The infamous Texas Chainsaw villain Leatherface returns for the much anticipated seventh film in the Texas Chainsaw franchise.  Released on Jan. 4.  Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D (2013)  was rated R by the Rating Board so it was mainly intended for an older, more mature audience.   Poor casting choices, cheap scare effects and lack of a real plot led to a movie that turned out to be a major letdown.

Directed by John Luessenhop, the movie takes place in Newt, Texas where Heather Miller (Alexandra Daddario) receives an inheritance from her grandmother even though she was never aware that she had a grandmother.  Intent on claiming her newfound inheritance she travels to Newt, Texas with friends Ryan (Trey Songz), Nikki (Tania Raymonde) and Kenny (Keram Malicki-Sanchez).  She and her friends find what appears to be an impressive mansion though they don’t know what lurks in the basement of her new massive home.

The movie was classified as a horror movie but in fact there really were no scary parts or scream-worthy moments throughout the whole movie.  The whole film seemed to be the same scene replayed over and over but with a different background and different characters crying and screaming. It was a bit repetitive and at times boring watching the characters running around and crying.  As the movie progresses, it becomes apparent that many key points of the plot don’t add up.  For example Heather Miller was presumed to be dead by authorities however she was still located when her grandmother left her an inheritance which left many, including me, confused.

The characters cast in the film lacked depth and much needed character development that even a horror film needs.  For example Heather Miller, the main character, didn’t have any significant character development in the movie.  She was thrown into the middle of a mass murder with no warning or background information about her.  Heather’s friend Ryan also had no background information, though some might argue that none was needed as his character did not have any ulterior motives that connected with his past.  Trey Songz seemed very confused while attempting to fill the role of Ryan, as he had no previous acting experience playing a major role in a film.  This lack of character development and poor casting choices gave the movie an amateuristic feel.

The movie was made as both a 3D and a 2D movie, however many aspects of the movie seemed to be catered towards their 3D moviegoers.  In one scene Leatherface throws a chainsaw at the screen, this would be a scare in the 3D version though it just looked cheesy and awkward in the regular 2D movie.  Another cheap effect that catered to viewers watching in 3D was the frequent blood splashes on the camera which would have some shock effect on 3D but simply appeared gross in 2D.

Although great things were expected from “Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)” it was just an average horror flick at best. The movie was lackluster and did not create any new standards in the horror film industry, leaving many unsatisfied with the “weak” horror film.

by TYLER KIM