Incredibly violent and extremely gory, this is more of a remake than a prequel and it squanders the opportunity to do something more interesting with the premise.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:77
Fresh:10
Rotten:67
Average Rating:3.4/10
Consensus: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is full of blood and gore, but not enough scares or a coherent story to make for a successful horror film.
Runtime: 89 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
US Box Office: $39,418,953
Synopsis: The producers behind the successful 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre return to deliver this startling prequel, which details the beginnings of the Hewitt clan and exposes their psychotic... The producers behind the successful 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre return to deliver this startling prequel, which details the beginnings of the Hewitt clan and exposes their psychotic idea of family fun. For the first time, audiences will learn what led to the origin of Leatherface, perhaps the most iconic horror character of all time. It's 1969. The conflict in Vietnam has exploded. The toll on the United States is catastrophic, the losses immeasurable, while the draft ramps up to feed the military machine. And 18-year-old Dean Hill's (Taylor Handley) number is up. But before Dean can report to the local induction center, his brother, Eric (Matt Bomer), who has recently returned from a tour of duty in Vietnam, decides to surprise Dean. Despite the concerns of his devoted fiancée, Chrissie (Jordana Brewster), Eric plans to re-enlist alongside Dean in his beloved Marine Corps in hopes of keeping an eye on his directionless brother. Unfortunately, Dean's plans do not coincide with Eric's. Dean's simple strategy to dodge the draft and head south to Mexico is sponsored by his strong-willed girlfriend, Bailey (Diora Baird). But before either couple realizes the true battle they are about to confront, the boys and their respective girlfriends head across Texas for a final fling of serious fun. Soon after their journey begins, the spirited foursome is spooked by a menacing pair of bikers, Holden (Lee Tergesen) and his girlfriend, Alex (Cyia Batten). When Alex chases the group's jeep, propelling them into a serious accident, Chrissie is thrown from the vehicle. As Alex attempts to rob the injured trio, Sheriff Hoyt (R. Lee Ermey) arrives on the scene and turns the tables on their would-be assassin. While Chrissie hides in the nearby brush, she watches as the sheriff inexplicably taunts her friends before ordering them into the back of the patrol car. Unbeknownst to Chrissie, Hoyt is headed back to the Hewitt family home, where his nephew, Thomas – who is being groomed to become the terrifying monster known as Leatherface (Andrew Bryniarski) – and the rest of the Hewitt clan await. As Chrissie witnesses the horrors inflicted by the Hewitt family upon the people she loves, she realizes she is their only hope of survival. New Line Cinema, in association with Michael Bay, presents The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, the terrifying story of a family left behind in a fading rural town, with no hope, no prospects and nothing left to lose, whose eccentric behavior crosses the line into gruesome, sadistic ritual. The film stars Jordana Brewster, Taylor Handley, Diora Baird, Matt Bomer, Lee Tergesen, Cyia Batten and R. Lee Ermey. --© New Line Cinema [More]
Starring: Jordana Brewster, Andrew Bryniarski, Cyia Batten, Diora Baird
Starring: Jordana Brewster, Andrew Bryniarski, Cyia Batten, Diora Baird, Matthew Bomer, Taylor Handley, Lee Tergesen, R. Lee Ermey, Lew Temple, Heather Kafka, Marietta March, Terrence Evans
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Screenwriter: Sheldon Turner
Story: David J. Schow
Producer: Mike Fleiss, Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller
Studio: New Line Cinema
Reviews for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
A noisy prequel to the 2003 remake that revs up the power tools to disguise its pointlessness.
It literally made me weep to see how hard and cold we’ve become as a society, that this could be considered entertainment.
Maybe this should have been titled Night of the Living Brain Dead -- that describes the victims, describes the killers, and describes the bankrupt talents behind the butchered hack job that is this movie.
Attention sadists: Demand more from your gorefests than this pro forma return to the well. Has mass murder ever been this dull?
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning relies on made-you-jump shocks and more fake entrails than a Jaycees haunted house.
It's hard to concentrate on normal points of movie criticism when you're trying to keep your lunch down.
Tries to justify its ugly sadism through some very black comedy and a revival of the Vietnam-era cultural politics of the original: The cannibal family represents an establishment that turns young people into not just cannon fodder but literal fodder.
A better-than-average horror release in terms of blood and general intensity, but still a pale shadow of its blasting-out-of-the-gate predecessor.
There's a good bit of gore, bad plumbing and standard psychotic bad housekeeping, but not much more.
The new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie is so desperate to create some indelible horror imagery that it forgets everything else that's required of a standard big screen movie macabre.
Brutal, nihiliste, politiquement incorrect et définitivement déplaisant, le film s'adresse uniquement à ceux qui apprécient leur violence sans filtre.
Latest News for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The...
April 27, 2009:
Warners Finds Director for Odysseus ![]()
Warner Bros. has hired Jonathan Liebesman, director of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning," to helm "Odysseus," the story of "the Greek lit hero and king of Ithaca who... More...
October 11, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Wide Open Race For #1 Spot This Weekend
Five new films push their way into nationwide release on Friday hoping to challenge two-time champ The Rock making for what should be a free-for-all at the North American box... More...
October 04, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Heartbreak Kid Hopes to Charm Moviegoers
Following a six-week streak of R-rated films topping the charts, The Rock's family comedy The Game Plan led the box office last weekend. Now, adult fare comes back to claim the... More...
February 01, 2007:
Jordana Brewster is the New "Mrs. Smith"
Remember the news that director Doug Liman and screenwriter Simon Kinberg were planning to bring their "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" to television? OK, well, it seems like... More...
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