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An unnecessary remake that's more gory and less scary than the original.
All Critics (156) | Top Critics (39) | Fresh (57) | Rotten (99) | DVD (20)
An initially promising, but quickly disappointing retread of Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel's hugely influential horror classic. Apr 16, 2008 | Full Review…
An initially promising, but quickly disappointing retread of Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel's hugely influential horror classic.
Scott Foundas
'Inspired by a true story' presumably adds to the sordid thrills; maybe we should look forward to entertainments about Nazis torturing children. Apr 16, 2008 | Full Review…
'Inspired by a true story' presumably adds to the sordid thrills; maybe we should look forward to entertainments about Nazis torturing children.
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Here's a slice of advice: Go to the video store and rent the original. Oct 3, 2006 | Rating: 2/4
Here's a slice of advice: Go to the video store and rent the original.
Christy Lemire
The best one can say is that his version is not slavishly in thrall to Hooper's: boring, fright-free and pointless, maybe, but not craven. Jun 24, 2006 | Full Review…
The best one can say is that his version is not slavishly in thrall to Hooper's: boring, fright-free and pointless, maybe, but not craven.
It's horrible and explicitly violent, but never authentically scary. Jan 15, 2004 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…
It's horrible and explicitly violent, but never authentically scary.
Peter Bradshaw
All the bad-rehash mojo from Friday the 13th to The Blair Witch Project has infected Scott Kosar's script. Jan 15, 2004 | Rating: 2/4
All the bad-rehash mojo from Friday the 13th to The Blair Witch Project has infected Scott Kosar's script.
Peter Travers
It's R. Lee Ermey of Full Metal Jacket fame who deserves most of the credit for this remake earning its mutilated thumbs-up. Feb 9, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…
It's R. Lee Ermey of Full Metal Jacket fame who deserves most of the credit for this remake earning its mutilated thumbs-up.
Steve Newton
Hard to do worse than this extremely gory mess. Jan 1, 2011 | Rating: 1/5 | Full Review…
Hard to do worse than this extremely gory mess.
Beth Pratt
This poor mediocre remake brings nothing and adds nothing to an already classic film... Apr 29, 2009 | Full Review…
This poor mediocre remake brings nothing and adds nothing to an already classic film...
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Even a paint-by-numbers slasher is a novelty in this decade. Jun 28, 2008 | Rating: 7/10 | Full Review…
Even a paint-by-numbers slasher is a novelty in this decade.
Tim Brayton
Inevitably, given a bigger budget, it lacks the cheap, raw quality of the earlier film that, along with George Romero's outfit in Pennsylvania, showed you could make profitable exploitation shockers on an independent basis far from Hollywood. Apr 16, 2008 | Full Review…
Inevitably, given a bigger budget, it lacks the cheap, raw quality of the earlier film that, along with George Romero's outfit in Pennsylvania, showed you could make profitable exploitation shockers on an independent basis far from Hollywood.
Philip French
Just needlessly ugly and unpleasant, not to mention Hollywoodized down to its muddy shoes. Aug 3, 2007 | Rating: 1/5 | Full Review…
Just needlessly ugly and unpleasant, not to mention Hollywoodized down to its muddy shoes.
Rob Gonsalves
As good as horror films get!
Super Reviewer
This decent remake is not half as terrifying and shocking as the original masterpiece (how could it be?), while Jessica Biel pales in (an unfair) comparison with Marilyn Burns, whose absolute terror was evident there, but the movie does have its good moments.
Boring and tedious easily describe one of the poorer horror remakes in the 21st Century. With the lead characters doing nothing but swearing and screaming for the entire film, what's the point of trying to make the audience sympathize with them? Aside from R. Lee Ermey as the corrupted sheriff, the opening with the crime scene is the only aspect of the this feature that's worth watching.
Deviates from the original movies plot at times and is not as gritty as that film was, but it certainly has more gore and stupid people doing stupid things at times. R. Lee Ermey gives a creepy performance as the sheriff that beats anything the original had to offer, but everyone else is unremarkable. Jessica Biel is just there to look good. It does have some suspenseful moments that make is worthwhile, but ultimately this is more of the same. It's a respectable remake of an influential film, but not necessary.
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