Movie Review : Texas Chainsaw 3D is not just tacky but extremely gory

By Troy Ribeiro/IANS The two stars that “Texas Chainsaw 3D” gets is because everything is relative. Given the genre, the look and feel of the film, it deserves this and nothing less. The prologue establishes that the current saga is directly linked to the 1974 released Tobe Hooper’s original “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. The latest one in the franchise, picks up right where the “...Massacre” left off, with a fair-minded sheriff (Thom Barry) arriving at a farmhouse to arrest a member of the cannibalistic Sawyer clan, headed by “Leatherface” for the killings. He’s soon followed by a gun trotting mob from the neighbouring town, led by Burt (Paul Rae), who later becomes mayor of the town. The mob burns down the farmhouse and kills its inhabitants. [caption id=“attachment_662732” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Courtesy: ibn live[/caption] Cut to the present, decades later, Heather (Alexandra Daddario) a sassy young butcher, inherits a Texas estate from her long-lost grandmother Verna (Marilyn Burns) and learns of her own connection to the Sawyers. So she rounds up her boyfriend Ryan (Trey Songz) and two of their pals - Nikki (Tania Raymonde) and Kenny (Keram Malicki-SAinchez) to make a road trip and sign all the necessary papers. The place, occupied by a six-and-a-half foot maniac, who has a penchant for mask made of human skin - Leatherface (Dan Yeager), turns out to be a grand old house, quite isolated and ideal for smoking, drinking, fun and mayhem. In the early going, “Texas Chainsaw 3D” delivers, what is expected of Leatherface. Despite his advanced age, he is very agile and succeeds in terrorizing Alexandra and her friends. But when Alexandra goes to town for help, the film turns the tables a little, throwing a surprising emphasis on the evils of Texas justice and the ties that bind. This additional layer to the story offered by Luessenhop and his screenwriters gives “Texas Chainsaw 3D” an interesting angle. This enhances the narration and adds a few moments of intriguing wayward amusement. Unfortunately the dialogues are not up to the mark, so is the narration. Few characters spring up from oblivion only to tie-up the expositions. Alexandra, Trey, Tania and Keram are passable, while Mr. Eastwood, as a lawman Carl, strikes sinister notes. It’s nice to see briefly Marilyn Burns, the record-holder in long-distance screaming in the 1974 version “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”, and Gunnar Hansen as Boss Sawyer, who played Leatherface. The 3D effects in Texas Chainsaw 3D are a bit tacky and if nothing are but obvious, including a chainsaw being hurled at the audience. Gore-hounds eventually get their money’s worth via meat-hooks, industrial meat-grinder, car crash, gun shots even though it takes a while for Leatherface to rev up the Chainsaw. In a nutshell, there is nothing subtle in the movie. If you love blood and massacre, it offers you loads hot and straight on the face. Rating: ** IANS