B

I have qualms (namely some logistical errors that conflict with Saw III), but I liked it. There were some genuinely cool story moments, and though the ultimate twist was VERY predictable, it made sense and got my blood pumping. It's comparable to Saw II in terms of style and tone.

I liked it, but it's slightly disappointing. The traps are as wild as always, and the story is good, but it became predictable and I definitely felt that it was missing a little something. This is where the series begins to feel like its overkill, something I expected to see with Saw III, but they managed to make a perfect trilogy (in my opinion). That said, it is intense and an effective horror flick, so I'm not going to lie and say I didn't enjoy it.

B+

An incredibly flawed horror film that is the least entertaining of the series so far. The story is quite convulted and predictable, and the way it wrapped up the storyline left open in the third film was ridiculous. I also didn't like the way that the story was told - with flashbacks and flashbacks within flashbacks making up the bulk of the film. That being said, there were a few inventive death sequences - but that doesn't make up for the lack of scares and the underdeveloped characters that you feel nothing for. I wasn't a huge fan of the first film aside from the awesome ending, but the second and third films were both very solid. The way the film sets up for another installment suggests that the films will continue to be made with this storyline in mind - and that is not a good thing. This is yet another horror disappointment in one of the worst years for the genre in recent memory.

C

While I thought Saw III was great, I was dissapointed that they killed off Jigsaw at the end. Part of me was still hoping that he somehow survived and would still be in Saw IV, I knew it was false hope. So going into Saw IV I had greatly lowered expectations, boy was I wrong. Other than the original Saw, Saw IV is my favorite of the franchise. While it may have been possible to guess who the new bad guy is, the ending totally threw me off with the timing of the storyline with the previous movie. One of the great things I love with the Saw movies is the twist endings and this one delivered. Add in the elaborate death traps and Saw IV continues with what is the best horror franchise to date.

Can't wait till Saw V next Halloween!

A-

I thought the twists -- both the new killer and the timeline -- were insanely predictable if you knew the previous film.

My thoughts exactly. It's a really disappointing movie. I'm hoping that this was just a one-time misfire and that Saw V will get the series back on track, but this movie's implication that the series will continue down this route gives me serious doubt about that.

Saw IV's a 95 minute lead-in to Saw V. It's as simple as that.

Heh I guess I'm glad I should've watched Saw III sometime since opening day, because the timeline and new killer had me scratching my head. Either way it was about on par with the first Saw but I liked it less than 2 and 3. I will say though that having Darren Lynn Bossman keep directing each of these sequels was a very good call. The guy makes these movies much flashier with the editing and the constant references to past entries that are plot devices for the sequels makes them feel a lot less redundant than they should.

I liked it, but I had had enough at a certain point and thought the film was a little too clever for it's own good. You can take only so many flashbacks up until a certain point. And although I figured out what was going on, the last 20 minutes of this film are completely confusing. Unlike the previous three films, you have to sit for the entire 86 minute running time without getting up, or else you'll be completely lost when you come back. I also thought the ending was a little anti-climatic. I like how it kind of paralled the ending of the original, but it was kind of a disappointment.

One more final quibble. Saw has one of the most iconic horror musical themes in the past 20 years, possibly ever. Throughout the entire film, they hint at that cue. Then when it comes the time to actually use it, they don't drive it home. In the previous two films, I had goosebumps when the theme came up, and there was umph behind the theme. Here, it's kind of an afterthought. It's like they didn't play the theme in it's entirety. It was kind of a downer.

So besides the fact that it's confusing in places (You absolutely must have to see, not just the third, but the second and first film) and the music was a little bit of a downer, I liked the film. That saying, they really have to stop the series here, especially considering how this one ended, and who was involved in the twist. I just can't picture a fifth film using this person. The only other option would be a prequel, but I don't know how that would work out.

C+

I actually disagree with that. I think 'this character' has nice potential for a sequel, which is bound to be full of parallels while seeing how he met Jigsaw and such.

And they hinted he knows where Corbett is, so she better be back in V.

The only thing that disappointed me was Dr. Gordon from the first film wasn't in it. My friends and I were hoping that he was going to be the new bad guy. If the Saw films have taught us one thing it is that if we don't see a character completely die, they are not dead (Detective Eric Mathews). So I can only hope that he appears in SAW V or VI.

I think that just happens when you cast a decent actor in a horror movie, and he doesnt die. Elwes doesnt seem like the type of guy that would want to do a sequel.

Gordon's dead. If he's not, why wasn't Adam rescued from the bathroom?

Didn't Amanda kill him, just a few short hours later as 3 told it. Maybe Gordon went into shock and was found, but was put in intensive care, and didnt come to til later. Or maybe Jigsaw annonymously dropped him off, if Gordon was passed out (At that point he never killed anyone), hence Gordon would not know the location that him and Adam were.

There could be a way he was brought back.

Based on Adam's condition when Amanda came back, it's been at least a few days. Further, the bodies are still there in Saw II.

But okay, we'll run with the idea that he was 'magically' rescued, because there's no way he's making it through those tunnels in his condition. Where is he? The way he's spoken about in Saw III seems to imply he's dead to me.

LYNN: I've seen you on television. Lawrence Gordon was your doctor.
JIGSAW: I was his patient and he was mine.

He could have been saved ala Detective Mathews was saved after he broke off his foot. Dr. Gordon did what Jigsaw wanted and that was so cut off his foot to escape. Jigsaw obviously caught up with Dr. Gordon in the basement tunnels and there is noway that he would finish him off. I think it could easily have been possible for Jigsaw to save him and take him under his wing.

Yeah, Amanda was a patient of Jigsaw's too. I think the point is that if they learn something, they are kept alive. Maybe, he went to help Gordon, and he sent Amanda to help Adam, as he wasn't suppose to be alive anymore.

They talk about Matthews' survival in Saw III, though.

AMANDA: That's right, I'm a murderer.
JIGSAW: No, Amanda, that's what you thought, but I know different. You left him for dead, didn't you? But I cleaned up your mistakes. Forgave you for them.

I still haven't seen the 4th, so I don't know what happened to Matthews, other than that hes in the 4th.

Yes, he's alive, just to be killed off quickly. The same applies to other characters. Some may call that "clever" because it connects the movies with each other. I call it a ridiculous, pretentious mess.

How in the world is bringing back characters pretentious?

Don't listen to him. He's just ignorant and apparently angry about something.

-

On a sidenote:
Joe's polemic shallowness is amusing. He's acting as if we were talking about Faust.

I enjoyed the first three, but this one was terrible, its a unnecessarily complicated plot that was both boring and illogical. I didn't care who the guy behind the game was was, because it was obvious who it was, he was a boring character, ad he's been on the case for years, yeah, sure.

The made the deaths interesting, but then it appeared like a fill in the blank what do do since we killed jigsaw hack of a plot.

It just killed my interest in the series. I literally watched the first one the day before seeing this one, and while Saw is chuck full of some bad acting (Cary Elwes I am looking at you), at least it had an interesting story. This one, ugh, I wasted my afternoon and my $8.