The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) Reviews

• 2003 Remake of classic, not as bad as you think!

  barrymurphy232006-10-16

  Horrors have a bad reputation for poor sequels and bad remakes, which is why when people heard there was a remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the general thought was that they would be butchering the classic(excuse the pun). However this is a terrifying, shocking, emotional thrill of a movie. It may not be up to the standards of the 1970s version, but to be fair, nothing is. The acting is quite well done. The film takes advantage of the time its being made in and the budget, with this version having much better production values, its much more gory but not at the cost of story telling. The realism is superb and the movie is, at times, as sad as it is scary due to the emotional torture of the characters, i'm sure many people will say its not as good as the original but it could have been a lot worse

• If you want a gruesome film, here you go

  timaenot2012-02-05

  I am a hardened spectator; that means, I have only seen a couple films in my whole life which I considered scary. I like horror films but usually get disappointed with them, as 99% of them do not frighten me in any way. This one did. It is an extremely consistent and successful effort to create a sense of horror which is, in the end, the ultimate means of the genre. It is not even about the plot; it is about the director's possibility to create an atmosphere of hopelessness which penetrates the film from the beginning on. The tension is built in a masterful manner, cinematic means like light, soundtrack and camera shots highlight the events in the most fitting way, the pace is just right, all elements contribute to a consistently thrilling and gruesome outcome. This film seems very modern in its effects and camera style but somehow retro in its imagery which is a successful tribute to the original version of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". A seldom example of a good remake.

• Truly really scary

  lafalot102003-12-22

  (SPOILER WARNING) It has been 30 years since the nation was shocked by the extreme carnage of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Now, 30 years later and numerous horrible attempts to re-create it, we are presented with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003. It takes so much effort to create a remake that has the same shock value or scare tactics as the originals. This is an example that had that success. Although it was different, it had its moments that everyone actually thought as if it were the original. It is a hip and scary film with a new twist to the teen horror genre. And as for recent horror films such as, Cabin Fever, Freddy vs. Jason, Wrong Turn, and Cold Creek Manor; they add virtually nothing new to the genre. This has the effect that had the theater screaming and talking about for weeks after. Five estranged, hormone driven teens are on a road trip to Dallas, Texas for a Lynard Skinnard concert. On the way they made a quick stop at the neighboring Mexico to buy a load of marijuana. On their way, they pick up a stunned and extremely traumatized hitchhiker. Disturbing comments and a graphic suicide lead to the gritty violent content and gore that we are faced with. Scenes of graphic torture involve a guy getting his knee sawed off and being hung on a meat hook through the back. Adding to the torturing, it leads to rock salt being placed on the wound and where the knee once was. The acting is surprisingly fresh and you become involved with the characters and find them greatly unfortunate instead of the way the victims usually die. Most of time the characters are so dumb that you just want them to die. In this movie, it is a different story. In the final clips of the film, it shows `actual footage' of the real mass murderer most commonly known as `Leatherface.' It gives a Blair Witch-ian style to it. Disturbing and immensely scary, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is sensitive to gore and/or who scares easily. I found myself glued to the screen, not being able to take my eyes away for one moment. This is definitely one of the top horror movies I have ever seen and it brings a brand new meaning to the words scary and disturbingly violent. The killings are so realistic and the gore as well. I would recommend this movie for any horror fan and anybody that enjoys a good scare. 10/10

• Fresh adaptation of a classic. Well done! *minor spoilers*

  Yngperfrmr@hotmail.com2003-10-20

  I went to see this remake opening night and I was completely immersed in it within the first 10 minutes. The acting was great on everyone's part. I thought Jessica Biel did a great job shedding her WB persona and was totally believable as Erin (yes fellas, she's hot, but I think it's her talent that really counts here.) Big screen newcomer Mike Vogel made his pain seem so authentic that my skin crawled! And of course, mad props to R. Lee Ermey who did a bang up job portraying the sometimes funny, but ultimately disturbing county sheriff. Also worth mentioning was Lauren German as the teenage girl in the opening scene. There was only one thing that disappointed me and that was the persistent presence of Leatherface. For example, the scene with him sewing the mask in the basement could have been taken out. I believe the less we see of him, the more surreal and frightening he is when he is present. Other than that, no real complaints. I thought the script was a fresh adaptation of the original. It wasn't the scariest movie, but it was creepy and it did make me jump a couple times! And in response to critics who call the movie "too brutal," how can we call this movie more brutal than such acclaimed classics as Scarface, The Godfather, or more recently Kill Bill? I liked all of these movies but I can't agree that one form of violence is more acceptable or appropriate than another. But anyways, if you do see TCM, be sure to catch it while it's hot. Movies like this are always better when you have the reaction of the audience!

• The epitome of excitement...

  ShaanChaudhry2003-10-19

  It is very safe to say that the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre(1974) was a cultural phenomenon for horror movies and helped change the shape of the entire genre. The movie provided all the essential elements that are vital in horror movies because when it comes down to it, these elements come from what the people want to see. We want to see the twisted things in our imaginations and nightmares come to life and what I love about TCM is it is something that could really happen to you. Sure the movie is a little cheesy now and I think Franklin was hilarious, but its the direction that counts. To me Leatherface is the greatest killer of all time, I like him better than Freddy. I love him because he is very stripped down, he's not supernatural and reacts to pain like any normal human would. He has all the essentials such as a very creepy image and psychotic behavior. Nobody can hold a candle to Leatherface. Ok enough of that, let me get on to the review of the REAL Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I will not say anything about the story because I want everyone to see it for themselves while knowing very little about the story. It takes a lot for a movie to impress me when the anticipation level is hitting the sky because I expect so much and usually always get disappointed, this happened with Terminator 3. With the "new" TCM, it stays true to the roots that made the first one a hit, but this one BLEW me away. Lets start with the cast. Everyone was amazing and fit in perfectly. I had doubts about Jessica Biels at first but now I see her in a brand new light. I could see no ounce of weakness in any of the characters. The moods expressed throughout the movie were flawless and very convincing. The acting plays a huge role because the better the acting, the more real the feel is, thats when you step into the shoes of the people in the movie and live it out with them. This is what makes and breaks movies and I'm proud to say the cast delivered. The story line has been totally changed. This story is 100 times better than the original, I was very impressed. There are far more twists and turns and because the storyline has such a high thrill value, it keeps you glued to your seat. Our theater was packed and only 2 people that I know of left for bathroom breaks. I have never seen this happen before with a movie. Anyway, the storyline could not have gotten any better. One reviewer said some of the stuff in the movie was predictable, that is total BS, this movie has so many turns that you have no idea whats going to happen next. Now onto the star of the movie, LEATHERFACE. I thought nobody could top Gunnar Hansen from the first TCM but Leatherface in the new one is the best one I have ever seen. He is bigger, scarier, meaner, and crazier than ever. He is the main focus as far as enemies go and I think its great, this pretty much paid tribute to him and it shows everyone that he is the guy to be reckoned with. The moment he did the first kill I knew this movie was ON and had a feeling it would top any slasher movie ever made. In closing let me say that when this movie ended, A LOT of people started clapping and cheering. I saw no disappointed faces leaving that theater and this was the first movie ever in which my high anticipation was exceeded, let alone met. I don't care what ANYONE says, the original, while still a classic and will always be in our hearts, can't even come close to this one. Storyline, imagery, jump scenes, kills, twists etc.., this movie has it ALL and leaves a lasting impression strong enough to make you want to go pay $7.50 all over again and again and again until you get sick of it. Michael Bay, a lot of people doubted you when you signed on to this but I always defended you and let me say, I know you have shut all those people up. Job well done!