In an attempt to remake what has become a cult phenomenon, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has succeeded in creating a ghastly and disturbing portrait of a killer, and his loving family. The plot set up begins beautifully with the classic group of five young adults in a huge van, cracking lewd jokes, making out and smoking pot. Raise your hand if you can spout off at least five other movies that begin in this same way. Moving along, they come across a girl wandering in the street who has lost her grip on reality and can’t seem to stop making reference to a bad man and how everyone is going to die, which is obviously foreshadowing on the director’s part, but what happens next will shock just about anyone who hasn’t already had it spoiled for them… so I’ll be nice and stop there. Just when it seems that the five teenagers are going to take the girl to safety, the law of plot-continuation kicks in and the girl ends her own trip abruptly, causing the group to have to turn into the town and begin to look for help. Some times the help you get is not the help you need. Come to the rescue is Sheriff Hoyt, played by R. Lee Ermy of Full Metal Jacket fame, who is neither helpful, nor formal in any sense. From here on out, all news is bad news for the group, as movie legend Leatherface (Andrew Bryniarski) begins his slaughter, picking off the clueless kids, one by one.

There’s a small bit of irony in the fact that the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre has been credited by many to have shaped how horror movies are today, but that the remake tends to feel like little more than a generic horror movie at times. The saving grace of the movie has little or nothing to do with the killer, but moreso the cast of rising stars, including the gorgeous Jessica Biel who plays the main character, Erin, and her costars including Eric Balfour, who plays Kemper, Erin’s boyfriend. Jonathan Tucker plays a befuddled role as the fifth wheel named Morgan, and Mike Vogul plays the brawny character of Andy, whose role I still have yet to figure out besides that of the horny meat head who makes out with the mutually doomed hippy hitch hiker, Pepper (Erica Leerhsen). There was not a bad performance in the movie, other than that of Leatherface who bumbled about far too much for me to maintain any sort of fear for him. Then again, what he lost in his purposely inexpressive appearance and mannerisms, he made up for with a whirring chainsaw, and a Jason Voorhes like ability to keep getting back up after being inflicted with massive amounts of bodily damage.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre pulls its weight, even with the heavy expectations that it faces by die-hard fans. The directing and plot development work well with each other and the cast truly makes it a pleasure to watch, even as they’re torn apart. Leatherface will live on to be a household horror name for another generation and with any luck, the creator’s will have learned their lesson last time… and we won’t have to endure the any more sequels.