Saw IV an Important Piece of the Jigsaw Puzzle

This might be the most consistent franchise in horror history. We have yet to see the makers of the "Saw" films turn out their equivalent of "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" or "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge." Don't worry; I knocked on wood.

It's comforting to see that our beloved genre has a fresh stable of icons again. For years, I wondered who would fill the shoes of Freddy, Jason, and Michael. It appears as though Samara, Jigsaw, and maybe even The Creeper (am I the only one who wants to see a third "Jeepers Creepers" entry?) have become the nightmare weavers of the new millennium.

But is "Saw IV" worth a $50 ticket and a $75 tub of butter? I liked it. I had no idea what to expect out of this rushed sequel. Shockingly, the narrative doesn't feel rushed. We pick up after the events of "Saw III" (I'm so tempted to spoil the ending) to find Riggs hopelessly searching for Eric Mathews, Donnie Wahlberg's character from "Saw II." I can't delineate much more than that.

The fun of "Saw IV" is extricating the manifold storyline. There are countless mysteries to solve and twists to unsuccessfully predict. This flick contains more plot twists than any other "Saw" spectacle. None of the revelations will hit you with as much impact as the first film's shocker of an ending, but I didn't see any of them coming.

This wouldn't be a "Saw" film without swinish brutality, and the traps on display definitely slaked my appetite for red stuff. Oh, the traps. These morality tests are particularly painful to watch. The "ponytail" bit hurt my scalp, and I'm not even a chick! Ouch. The climactic concussion (you gotta love euphemisms) was a hoot and a half. All of the kills deserve a rating of at least three-tenths of a hoot.

We don't get any nudity, but these bloodbathtubs have never been about bare flesh. I missed hottie Shawnee Smith, although I'm glad that Tobin Bell was given a great deal of substance to work with. The script tinkers with your core ethics. I empathized with the man. Any film that forces the viewer to question his/her own morality is a keeper, in my book.

Lyrig Bent is believable as Rigg. "Saw IV" doesn't have a conventional lead or a marketable protagonist, but Bent handles his screen time well. Of course, this isn't a picture-perfect picture. There are a few loose ends that dangled all the way into the concession stands. For instance, whatever happened to Rigg's wife? And why did Jigsaw's accomplice choose to side with the dying psychopath to begin with?

Will these questions be answered in "Saw V: The Dream Child"? My next remonstrance is a lesser offense, but it troubled me all the same. Some of the confusion that moviegoers have expressed in early reviews could have been smoothed out if the key characters had more distinct facial features. Two cops and a lawyer look too much alike, and I mixed them up on more than one occasion. Know what I mean, Vern?

I don't know if it's a good idea to release a new "Saw" film every year, but whatever Lions Gate is doing seems to be working. The door is wide open for the fifth installment. In fact, the door is so wide open, that there is a doorstop keeping the door open, and people keep walking through the damn thing. I just hope that someone closes the door at some point to keep bugs (a.k.a. bad movies) from getting in. Extended metaphors wear me out, as do references to Jim Varney.