Saw" fans, not least because it requires close knowledge of the previous three films.