Let the games slow down. Thankfully the best thing I can say about 'Saw IV' is they cut back on the gore. They didn't necessary replace the gruesome aspect of the series with more plot, story or acting, in fact, if anything, they all but eliminated those aspects that were the only thing holding the previous installments alive. Okay, sure this movie is gory, but comparatively speaking, it's "SawLite." Here we have more of a back story of Jigsaw (and the Mrs.) as he had died in the previous film. That's not a spoiler; the movie starts with his autopsy. It didn't really gross me out, as it was all medical, though it might be not for the squeamish. It does set the scene for some of his postmortem games – basically what parts IV+ are set up since they killed off the main character/ring-leader. Unfortunately, as that's a key plot point to keep the series (or games) alive and incidentally, its downfall. From there, you never know if you're in the present or past. It is flashback, upon flashback, including, hilariously the now made-famous: flashback within the flashback. (I saw that once on 'The Simpsons' and that was hysterical. Unfortunately, here, it's to be taken seriously, though I still laughed.) Just to jump ahead a bit, in 'Saw V' it's more relevant, but part 'IV' sets the stage where they simply just make up stuff that happened in the background to keep the story alive. If you watch this movie, or the following one(s), you'll see where character's just appear where the writers want them to – around corners, behind doors, etc. I pity them as it seems like they're grasping at straws to keep the series going. Not a horrible movie, but, boy, they needed to end it with 'III.'
