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Movies / On DVD / The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)

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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.

Rated: 18 [See Full Rating] for strong horror violence/gore, language and some sexual content

Runtime: 89 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:13-10-2006

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

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Reviews for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Oppressive, mean-spirited and sadistic, The Beginning is an unsavoury exercise in cruelty and pain that one hopes will also be the end.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
10/28/06
Chris Tilly
Chris Tilly
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/28/06
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
10/28/06
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
10/28/06
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

A noisy prequel to the 2003 remake that revs up the power tools to disguise its pointlessness.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
10/28/06
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
10/28/06
Robert Hanks
Robert Hanks
Independent
N/R

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Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Tom Meek
Tom Meek
Boston Phoenix

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
11/20/08
Michael Szymanski
Michael Szymanski
Hollywood.com

The original "Chain Saw Massacre" spoke, in unsettling terms, to middle America's growing contempt for the '60s counter-culture, but no deeper meaning can be ascribed to this mayhem. It's just a joyless technical exercise.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
07/15/08
Rossiter Drake
Rossiter Drake
San Francisco Examiner

A rote latter-day slasher film with barely anything worth recommending.

Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | comment Comment
07/06/08
Tim Brayton
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy

...an ugly film, overwhelmed by transparent shock value, short-sighted storytelling and nihilistic undertones.

Full Review Source: Cinemaphile.org | comment Comment
05/22/08
David Keyes
David Keyes
Cinemaphile.org
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
01/15/08
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons

...unsightly, pointless, and thoroughly mean-spirited...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
06/04/07
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
05/12/07
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A garden-variety horror movie that provides no innovation on the old "kids stranded in the woods with a scary monster" plot.

Full Review Source: Cinematical | comment Comment
04/08/07
Jette Kernion
Jette Kernion
Cinematical

Audiences will start playing the 'Who's Next' game as people run, scream and die, and the whole thing loses the power that this horrific creation once had over cinema.

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
03/24/07
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
UGO

The focus in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning isn't on the confrontation of demons, moral reckoning, or terror. It's an unimaginative exercise in suffering.

Full Review Source: Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | comment Comment
03/15/07
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

That "Zzzzzz" ringing through the theatre during The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning ain't just a chainsaw, it's snoring.

Full Review Source: Rue Morgue Magazine | comment Comment
02/12/07
Dave Alexander
Dave Alexander
Rue Morgue Magazine
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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