Saw IV Sneak-Peek Preview

For everyone who doesn't like extreme blood, guts and gore, clearly the newest Saw sequel, aptly titled Saw IV, is not for them. But, of course, we knew that already. And although the excessive lengths to which director Darren Lynn Bousman takes this third sequel are not surprising, they are grotesque and disturbing enough to make the viewer's skin crawl.

Frankly, as the sequels drag on - and believe me, there will be more - the plot lines run thinner and thinner, this one in "Saw IV" the most measly and far-reaching of them all. Old cast members return from the dead with little better than the I-faked-it-last-time excuse. "Saw IV" begins when new tape is found in Jigsaws's (Tobin Bell) stomach during an autopsy which sets in motion yet another trial for yet another poor sap, this time SWAT Commander Rigg (Lyriq Bent), to go through. Jigsaw's ill-fated ex-lover Jill (Betsy Russell) - whom we first met in "Saw III" - comes back to "Saw IV" in an attempt to fill in plot holes from past sequels as well as set up the franchise for many more Saw renditions in the future.

Although tiring and ridiculous at times, the plot twists are unpredictable and do manage to keep the viewer on their toes. Director Bousman, who's now infamous for his surprise endings, has stated, "If you guys guess the end of the movie, then you're my personal heroes." And right he is. Admittedly the ending to "Saw IV" is the strangest and most surprising ending yet. If the only reason you go to Saw movies is to see the shocker that always comes at the end, you won't be disappointed.

While I wasn't impressed with the movie's depth or the more gruesome, gut-wrenching - no pun intended - scenes, the acting was not entirely sub-par. Bent gives a believable performance as Commander Rigg, being justly terrified and panic-stricken. Jill's character is given a bit more beef and Russell does a fine job of making the viewer believe her unbelievable character.

Ultimately, fans of the Saw franchise will be pleased with "Saw IV". There are more plot twists, turns, and surprises than you can shake a fist at, and one thing that can be said for Bousman is that he's never afraid to "go there" with his films. There are plenty of blood-hungry knives, vengeance-seeking, blood and gore to satisfy even the most ravenous horror hound.

For the rest of us, though, Saw IV is little more than the same stuff, different sequel.