"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" is the prequel to the surprisingly good 2003 remake of Tobe Hooper's 1974 "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" and for my money the third best entry in the franchise. There's just the right balance of horror elements to make for great entertainment here: R. Lee Ermey chewing scenery, a GOATed version of Leatherface, and a foursome of protagonists actually worth caring about (within the limits of the slasher genre, of course). Jordana Brewster steps into the Jessica Biel role this time, and while she doesn't quite have the chops or the assets of her predecessor, she does a solid job of freaking out in response to the Hewitt clan's murderous behaviour, while trying vainly to save herself and her friends (it's a prequel, remember, so they're all fucked). If there's one thing lacking here, it's the quirkiness that really helped Hooper's first film and its original sequel find their way into the horror pantheon. This is a proficient exercise in slick slasherism, but it doesn't have its Grandpa or Chop Top. What it does have is lots of blood, bile and action, though, which is more than enough for me.
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