Review of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006) by Ilhm — 02 Feb 2013

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE takes a step back in time to reveal the origins of the infamous Hewitt family in TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING. A deformed child is rescued and raised by a penniless family out in the sticks of Texas, a family that is forced into cannibalism when the local slaughterhouse is put out of business.

Unfortunately for a group of travelers who are on their way to Austin to enlist for Vietnam, this means that they are the next item on the menu! For the most part, THE BEGINNING keeps up with the remake that preceded it, but as a prequel it falls into many unavoidable traps.

The filmmakers feel obliged to as many questions as possible in only a limited amount of time, which leads to a number of plot contrivances. Here, we learn where Thomas Hewitt got his saw, why Hoyt became the sheriff, how Uncle Monty lost his legs, and where Leatherface got his nickname.

.. All in the same night! For a family whose killing spree lasted over four years, this just seems forced. The political weight of Vietnam is also heavier load than the film can bear, and comes off as being ignorant and ungenuine.

THE BEGINNING is the bloodiest of any of the CHAINSAW films, however, with many graphic and gory murder scenes. A decent follow up, and still one of the better sequels.