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Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Release Date: October 26th, 2007
Rating: R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture throughout, and for language.
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 I'll admit that this is a horror series I'm addicted to seeing. It's become a tradition for another friend and me to catch the latest one on opening night. People can laugh all they want, but the first three films have grossed $415,000,000 world wide making these low-budget flicks (About $10,000,000 production budget for each) a profitable endeavor.
The latest addition to the Saw series didn't disappoint. Plenty of intricate traps, gratuitous violence, and over-the-top plot twists. The ending left the series wide open for a sequel and the latest news is that Saw V and Saw VI are being written right now.
Glorious!
The interesting part about the series is it's not your standard slasher-flick. There's an actual plot unraveling that involves a mystery flair leaving the viewer with plenty of questions concerning morality, justice, and human nature. Think of it as Se7en on crack.
Although Jigsaw, the main villain, is definitely dead (The first scene is his graphic autopsy which includes removing his brain), Jigsaw's character plays a major role in the movie. We get to learn more about his past and what made him turn into the creative killer. We also learn of Jigsaw's wife who watches his transformation.
Saw IV continues the who-dun-it train, surprising everyone in the end. I could tell that most of the teenagers were confused by the ending as it required some thinking to understand what happened and when it happened.
It also didn't help that two of the main characters looked alike.
Just so you don't get lost, the white guy with square jaw and dark hair is a cop. The other guy is an FBI agent. Don't get them confused in the heat of the action when they're both wearing white shirts, splattered with blood, and pushing similar motives of trying to solve the case.
The other main male character is distinct in the sense that he's the only black guy. When you see him, you know exactly which character you're looking at.
I know what you're thinking, "All dark-haired, white guys look alike." Not all of them, but these two white guys do when the scenes are flashing quickly. They should have at least made one of them blonde or a Mexican. It would have done wonders for the teenagers trying to follow along.
A good rule of thumb for keeping characters distinct is the Rocky series starring Sylvester Stallone. The majority of these films were very successful, and part of that was because the main characters had distinct looks. When two sweaty men are in close quarters duking it out, you can easily tell who hit who.
Follow the logic with me.
Rocky was a dark-haired Italian versus an afro'd black guy.
Rocky II was the same thing. The afro was a little smaller, but you could still easily tell them apart.
Rocky III was a dark-haired Italian versus a Mohawked black guy with a beard. Now notice in the picture below is Clubber Lang, Apollo Creed, and Rocky. While they appear in this scene together, it is brief. Having Clubber Lang fight Apollo would have been detrimental to the series. Yes, one has a Mohawk, earrings, and a beard while the other has a small afro with a 70's mustache, but when they're covered in sweat and blood, and the scenes are moving quickly from awkward angles, it would get confusing to the average viewer.
Rocky IV did have two white guys fighting each other, but one had curly, dark-hair while the other had a blond flat-top and was about a foot taller. Also, one of them was a Communist (I can smell him just by looking at the picture). They're very easy to contrast against red-blooded Americans who are well-fed and smell of freedom.
Rocky V... I don't remember anything from this movie. I'm pretty sure Rocky was in it though. His opponent probably looked just like him which is why I can't recall him thus proving my point. Two similar-looking people equates to a confusing and, in this case, forgettable movie.
Rocky VI went with what worked in the very beginning - a dark-haired Italian versus a black guy. To make things even easier, the black guy is bald and about 30 years younger.
See the pattern of success? The makers of the Saw series should take note when casting Saw V. There will be less-confused teenagers next time.
Other than that, the movie is entertaining. If you enjoyed the previous editions of Saw, you'll enjoy this one. I don't recommend taking kids, girls, or senior citizens. They'll have nightmares and will hate you for it.
Related links
Official Saw IV Website
Official Box Office Stats
Review of Saw |
