Let's be frank. You don't complain to the manager of your local McDonald's when you don't get a five star meal. Guess what folks, you just ordered the value meal that's been sitting in the warmer just a little too long. The fourth installment of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre sucks... appropriately so.

Let me reiterate that this is the third sequel to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. If anyone is still surprised that it didn't land any Oscars, please please seek help. Personally, for yet another recycled dimestore drive-in flick, I thought this one paid off quite nicely... true, the writing was just this side of atrocious (although I had heard word of an original cut of the film I have had neither the luck to procure one nor the drive to even attempt to), the acting - for the most part - was terrible, but it's still fun to single out the future stars who actually did give performances of startling quality. I must say that I enjoyed the movie for being a regurgitated horror film... I got a few good scares out of it and quite frankly some scenes flat out disturbed me. Sound design was nice, and there were quite a few decent shots here and there, making good (though endless) use of lighting through dust and fog. Editing was nothing superb but oftentimes, the better the cutting, the less we notice it. Altogether, it was a technically aware movie. Not one to expect the unexpected I wasn't disappointed with the film's shortcomings, and when you try to dissect the plot there are some pretty substantial ones. Still, a fine delivery, particularly after the style-sterile attempt of the third film.

Not the greatest film ever, but far from being the worst.