So, here it is, my first theatrical release review! I saw this movie January 12th, and have been somewhat sitting on this review since then, somewhat due to illness but also just my natural procrastination (which I'm trying to fight). The movie was, in my opinion, really good. In the past, I haven't really covered in-theater releases because of different factors: for one, I like to go back and watch a movie again for commentary or research purposes and a theater doesn't have access to either of those. Secondly, I like to refresh my memory for my usual summary of opening scenes, but that could get expensive, especially with the cost of 3-D movies anymore. However, I enjoyed this movie so much that I wanted to bring this review before home release.
In lieu of the opening summary, I will just tell you this: the film is a direct sequel to the original 1974 Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It starts with a rundown of scenes from the original film, bringing viewers up to snuff on what happened then. The actual opening scene features at least three alumni from the original film: Gunnar Hansen, the original Leatherface, plays Boss Sawyer; John Dugan, who played Grampa Sawyer in the original film, reprises his role here; and Bill Moseley, Chop Top in Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, plays the role of Drayton Sawyer, family leader in the original film and sequel. This movie sort of overrides Part 2 and any of the other films in the original series. My feelings on that shortly.
I absolutely loved this movie. The acting was great, the effects were superb (3-D and otherwise) and the story kept you going. From the time Leatherface starts his attacks, the action and suspense hardly ever slows down. In addition to the previous cast, we have Alexandra Daddario playing Heather Miller, our main star. Miss Daddario was also in Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief as Annabeth Chase (a role she'll be reprising in 2013's Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters) and Bereavement, another slasher film. Dan Yeager played Leatherface, and he played the part really well. His only other acting job was in 2011's Metal Heads, playing Cop 2. Here's hoping that Mr. Yeager gets a little more work after this role! Thom Barry played Sheriff Hooper. An established character actor, he's been in other such movies and shows as Congo, Dangerous Minds, Ghosts of Mississippi, Cold Case and 2 Fast 2 Furious. Richard Riehele plays Farnsworth, the lawyer who gives Heather the information about her new house. Another established character actor, he's been in a ton of films and TV shows, including Glory, The Fugitive, Ghosts of Mississippi (again!), Mighty Joe Young, Office Space, and Hatchet, among many, many others. And, in a cameo appearance near the end, Marilyn Burns appears as Vera Carson. Marilyn Burns played Sally Hardesty, the last survivor, of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Between then and now, she also played in Tobe Hooper's Eaten Alive alongside Mel Ferrer, Carolyn Jones and Robert Englund, and Manson Family documentary Helter Skelter, playing Linda Kasabian, as well as a cameo appearance as Sally Hardesty in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.
So, my thoughts on the studio rebooting the series, rather than filming another remake or sequel to the original remake. I thought that it was a good move, personally. While I did enjoy the remake (fun fact: I didnt' see the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre until after I saw the remake; I actually saw Part 2 years ago, before I ever watched the original), I understand a lot of people didn't like it or its prequel. The art of skipping over a movie or two, pretending they don't exist, in a way, is nothing new. Superman Returns, while not a perfect movie, was a direct sequel to Superman 2, overriding the (to some) overly goofy third and overly preachy fourth films. It goes back even further, to when Toho decided to reboot the Godzilla series in 1985, they threw out three decades of Godzilla history to return Big G to his city stomping roots. They did it again following Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah, and then again with almost every Godzilla film after that (with the exception of Godzilla x Mothra x Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., which was a sequal to the previous year's Godzilla x Mechagodzilla). They all branched off from the original 1955 Godzilla.
After that overly-long paragraph, I'm proud to give this film a 5 out of 5. It was fun, gory, funny in places, but kept up the tension quite well. And so, until next time, be careful along those Texas back roads, and this is Red Hawk signing out.
