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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 |
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THE MOVIE |
THE DVD |
REVIEWER |
REVIEW DATE |
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RumbleWolf4 |
8th October, 2004 |
Review Quote
 "Hopper is cool as always but even he goes over-the-top in the end. Add to this the fact that one complete scene is carbon-copied from the first (guess which one) and the ending is very uncertain concerning the fates of three major characters! And the final frame is ridiculous beyond belief."
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The Plot
The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre has seemingly never occured due to a lack of any evidence. However, 13 years later it all begins again with a couple of drunk fools. They play chicken with the wrong truck (which has a hilarious "Ah-Ooga!" horn) and eventually find themselves at the mercy of the cannibalistic Sawyer family. Unfortunately for the Sawyer's, the kids had prank called a radio station and their murder was broadcasted for the world to hear! Leatherface, Chop-Top and the Cook set out to subdue the radio DJ (and a vengeful lawman on their trail) in order to keep their deeds a secret and continue the legacy of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The Movie
This movie got me angry. It takes everything that made the original film so incredible and disturbing and turns it completely upside down. What annoyed me the most was the new direction that Leatherface was taken in. The original Lface was incredibly eerie and downright unsettling, but this one is just stupid. The chainsaw is a machine for slaughtering ignorant teenagers, not a phallic device used for pelvic thrusts (really)! And Leatherface falls in love... he's supposed to be heartless and cruel! The other characters/actors completely overact especially in the scenes that are meant to be scary. The Cook in this film reminds me of his old self, but he yells WAY too much. And Chop-Top (played by the ever-psychotic Bill Moseley) started off good but his relentless ranting and raving is incredibly grating... somebody shut him up! Furthermore, Williams is a solid actress but her reactions are very unbelieveable (but at least she's got a good set of lungs!). Hopper is cool as always but even he goes over-the-top in the end. Add to this the fact that one complete scene is carbon-copied from the first (guess which one) and the ending is very uncertain concerning the fates of three major characters! And the final frame is ridiculous beyond belief.
Still... not all was disappointing. The opening sequence was awesome including one of the coolest deaths I've seen in a while (thanks Savini!). Also, the family's new home (an abandoned theme park) was stark and creative in its set design. All those christmas lights gave it a surreal mood that definetly improved the setting. Also, a couple of scenes were genuinely unsettling involving Leatherface playing "dress-up" with the heroine using another victims' skinned face. And the scene in which a character who has been skinned, turns out to still be alive and stumbles about... creepy! I also appreciated the throwback to the first film with the inclusion of one wheelchair bound victims' corpse! The film is also MUCH gorier and more violent than the original including a head sawed in half, saw in the gut, gallons of entrails, a skinning and one poor fool who gets chainsawed in the butt!
Overall, this movie was a mixed bag. I disliked the films attempt at dark comedy and trying to get us to sympathize with Leatherface by making him more passive and kinder. It didn't work. Still, this film is entertaining in the guilty pleasure mindframe and I'd reccommend a rental over anything else. Just don't expect anything as scary or claustrophobic as the original.
The DVD
The DVD is very disappointing. Although the animated menus are really nice (including a reprise of the cheesy-but-amusing chainsaw transitions), they can't make up for the extra features or lack there-of. All that is provided is the film's theatrical trailer. It's actually a pretty decent one, but I would've definetly liked more. Oh yes, and the DVD happens to be the uncut full edition of the film, providing us with 11 minutes of previously cut footage. Below average DVD overall.
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Director
Tobe Hooper
Cast
Dennis Hopper
Caroline Williams
Bill Moseley
Jim Siedow
Bill Johnson
Screenplay
L.M. Kit Carson
Tagline
"After a decade of silence... the buzz is back!""
Country
USA
Classification
R
Year
1986
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Format
NTSC
Region Coding
1
Aspect Ratios
1.85:1
1.33:1
16x9 Enhanced
Neither
Running Time
100 minutes
Year Released
2000
Packaging
Keep Case
Extra Features
Theatrical Trailer
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