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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (R, 2003)

common sense media says

Hard to do worse than this extremely gory mess.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie is not recommended for anyone under 17. Yes, kids love to be scared, but the violence here is so disturbingly realistic that it's too much for most older kids (and some adults) to handle. The various murders are definitely graphic (we get to see the flesh rip and the organs exposed) but the suicide scene is so disturbing that several people walked out of the theater immediately afterwards. Violence aside, there's still no reason to see this movie--the story doesn't make much sense, the acting is mediocre at best, and even at 98 minutes, it feels way too long. Bottom line: Save your money!

Positive messages: You wouldn't want your kid acting like any of these characters. Crude and tasteless humor ("I guess that's what brains look like--kind of like lasagna.")
Violence: This is a very bloody and gory movie. There's an extremely graphic suicide scene, characters are hung from meat hooks (and then tortured), sliced, ripped, cut, shot, murdered in various ways, run over, etc. We see many severed limbs. Stabbings, impalings
Sex: The sheriff brags about sexually assaulting female corpses. Some crude sexual talk. A couple makes out. The camera lingers on a female character's wet tank top and backside.
Language: Nonstop extreme profanity.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: The sheriff drinks and drives. The main characters smuggle and smoke marijuana.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

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What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the amount and type of violence in this horror film, and some of the more graphic films of today. Do you think it's possible for young people, and even adults, to become desensitized to violence by watching really violent films?

What's the story?

What's the story?
In this remake it's still 1973, but you would never know it by the fashions and hairstyles of the hip young cast. They're on their way to a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert in Dallas, but get slowed down when they pick up a hitchhiker who blows her brains out all over their van. The gory events that follow the suicide (which involve Leatherface, a disfigured man who uses human flesh for a mask, his chainsaw, and his equally crazy family) don't make a ton of sense, and it doesn't really matter--it's all just an excuse to bring on the blood and guts.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE is a remake of a 1974 low-budget horror movie by the same name. The original movie about 5 Texas teens who stumble across a family of cannibals was considered extremely edgy when it was released, but it now seems downright quaint when compared to modern horror movies like this remake.

Jessica Biel leads the cast of doomed characters, but considering she's the biggest name in the movie, you're pretty certain that she's going to stick around the longest. After all, if she were killed off too soon, we wouldn't be treated to the many gratuitous shots of her wet white tank top. The rest of the cast isn't memorable at all with the exception of R. Lee Ermey's portrayal of the "Sheriff" (his untraditional crime scene procedures, such as making sexual jokes about the victim as he carelessly wraps her body in Saran-Wrap, hint that he's not exactly what he seems). There's no reason for kids see this movie. It's extremely violent and bloody, the profanity never stops, the characters aren't particularly likeable, and the story doesn't make sense--mature teens and adults would be better off watching the original movie.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: New Line
Director: Marcus Nispel
Cast: Eric Balfour, Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker
Genre: Horror
Run time: 98 minutes
Theatrical release: October 16, 2003
DVD release: March 29, 2004
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: strong horror violence/gore, language and drug content
This review was written by Beth Pratt
 
 

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What parents & educators say

14

Most useful reviews by all members

KoOkYMoNsTa234
adult
 
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
The new remake of Tobe Hooper's cult classic just came out on DVD. Being an avid fan of horror, I bought it. Out of just about every movie I've seen, I have never ever witnessed such a graphic movie. Jessica Biel does a good job, cliched since she runs around with a wet top, but good. Anyways, Leatherface (the killer) tortures a man by chopping off his leg with his chainsaw, and then sticking him on a meat hook and grinding salt into his severed leg. Oh, is that too graphic...no. The "kids" then pick up a sad/disturbed hitchhiker and she is bloody/bruised all over. She states that they are all dead (meaning her friends) and has a tantrum since they are driving back to the Hewitts (Leatherface's family) and then says "He is a bad bad man", then we see her take out a pistol from her crimson red legs and say "You are all gonna die" and they scream wildly as she sticks the gun in her mouth and...BOOM! Blood is splattered everywhere as the kids still scream and the camera pans back...back...back through the girl's mouth out the hole in her head, and through the bloody smashed window. Wow.....
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kelldeal
parent of 5 and 9 year old
17
 
good for adults
horrible for tweens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Seminolefreak
teen, 14 years old
14
 
Not for kids at all.
My MPAA Rating, R: Extreme bloody horror violence/gore, strong language, and drug use/content
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mgallagher
parent of 18 year old
13
 
good depending on the person
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Victorfilth818
teen, 15 years old
13
 
I love this movie it was so sick besides kid now and days like these movies
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yummyyummy81694
adult
14
 
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ThatDanGuy
adult
 
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mynameisnick
teen, 15 years old
15
 
More of an older teen movie.
I wouldn't say this is an adults movie only. However it's not good for kids. I think if a teenager can handle these kind of movies and can be mature about things in the movie. Than he/she should be fine.
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thecooldude1
teen, 16 years old
15
 
Great movie
NOT FOR ANY KID OR PRE TEENS this is for mature teens and adults.
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HunterJumper13
teen, 15 years old
10
 
I thought this movie was great.I saw it when I was 8, and then again a few months ago. I love this movie. Definantly a suspence movie, but fine for mature 10 year olds:D
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rnsrt2
teen, 16 years old
13
 
Not the worst horror film a kid could be watching...
The only concern parents should have is language and drug use. Lots of very bad language and they smoke pot that they bought in Mexico in the first 10 minutes or so. If your older almost a teen can handle blood and gore than let them watch it. Just not in the night, in a camper, in the middle of south dakota. This movie has only one disturbing suicide in the beginning, but it really doesn't have anything new that a horror watcher hasn't seen
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ImNot17YearsOl ...
adult
2
 
I LOVE LOVE THIS MOVIE I RECOMEND IT FOR EVERYONE!
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Plague
parent
13
 
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
I liked it. Im a huge fan of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies.
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Danielle Dalton
adult
17
 
Scary movie
Movie Review Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a horror movie that is targeted toward teens to young adults. If you like movies that keep you at the edge of your seat then this is the movie for you. It is defiantly a suspenseful movie. I give it 4 stars.
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Dee R.
teen, 15 years old
13
 
HAHA
THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME IWATCH RATED R MOVIES ANY WAY SO HAHAHA. PEACE! LOVE, DEE
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wonder dove
adult
15
 
Awesome flick!
The 2nd one was better, in my opinion. But this remake was definitely good, Jessica Biel did superb in this! She is an amazing actress, one of my faves. Very entertaining, not nearly as scary and gory as the second one, but all the chasing in this is scary enough! Hoyt is hilarious in both, the tea lady is awesome! 3.5/5 from me, fun to watch if you're a hardcore horror fan.
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zasderfght
teen, 14 years old
16
 
The texas chainsaw massacre is disturbing, scary, and truly a classic
While TCM is overrated they got one thing right: it's disturbing, scary, and truly a classic. Sex/Nudity (On): None; Violence/Scariness (Pause): Most of the violence is off-screen but still intense. A guy gets his head smashed in (you hear a crunch), A girl is hung on a meat hook (the camera focuses on her head), A guy in a wheelchair gets cut up by a chain saw (this act if off-screen); Profanity (On): Just two uses of the b word; Social behavior (Off) there are killers; Commercialism (On) Not really a lot of advertisement; Substance use (On) No smoking or drinking
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wumb
kid, 12 years old
17
 
This is the BEST movie ever!
awesome movie with lots of blood.LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Panya
adult
17
 
Not for kiddies
No movie that's labeled as "horror" should be seen by a child.
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bookworm112
teen, 16 years old
 
EW*...
This movie is so incredibly disgusting! I hated it so much I can't even describe it! -1000 stars! What a horrible, terrible movie! Such a waste of time and money! E* Don't ever see this movie EVER! This movie should have been rated NC-17 for all the violence! Don't watch it!!!!!
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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
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