Didn't cut it

About halfway through this watered-down tribute to the 1974 horror masterpiece, you realize “Texas Chainsaw 3D” is up to something different. The action gets interesting and even fun after that.

But never scary.

The first 45 minutes or so are an exercise in sub-genre tropes. The movie opens right after the events of the original, where locals set fire to the twisted Sawyer family’s home. One resourceful Texan steals a baby, who later sets out to discover the truth about her parents, from the ashes.

After various instances of sex, drugs and blood, the movie opens up.

Don’t take the “3D” in the title lightly. “Texas Chainsaw 3D” exploits the gimmick whenever possible, including everything from a few spatters of blood to countless chainsaw jabs. Because the suspense is so low, the shocks begin to feel more annoying than terrifying.

The movie does an admirable job of exploring the mythology of Leatherface, but the plot feels overly contrived.

Though it never gets scary, the ending twist plays with slasher conventions enough to make “Texas Chainsaw 3D” worth it for genre junkies.