Ever lie awake at night, tossing and turning, wondering how Leatherface became Leatherface? Yeah, me neither.
Nevertheless, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning” aims to shed a little light on the tormented past and fragile psyche of film’s most famous chainsaw-wielding madman.
Just think: If little Thomas hadn’t been dumped in a trash bin – after crawling out of the womb and onto the floor of the slaughterhouse where his morbidly obese mother was working that sweltering day in 1939 – who knows what he might have become? A rocket scientist, shortstop for the New York Yankees, maybe even president of the United States.
Which brings us to a discussion that’s probably far more weighty and philosophical than this gratuitous, blood-soaked prequel deserves. You could argue that in their depiction of the redneck Hewitt clan – a Texas family of soulless cannibals who lure tourists to their deaths and treasure patriotism above all else – director Jonathan Liebesman and writer Sheldon Turner are getting in a dig at the Bush administration.
Nah, probably not.
But it’s easy for one to wander to such thoughts while watching the film. It does look great – faithful to the low-
budget aesthetic of the Tobe Hooper classic, with its off-kilter camera angles and faded tones, as if it were made in 1969, the year it takes place.
By this point Leatherface (Andrew Bryniarski, reprising the role from the 2003 “Chainsaw” remake) is 30 years old; we learn that his nickname originates from a facial deformity, and that he mutilated himself and farm animals as a child before moving on to people.
“Texas Chainsaw Massacre” isn’t so much about Leatherface as it is about Uncle Hoyt, who becomes Sheriff Hoyt when he kills a lawman, steals his uniform and assumes his identity.
Then again, with R. Lee Ermey in the role, the movie couldn’t belong to anyone else.
Ermey does his eloquently abusive drill-sergeant shtick, which made him famous in “Full Metal Jacket” and which he hones on the History Channel series “Mail Call.” While it’s the most compelling aspect of all, a little goes a long way.
On the receiving end of his tirades are two brothers entangled in Vietnam – Eric (Matt Bomer), who just returned from combat and wants to go back, and Dean (Taylor Handley), who burned his draft card and wants to flee to Mexico.
As a fling before heading off to war, they’d been on a road trip across Texas with Eric’s fiancée, Chrissie (Jordana Brewster), and Dean’s girlfriend, Bailey (Diora Baird), when Hoyt pulled them over.
As if he didn’t already feel inspired to bring them home for “supper,” Hoyt gets even angrier when he finds Dean’s half-
burned draft card: “There ain’t nothing I hate more than a draft-dodging, hippie protester!” Oops.
What happens to the travelers is irrelevant, as the killers are the focus, and we know they’ll survive, this being a prequel. So there’s no suspense, no fear, just an endless stream of blood and the roar of the chainsaw ringing in your ears.
“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning” | * 1/2 RATING
R for strong violence/gore, language and some sexual content|1 hour, 24 minutes|HORROR|Directed by Jonathan Liebesman; starring Jordana Brewster, Matthew Bomer, R. Lee Ermey|Opens today at area theaters.
