The Bar

Starring: Scott Patterson, Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Costas Mandylor, Justin Louis

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Writer(s): Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan, and Thomas Fenton

Studio: Lionsgate

Rating: R

Official Bar Score: 

That time is once again upon, my annual October tradition for four years running. A franchise that for the first time ever I have tracked every film in and seen it on opening day. In fact by the time most people read this review Saw IV will also mark the third time in the series that I’ve seen a Saw more than once during opening weekend. With that said there are a few things that need to be stated before you read this review.

Number 1, I’m a complete and utter fanboy for this series and openly admit it. Best horror franchise in years and gave the genre a big kick in the ass, and also won some big battles for rated “R” horror in a time period when it was becoming a dying breed.

Number 2, my score of four beers reflects something different than the quality of the film. This is where me being a fanboy comes into play. The film itself was a solid 3 1/2 beer movie, which is not a bad score on any level. However, the extra half a beer comes in simply because the film was just insanely violent, way more than any of the other ones in the series. I know what you are thinking but the Bar’s own Winnie G said it best when leaving the theater, violence is what people come to see when they come to see a Saw movie.

With that in mind there is one more thing I feel needs to be shared before moving on, and though some may view this as a spoiler of sorts it actually doesn’t reveal anything that would taint the viewing experiance but rather it enhances it and saves you from ending up like so many people who I overheard while leaving the theater. Saw 3 and 4 occur at the same time. Now don’t look too much into this, it’s mainly just to help some of the pieces fall into place a little better.

Now the story centers on S.W.A.T. team member Rigg who fans of the franchise will remember from his role in part two during the raid on Jigsaw. This time he is put to the test as he struggles to save some of his fellow workers. In the background is the story of Perez and Straum who are trying to piece together the pieces of Jigsaw’s puzzle. Honestly, that’s all you can know going in to the fourth movie that and what you already know from the previous entries.

Story wise this is the most complex of the Saw movies, and honestly some of the pieces didn’t begin to totally fall in to place until the drive home, which is the main reason for the reveal I made early on. There are other parts but to go into them would spoil pivotal plot points. The complex nature of the plot is nice but at the same time there was a part of Jigsaw’s backstory in which I felt out of place that is introduced. It basically added more fuel to the fire when I felt that his motivation was already established enough, but that is neither here nor there.

On the other hand the film suffered from some of the points that brought Saw II down, and that’s the oversaturation of the characters. There were almost too many characters and not enough time to build them up in the proper fashion. Ultimately you have your five main detective/S.W.A.T characters, in addition to John (Jigsaw) added in with involvement with John’s ex-wife and people whom he once associated with. Though it all ties together some of the stories become jumbled at times from jumping.

On a director’s standard, Darren did a great job performing a magic trick with this film, he filmed it in a manner that you look exactly where he wants you to and not where you should and ultimately it once again leads to a film in which you pick up things with each additional view, which has become a big part of his involvement with Saw II - IV. Which on the other hand makes the involvement of so many stories to be such a good move by the writers as it serves as the perfect distraction for the illusion that is happening right before your face.

One last thing to consider with this film, it simply was laying out the backstory and foundation for what is the beginning of the second Saw trilogy. Saw IV won’t go down as the best in the franchise but it’s still one hell of a movie.

Recent Posts by Dr. Monkey

• Dr. Monkey's Movie Quiz # 1 - November 1st, 2008
• Movie Review: Saw V - October 24th, 2008
• Dr. Monkey's Album Quiz # 2 - October 21st, 2008
• Dr. Monkey's Album Quiz # 1 - October 12th, 2008
• Catching Up With the Dr: AKA The Lazy Post - October 6th, 2008