When 2003’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot became a hit, another exploration of that franchise became inevitable. Rather than move ahead in time, though, 2006’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning gives us a prequel.

In July 1969, brothers Eric (Matt Bomer) and Dean (Taylor Handley) take a drive with their girlfriends Chrissie (Jordana Brewster) and Bailey (Diora Baird). Eric plans to head back to fight in Vietnam but Dean wants to dodge the draft, a choice that creates some dissension.

Along the way, they crash their car in a remote part of Texas and encounter local Sheriff Winston Hoyt (R. Lee Ermey). However, the police officer hides a major secret and he leads the young people to a potentially violent fate.

When I reviewed the 2003 version of Massacre more than 20 years ago, I staked out the potentially controversial opinion that it worked better than the original 1974 film. I expected lots of hate mail for this.

Did I get it? Honestly, I can’t recall, but I do know that my preference for the 2003 remake sticks in the minority, though it remains my feeling.

Given my fondness for the 2003 Massacre, I went into Beginning with moderately high hopes. While it came from a different writer and director, the same production company operated behind the prequel, so that left me semi-optimistic.

Alas, these dreams proved unfounded. Beginning pours on the sadistic violence but fails to deliver anything more than that.

Like all prequels, Beginning lacks suspense as we know the main antagonists will come to no harm. Granted, many horror film don’t really come with a lot of tension related to their villains because we know they won’t die.

The genre depends too much on sequels to really kill off its baddies. Even when your Michaels or Jasons appear deceased, we know they will pop back to life in the next film.

Still, at least these flicks can present the idea that the good guys win and they vanquished the psychos. A prequel like Beginning can’t do that.

In this vein, Beginning needs to create its drama via our connection to its protagonists. Given their status as inevitable victims, the movie requires the viewers to care about what happens to the guys and gals.

Unfortunately, we don’t. Beginning does little to explore its new characters, so they remain flat and generic.

As does the story. While Beginning may technically offer a prequel, it comes across much more like a remake of the 2003 Massacre.

We do start with a preface that shows Leatherface’s 1939 birth and then a little “origin story” for him and some others. Nonetheless, outside of these minor moments, the prequel comes across as awfully similar to the progression seen in the 1974 and 2003 movies.

We find attractive young people on a road trip. We find a violent incident that sends them in search of help. We see them wind up in the clutches of Leatherface and his weirdo family.

Of course, Beginning offers a few curveballs. However, these feel like windowdressing and they do little to make the story differ from the established Massacre formula.

Could the screenwriters have come up with a better way to explore the prequel side of things? Definitely, as what we learn about Leatherface and company rarely seems even vaguely interesting.

Honestly, I think horror franchises work better without origin stories. Characters like Leatherface become more effective and scary when we don’t understand much about them or their motives.

Again, maybe if Beginning attempted a story that really deviated from the Massacre formula, it might’ve turned into something more compelling. With a narrative that leans toward remake, though, it winds up as a sluggish and pointless dud.

Footnote: the movie separately introduces both Dean and Eric with scenes that offer tremendously self-conscious echoes of Apocalypse Now. Some may find these nods clever, but I thought they seemed gratuitous and pointless. And to my surprise, neither the filmmakers nor the filmmakers mention these connections in their commentaries!

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. Because the Dolby Vision presentation for The Beginning looked and sounded awfully similar to what I witnessed for the 2003 Massacre, please enjoy this lazily cut and pasted review of picture and audio!

Sharpness looked very good, with only a smattering of slight soft wider shots. Overall delineation seemed accurate and concise.

I saw no issues connected to jagged edges or shimmering, and I also detected no signs of edge haloes. Grain seemed natural, and the movie lacked any examples of print flaws.

Beginning gave us a pretty restricted palette to match the setting, and that meant an emphasis on burned-out ambers and drab greens. Within visual choices, the colors looked solid, with added range from HDR.

Blacks seemed deep and dense, while the many low-light shots offered appealing clarity. HDR brought extra punch to whites and contrast. This ended up as a solid presentation.

Beginning didn’t present a tremendously ambitious DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundfield, but the audio seemed to accentuate the visuals well. Most of the time the sound stayed focused on the forward channels, so rear usage concentrated mainly on ambient material.

The film used the surrounds to bolster the feeling of eeriness and intensity. In the front, the track showed good stereo music and presented various elements in a logical and natural manner.

The elements blended neatly and created a seamless sense of the environment. Not too many standout moments occurred, but the track remained smooth and engaging at all times.

Audio quality also seemed positive. Dialogue consistently appeared natural and crisp, with no edginess or intelligibility issues on display.

Music was clear and dynamic. The score seemed broadly reproduced and complemented the mix nicely.

Outside of occasional gunshots and the titular chainsaw, effects mostly stayed in the low-key realm, but they always were distinctive and concise, and the mix boasted fine clarity for the louder moments. Bass response always seemed rich and firm. The mix lacked the ambition to reach “A” level, but it earned a solid “B+” as a fine soundtrack.

The disc provides both the movie’s theatrical (1:30:57) and unrated (1:36:10) cuts. How do the two differ?

Essentially the extended version provides a few longer scenes with added exposition and development. Unsurprisingly, it also offers more graphic gore.

Do these elements make the uncut edition superior to the “R”-rated film? Not really, as both come with the same flaws.

Still, at least the longer Beginning gives franchise fans more of the violence and nastiness they crave. As such, that makes it the preferred cut for the intended audience.

Note that both theatrical and uncut included DTS-HD MA 5.1 and DTS-HD MA 2.0 mixes. However, only the longer version came with the DTS-HD MA 7.1 track.

Alongside the unrated version, we find two separate audio commentaries, the first of which comes from director Jonathan Liebesman and producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller. Recorded for the movie’s DVD release, all three sit together for a running, screen-specific look at story/characters and connections to other films in the franchise, cast and performances, sets and locations, various effects, stunts, music, photography, and changes made to the uncut version.

We find a solid overview of the production here, as the participants touch on a nice variety of domains. Even with a little of the usual happy talk, the track gives us a fine examination of its topics.

New to the 2025 Arrow release, we also get a commentary from film historians Steve Barton and Chris MacGibbon. Both sit together for a running, screen-specific discussion of the franchise as well as their thoughts about Beginning.

Though amiable, the Barton/MacGibbon discussion lacked a lot of substance, as it felt mainly like the guys told us little more than how much they liked the movie. In theory, this chat should turn more compelling because Barton indicates that he doesn’t like the prequel nearly as much.

Because MacGibbon appears to prefer the 2006 film to its 2003 predecessors, that sounds like it should set up a spirited debate. Alas, the end result tends to drag.

Honestly, it just seems like MacGibbon and Barton can’t find much to say about the movie, as they struggle to come up with particularly interesting observations. Even with its weaknesses, I still thought the commentary for the 2003 movie remained moderately enjoyable, but this one just drags.

Some video programs ensue, and Hoyt, Actually goes for 10 minutes, 48 seconds. It offers remarks from actor Lew Temple.

We hear about how Temple got his role and his memories of the shoot. He gives us an enjoyable view of his experiences.

Original Skins lasts 15 minutes, 15 seconds. Here we find info from special makeup effects artist Jake Garber and special effects makeup technician Kevin Wasner.

As expected, we learn about their work on the movie. Expect a nice take on their suitably disgusting efforts.

After this we go to Light and Sawdust. During this reel, we get statements from director of photography Lukas Ettlin.

Also as expected, Ettlin gets into the movie's photography. While a bit on the technical side, Ettlin nonetheless provides a quality discussion.

Down to the Bone: Anatomy of a Prequel runs 45 minutes, four seconds. This one involves Liebesman, Fuller, Form, Ettlin, producers Michael Bay and Mike Fleiss, editors Jim May and Jonathan Chibnall, production designer Marco Rubeo, set decorator Randy Smith Huke, KNB EFX Group's Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger, and actors Andrew Bryniarski, R. Lee Ermey, Matt Bomer, Jordana Brewster, Diora Baird, Marietta Marich, Terrence Evans, Lee Tergesen.

The program looks at the 2003 remake and the development of the prequel as well as cast and performances, sets, locations and production design, photography, the daily efforts of the director and producers, stunts and action, and various effects. This turns into a largely effective view of the production.

In addition to the film’s trailer, we finish with a collection of seven Deleted & Extended Scenes. These occupy a total of 13 minutes, 12 seconds.

Most notably, we find three separate “Alternate Endings”. Two seem pretty similar to the existing finale, but the other - titled "Alternate Ending #1" - offers a more victim-centered spin. I think they should've gone with it.

As for the rest, we get a longer introduction to the two young couples along with some smaller extensions and a bit between one of the pairs during the slaughter. The extended intro runs too long and the rest of the segments feel superfluous.

We can watch these with or without commentary from Form, Fuller and Liebesman. They tell us why the scenes got cut and a little more in their useful notes.

Ostensibly a prequel to the 2003 remake, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning plays much more like a copy of that film. Unfortunately, it lacks the 2003 movie’s dark vibe and just feels like a cheap piece of cinematic product. The 4K UHD comes with very good picture and audio as well as a nice roster of bonus materials. This ends up as a quality release for a weak flick.