In 1969, a foursome of teens--Chrissie (Jordana Brewster), her boyfriend Eric
(Matthew Bomer), his brother Dean (Taylor Handley) and his girlfriend Bailey
(Diora Baird)--are all taking a road trip through rural Texas. It’s the last big
splurge of freedom for the boys, who have been drafted to serve as Marines
stationed in Vietnam. Older brother Eric is already a Vietnam veteran, but he’s
joining up again to keep an eye on his baby brother Dean. But Chrissie soon
learns during a pit stop that Dean has no intention of going to Vietnam. He’s
becoming a draft dodger by heading to Mexico with Bailey the first chance they
get. They have Chrissie’s blessing, but what will Eric think?
Eric doesn’t have much time to react to the news, for although Dean gets his
attention by deciding to burn his draft card right in the back seat of the jeep
they’re riding in, the foursome’s drive is interrupted by an assault by…a
shotgun-wielding biker chick. You were expecting Leatherface, perhaps? Nope, not
yet. In trying to get away from the biker chick (who, with her dark leather
outfit and sunglasses, looks a little too anachronistic for this time period),
Eric accidentally runs into a cow and crashes the jeep. Along comes Sheriff Hoyt
(the always entertaining R. Lee Ermey), who blows away the crazed biker chick
and brings the wounded back to meet the family.
It’s chainsaw revving time! Well, actually, not just yet. You see, Leatherface
is still something of a rookie in this film. The better part of the first half
hour is devoted to his origins, starting with a particularly gross birthing
scene in--of all places--a slaughterhouse, where a deformed child is born to a
woman who apparently did not know she was pregnant. The poor kid is dumped in
the trash, where Mama Hewitt finds him and brings him home to her psycho family.
Tommy Hewitt, the future Leatherface, grows up to work in the very same
slaughterhouse where he was born--until the place is shut down and little Tommy
gets mighty ticked off. Those looking for the revelation of Leatherface’s
origins may be disappointed in the pretty mundane way it’s present here.
Leatherface is actually pushed to the side for most of the film’s running time,
with Hoyt serving as the main villain--which is a dumb idea, since people are
here to see Leatherface. In addition to being filled with the standard horror
movie clichés, such as having the victims act so stupidly that you want them to die,
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is also a prequel, which kills what little
suspense there is because, if you’ve seen the 2003 remake, then you know that
this movie has got to end a certain way. While the 2003 remake managed to revive
a moribund horror film franchise with a face lift (uh, sorry) , the prequel
comes off as being nothing more than an uninspired Hostel rip-off set in the
Texas dust. Don’t bother with this one.
--SF
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