Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
★★ — Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
The second sequel to Tobe Hooper's seminal 1974 original, this entry arrived at a time when the franchise was already running on fumes, Hooper's own 1986 follow-up having divided fans with its broad, almost comedic tone. Jeff Burr, who had cut his teeth on anthology horror with From a Whisper to a Scream (1987), took the helm here on a modest $2 million budget distributed by New Line Cinema. The production is perhaps best remembered for its troubled relationship with the MPAA, which demanded substantial cuts to secure an R rating, leaving the theatrical cut noticeably truncated. R.A. Mihailoff stepped into the iconic role of Leatherface, while an early appearance from Viggo Mortensen, still years away from mainstream recognition, rounds out a cast that also includes genre veteran Ken Foree.
Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990), the one with a pre-Lord of the Rings Viggo Mortensen as an unhinged hitchhiker, is a grimy, ugly mess of a film, and not in the good, gritty way. It’s just… bad. Bad lighting (everything’s either pitch black or washed out), bad cinematography, wooden acting (even from Viggo, who tries way too hard with wild eyes and spit-flecked rants), and a plot so thin it snaps under the weight of its own clichés. The dialogue is cringe-worthy. The kills are repetitive and oddly dull for a franchise built on shock. It’s got the gore, plenty of it, but without tension, character, or even a decent build-up, it all feels pointless. The leads are forgettable, the pacing lurches between nothing happening and someone getting chainsawed, and the infamous “dinner table” scene tries to be iconic but just comes off as silly. Even R.A. Mihailoff under the mask doesn’t bring anything new to Leatherface, he’s lumbering, loud, and lacks the eerie stillness of the original. At least it’s short (just 81 minutes) so the pain doesn’t last long. You can almost admire its commitment to sleaze, but admiration doesn’t make it good. It’s a low point in the franchise: style-free, soulless, and instantly forgettable. A chainsaw through the heart of what made the series scary.
Rating: ★★ | Year: 1990 | Watched: 2025-09-21
Where to watch (UK)
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