If you're the kind of horror fan who likes your gore to be chased down with something more-like, say, wit, suspense or genuine fear-this picture has little to offer.
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
For me, it was worthwhile just to hear R. Lee Ermey call one of his victims "Dumplin.'"
You know a trend has crested and collapsed by the time Michael Bay gets a hold of it.
All you need to know about the character is he's really crazy and carries a chain saw. And he's got an even crazier uncle who all but steals the film.
Liebesman's woefully rancid and riddled prequel of the same name is basically a horrendously harried yet uneventful hollow shell of its former bloodied self.
If you are into extremes this ultra-violent blood feast is probably just your ticket.
What about the kid's formative years? Now *that* might have made for a movie. Instead we get another pack of kids ripe for ever more gruesomely depicted slaughter...
Most slasher sequels are just lame retreads; this is a retread, but it's well shot and acted, even when the onscreen logic is odd.
A top-notch grindhouse flick perfect for the Halloween season. It's also the best this series has seen in twenty years.
Ermey again easily steals the show as the redneck 'sheriff' from hell.
R. Lee Ermey's performance at the patriarch is impressively nutso. In every other respect, though, this is a redundant and deeply unpleasant movie.
It's as remorseless and disheartening as any of the others, more gory and less scary.
No character, no commentary. Just slice-and-dice, pare-and-scare, scream-and-run and fall-and-die.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning misses everything that made the first one eat into your spine like meningitis.
Jonathan Liebesman's prequel to Tobe Hooper's 1974 horror classic is just another trip down a very dusty road.
Apart from reviving the original Massacre's pervasive sense of Nixon-era malaise, it doesn't offer much in the way of satisfying origins.
Ever gone into a movie knowing exactly what's going to happen and still been scared by it? Yeah, me neither.
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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