Movie Review: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

Before I start this review, I would like to talk a little bit about the upcoming Texas Chainsaw Prequel featuring a young Leatherface. Yes guys, there's going to be another Texas Chainsaw Prequel. And judging by the fact that this would be the younger version of Leatherface:

Let's say I don't particularly have high hopes for this one. Sure, he's a cute guy but I just don't picture him being Leatherface. Maybe He'll surprise me but who knows. This prequel is being made by a film company named Millennium and is possibly getting a distribution from Lionsgate. Many people have their own opinions on this but with mine, I really think they should just leave this series alone. I don't see how the creators could pick up the chainsaw franchise after it's lowest point. Hell, it hasn't been that long. Besides the point, let's get to the real topic at hand here.
After the success of the 2003 remake, Michael Bay and Company decided to make a prequel in 2006, chronicling the origin story of Leatherface. Was it worth it? Sadly, no. No it wasn't.
The origin story had some potential, the acting was decent, and there were some tension and suspense along with some gory deaths. But the results were rather.....dull. I feel like there really wasn't a reason to make this other than for Platinum Dunes to have rights to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and gain momentum at the box office. I see the thought and effort put into the story, however, I just don't see a true origin story here. In the end, it's just a by the numbers slasher and a 'how we got here' prologue for the remake.
The Story: In 1969, Brothers Eric and Dean along with their girlfriends, Chrissie and Bailey, are heading cross country to enlist in Vietnam, only to get ambushed and terrorized by the Hewitt family.

The cast was pretty decent but I would say there's nothing special about the characters. There is some character development, I'm sure of it, especially the dynamic between two brothers but other than that they all become flat all around and pretty much chainsaw fodder for the Hewitt family.

Jordana Brewster is a good actress though I can't help to feel she was wasted here. The character of Chrissie doesn't really have the same fire as Jessica Biel's Erin. You think she would but she doesn't. She makes stupid decision after stupid decision to the point where you just want to give up. She has a chance of safety, however, she fails at every moment.

She's just not an easy character to root for and judging that this is a prequel to the 2003 remake, what's the point?

Diora Barid as Bailey is, as you guessed it, the typical horror movie blond bimbo. Right off the bat, she is shown showing off her assets and frolicking around with her boyfriend. Character Development, I think not.

Though she does get tortured the worst. The treatment she receives from the Hewitt family is awful and you can't help but feel sorry for her when she meets her end.
Now on to the boys. And Oh my gosh, I have so much to tell you because the male leads in this movie is H-O-T HOT!

First off, we have the oh-so sexy Matt Bomer as Eric and his striking blue eyes. When I first seen him slowly come out of the pool I just melted.....But let me focus here. His character arc involves him joining Vietnam. He's pretty much pumped to go but soon finds out his brother burned his draft card and is reluctant to join.

This causes conflict between the brothers and furthermore adds to the character development but it sort of ends there and it's only used as a catalyst for Sheriff Hoyt's military-style torture.

His death is probably the most brutal in the movie and Chrissie is drenched in his own blood, no less.

 

 

Then there's adorable hottie Taylor Handley as Dean and his luscious blond locks. The story with him is that he's reluctant to go Vietnam and when he tells his brother about this this causes tension between them though it dies down once they get captured and mauled by Sheriff Hoyt. Throughout the movie, he is pretty capable as a hero but ,just like Chrissie, seems to fail miserably at any moment. I can't help to feel that this was done intentionally by the filmmakers. Of course, he doesn't make it.

The little backstory on Sheriff Hoyt I've already explained in the review of the 2003 remake, though most of us would already know that he's really not a sheriff. Somehow in some convoluted way, he and Leatherface successfully kill the sheriff of the town and owns the badge of honor. It's just....so moronic how that is conceived. Since Hoyt served in World War II, he gets the tortured the boys military style. It's really just R. Lee Ermey playing his character from Full Metal Jacket, So I have nothing else to say for that matter.

There could've been much more time and effort put into Leatherface since it is, you know, he's origin story after all. It's just these quick little tidbits of him being born in the most harshest conditions, losing his job as meat cutter and being a young upstart providing for his cannibalistic family.

Can I say that this movie is extremely gory? because it is. I know that most fans who saw the 2003 remake would say that that version of the movie wasn't gory enough but this turns it up to eleven. I really doesn't help the movie in any matter though. And through my research, this is why the uncut version got a NC-17.

But this is what bugged me: The Dinner Table scene. I really didn't see there was no point to this other than the filmmakers to please the fans who didn't get to see a dinner table scene in the remake. But this just seems forced. I liked the fact there wasn't a dinner table scene in the remake because that would come off a bit cheesy. We've already seen the dinner table scene in each of the sequels, and you know some of those sequels were kind of campy at times. And like I said they making this as though this should've been the remake though 2003 remake has it's own merits which why it's better than this movie.

Now it all leads to one of the most stupidest endings in a horror film, which left the movie more dull and lifeless. So you think Chrissie would've escaped fine, right? Wrong. In some odd way, She gets chainsawed at the backseat of the car, which causes her to crash into nearby police cars, killing each officer in the way. And soon this is the beginning of Leatherface's bloody journey as the chainsaw slayer. How. Fucking. Dumb. The narrator doesn't even give a shit.
Laughably, Platinum Dunes just gave up and sold the rights back to the creators. I guess they wanted to put the series to rest, since this one wasn't much of a hit at the box office. At least it wasn't as bad as Chainsaw 3D, of course.

I know I didn't really put much care into this review but what can I say? There was no point to make this and therefore, I'll just leave it at that.

My Last Word: Watch the 1974 original. It's much more of a benefit, actually.