Though not as terrifying as the original (or the 2003 remake starring Jessica Biel), John Luessenhop's Texas Chainsaw 3D is a fun, explosive, and surprisingly clever sequel to the 1974 horror game changer"”even if it did occasionally fall into the realm of cliché thrills and chills.
Starring a wealth of surprisingly recognizable talent, director John Luessenhop's newest franchise installment is a true-to-form sequel to the original, going as far as to feature a few 3D converted segments of the initial Leatherface unveiling. The film goes on to showcase the Sawyer family's undoing, as well as the interception of a young baby girl, who would later be introduced as Alexandra Daddario, this film's protagonist.
Though a bit campy in the onset, Texas Chainsaw 3D eventually settles into its own as it attempts to craft a complexity that is rarely ventured into with the horror genre. I will admit that giving Leatherface an identity was a risky move (and one that I originally was not okay with); however, after some time to dwell, it does create a rather haunting quality that sticks with you long after the meat hooks have escaped your mind.
Luessenhop did opt to focus in on the violence, giving fans exactly what they wanted by terrorizing and sawing his way through a rather disappointing number of adolescents, but the true charm of the film was its attempt to tie everything together. Honoring its origins, the film never ventures too far ahead, instead staying within sight of its home and keeping pace with viewers as they anxiously attempt to piece the two films together.
It should be noted that the acting is subpar, the direction a bit questionable, and its 3D conversation a bit off, but at the end of the day, horror junkies don't look at that"”they merely want to be entertained. And while Texas Chainsaw 3D isn't necessarily the game changer that its predecessor was, it is still dark, gritty, and violent enough to please those it was made for.
