Anime Forum Games Links Movies Music Profiles Survivor TV Shows Having thought I saw the original movie, I went into Texas Chainsaw Massacre with mixed hopes. After the movie ended I realized I had not seen the original but one of it's sequels and that I was actually kind of freaked out by this remake. The atmosphere alone makes this movie freaky. Five friends are driving through Texas, on the way from Mexico. They run across a girl who is very dazed and confused. They go to take her to town but she tells them that they are going the wrong way and in the end kills herself. The kids try to find the sherrif in the small town but instead find a killer named Leatherface. The story is basic at it's core but the characters are somewhat interesting if not the cliched sterotypes. I really liked the way Erin changed during the final half of the movie, where each action lead to her doing something she wouldn't have been able to do before. Jessica Biel plays the lead female character, Erin. She plays this character perfectly and while I think she is only a so-so actress, she could be one of those big name horror stars because she does have the body and enough talent to carry a horror film. Rest of the cast were unknowns to me and they do a decent job. Overall I was happy with the performances. The script is something that really surprised me. No overly predictable dialog and the victim order is surprising. The director did a fine job overall. The movie flows at a really nice pace and the second half is very well done. The way the film is shot is just great. The color of the film is a very nice touch, the film has this dark and dirt like quality to it, seeming as if it really is Texas. Not sure if it was filmed down there but even the sets look like that and it looks so real that it can look fake. There are two scenes I really enjoyed. One is the walk through the woods during the day that Erin and her boyfriend make. The other scene is the chase through the clothes line which I found to be done so well that it makes you feel like everything has gone to hell. I left the theater very surprised. This has got to be one of the best horror movies in recent years and the fact that it's a remake just makes it even more surprising. After watching this, I went out and bought the original on DVD and didn't like it as much. I think the way the remake was shot made the me like it as much as I did. Reviewed by Americanpieflute Score: A- Reviewed on November 3 2003