Rated R for strong horror violence/gore, language and drug content

Directed by: Marcus Nispel

Starring: Jessica Biel, Eric Balfour, Jonathan Tucker, Erica Leerhsen, Mike Vogel, R. Lee Ermey, Lauren German, David Dorfman

Plot:
On August 20th 1973, police were dispatched to the remote farmhouse of Thomas Hewitt, a former head-skinner at a local slaughterhouse in Travis County, Texas. What they found within the confines of his cryptic residence was the butchered remains of 33 victims, a chilling discovery that shocked and horrified a nation in what many still call the most gruesome mass murder case of all time. Brandishing a chainsaw and wearing the grotesque flesh masks of his victims, the killer became forever known as "Leatherface" when sensational headlines were splashed across newspapers throughout the state of Texas: "House of Horrors Stuns Nation - Massacre in Texas." Police and FBI eventually gunned down a man wearing a leathery mask and declared they had their killer and abruptly closed the case. However, in the years that followed, many close to the grisly murder case would come forward to level accusations that police had botched the investigation and knowingly killed the wrong man. Now, for the first time, the only known survivor of the killing spree has broken the silence and come forward to tell the real story of what happened on that deserted rural Texas highway when a group of five young kids inadvertently found themselves besieged by a chainsaw wielding madman who would leave a trail of blood and terror that would forever be known as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Review:
The Texas Chainsaw Masscre was inspired by a true story. By a 1957 murder case involving a man named Ed Gein.

To picture a sick and sadistic man such as leatherface running around, killing people for no reason at all is sometimes hard to think about. How can a human being do such a thing? How can a person like this go to sleep proud of what they have accomplished throughout the day? Are they actually proud about this? Are they Psycho? What exactly is going on in their minds? All these questions are things I have always wondered since I saw the Original Texas Chainsaw Masscre. The remake is released and here I am wondering the same things again.

The original Texas Chainsaw Masscre was a very good film. With not much technology back then in the 70's, all the scenes felt so realistic. It felt that a tragedy like this could actually happen right next door from you. Now that the remake has been released, I am proud to say that this remake of Texas Chainsaw Masscre does deliver.

Many remakes always end up in the dirt. They just don't live up to the original. With this remake I am proud to say that it does live up to the original. However, I wouldn't say this remake stays true to the original, because they have added many other things and other surprises. One surprise involved showing a more human and calm side of Leatherface. That one scene brought realism because although he seems like a monster killing these human beings, he is a person just like all of us.

To add to that there are scenes in the new Texas Chainsaw Masscre that involved interesting facts about this story. Not only that, but it reveals more facts with visuals that the original never revealed on screen and I enjoyed these bits of facts.

This is a darker, bloodier and more fast paced Texas Chainsaw Masscre than the original, but it fits fine for this film. It certainly gave me a few chills not knowing what was going to pop out. And if you are wondering there are a handful of jump off your seat scares.

Come out, come out, whereever you are.

There is a scene in this film, in which it goes almost to complete silence. Erin which is played by Jessica Biel is hiding from Leatherface and there was about a 3 minute sequence of just Leatherface looking around trying to find her. Once he turns on that chainsaw, hell breaks loose again and the chasing commences. Erin even fights back and an interesting thing occurs and you will have to see it for yourself actually.

The film ends similar to that of the original, but it actually has an extra spice of originality. Is this good? Well I would have to say yes because although a remake should be like the original film, it should have a different structure to it and new things that shock us.

Good cinematography was done and the mood was set well. The first half hour of the film concentrated on setting up the characters, just how they did in the original. Instead of them hitchhiking a guy as in the original, they hitchike a girl which has bad news written all over it. Intensity occurs when she gets in the van and the chase and brutality begins with the film.

As for the actors, I was surprised on how well Jessica Biel played the main character. She certainly wasn't a bad actress at all and acting is always a major problem in horrors. It's good to know that there was no bad acting in this film because it needed to feel realistic as much as possible.

I have to say that I enjoyed both versions of Texas Chainsaw Masscre, the 1974 original and this 2003 remake. If I had to choose the better of the two, it would have to be the original. However, this remake met my expectations and as brutal as it may sound, I wanted more.

Texas Chainsaw Masscre

Rating: