DVD
REVIEW: SAW 4
01/20/08
FILM REVIEW: “The
games have just begun” that is the opening line in the
fourth installment of this series, and that is just what Saw
IV does, it plays with the audience, deceiving it to believe
something that gets completely shattered at the end . The
movie follows the same plot as its previous three movies
with genuine and inventive bloody traps and a twisting end
that will leave the viewers asking more questions than
solving the ones already open. Many people will say that is
only a sequel to exploit and make money out of the fans of
the series, that it does not add nothing new to the story,
in my opinion that is what all sequels do in all genres from
the matrixes, the Fridays the 13th, and the Star Wars. This
movie is not for everybody, it is targeted to a selected
group of people that are already part of the Saw universe,
the Saw fans. Saw IV is as fun, smart, attractive and
ingenious as the first one, and it will make its DVD day
view on January 22 2008.
Saw IV opens just where the third one ended, with Jigsaw
(Tobin Bell) and Amanda dead. The good thing is that they
are not coming back to live, like many of those horror films
from the past, the best thing is that the fun is not yet
over. During Jigsaw’s autopsy a new micro-cassette is
discovered in his stomach, a flash back from Saw III is
shown, announcing that his legacy still continues.
Apparently, there is another unknown apprentice and many
people that has yet to be tested. It is now. for two of the
officers already known in the series Detective Riggs ( Lyriq
Bent) and Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) and two new
federal agents, Agent Perez (Athena Karkanis) and Agent
Strahm (Scott patterson) to find this new accomplice and
save as many people as they can. Little do they know is that
in the process, they might have to save themselves too.
In Saw IV, director and writers took a different approach
from the previous one, this time is most focused in the
transformation of the Jig Saw character than in their
victims. For fans of the series this is somehow refreshing
because it gives them a chance to know more about this
gifted, manipulative, and dark character, his puppet, mask
and traps, with out loosing track of the main puzzle. The
movie does not flow as free as the previous ones and it is
easy to get confused; the audience have to pay attention
from beginning or they will end up lost when it finished,
fortunately the director did a good job since the movie
hooks you from the first scene. The style of the games also
changed a little in this one, it is not longer the dark and
claustrophobic rooms and warehouses. They take place all
over the city, form Riggs own house, to a bright mausoleum,
with out removing the Saw magic that makes the audience feel
all the agony and desperation of the victims as their own.
The traps are also more elaborate than before, there are no
more simple rusted iron saws, or masks that explodes, now
each trap takes almost the size of a room, and there are
more mechanical and practical than ever. This movie is also
a link to the previous one, the writers did an outstanding
job concatenating the three previous stories, events and
characters to this movie, we will learned the reasons for
targeted some of the previous character.
The Actors did an outstanding job portraying their roles,
each one of them depicted the needed characteristics of each
characters, from Jigsaw to Ivan. Lyriq Bent and Costas
Mandylor who had been in the previous ones as supporting
characters in this ones shows us all their skills as a
protagonist. Also the few times that Donnie Walberg is in
the movie, he portrays his character as no one else. Tobin
Bell also does great performing Jigsaw , making the audience
fell fear but also sympathy for him. The sound is also a
high point of the movie along with the special effects.
Together they make a lethal combination in each death that
looks as real and painful as it could be.
So where Does Saw IV leave us? As I say before it leave us
in the same place as the previous ones, amazed, exhausted
(in a good way), and pleased for the moment. We get to know
about the origin of Jigsaw’s mind, but it also leave us with
more questions than before. The only problem I think is that
it advances little or nothing to the current story, it
leaves too many things to interpretation, and with the
addition of more characters and a Jigsaw already dead the
puzzle gets bigger and harder to solve. Saw IV is not only a
blood feast but an interesting turning point for the
franchise and a must have for fans; now, that they exploited
John’s past there is no other way but forward, it is up to
the writers to keep it interesting and don’t let the
franchise die with an inadequate and lame ending. As far as
they keep it exciting, noteworthy, and innovating there can
be as many Saws as they want.
VIDEO:
Anamorphic Widescreen 16x9
AUDIO:
5.1 Dolby
Digital Surround EX Audio and 2.0 Dolby Digital
Subtitles - English Spanish - Optional
SPECIAL FEATURES: The
DVD set comes well design as all the previous ones, just by
looking at its cover, it gives you the chills but at the
same time curiosity for the movie, it matches and will
looked good with the other three DVDs Covers in your
collection. The unrated versions shows a little more blood
that the theatrical one but it is hard to see the
difference. The special features though, are not as good as
in its predecessors it has the regular DVD stuff, the making
off, trap design, commentary, music video and deleted scenes
well deleted from the movie. Nonetheless for fans is ok to
watch at least once.
Audio Commentary with Director
Darren Lynn Bousman and actor Lyriq Bent: Watch the
movie while the main character and director expresses their
point of view and experiences in each scene of the movie
Audio Commentary with Producers Oren
Koules and Mark Burg and exclusive producer Peter Block and
Jason Costantine,
Darren’s Video Diary: This
is basically the Making Of feature it goes from beginning of
production to last scene of the movie. It is interesting if
you want to know what the director was thinking, problems
the cast had while filming and the way the movie was shot.
(32:59)
The Traps of SAW IV:
opinions of Director of Photography David A Armstrong
production Designer David Hackl and director Darren Lynn
Bousman on the different traps of the movie. It tells you
how they came out with the idea an d how they make it work.
Amazingly some of the traps work for real. The different
traps are The ice Block Trap (2:40), the Knife Trap (1:52),
The Hair Trap (2:57)(best trap in the movie), the Mausoleum
Trap (2:50), the Bedroom Trap(2:29), and The Spike
Trap(2:22).
The Props of SAW
IV: how the different devices, and object used in
the movie, and how they came out with the idea. (8:58).
Saw IV Music Video
by “X Japan” (5:07)
Deleted Scene
police station (0:45) is the only deleted scene of the
special features which does not add anything to the movie.
RATING BREAK DOWN:
| FILM REVIEW |
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VIDEO |
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AUDIO |
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| BONUS
FEATURES |
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Review
By Milo
milo@smartcine.com
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