If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Blistering performances.

I didn't hate it like I was expecting. It would have been better if it had been gorier but the intense terror also works. Not really a lasting horror but a good one that will make you feel tension and fear even if it is not petrifying. It reminded me of when I was younger and I got scared of being tied up. Not that that ever happened. I was not tied up as a child. I just got scared that I would. This movie has people being tied up and then tortured. Almost like an early Hostel (2005). Lots of dark scenes of torture. I found myself empathising with the character's fear.

Im gonna say this, if you are hoping for a nice supernatural horror movie with suspense, good writing, so-so acting and a decent plot? Turn away now, this is not decent in any way, shape or form.I've watched a lot of Horror. Supernatural, monster, sci-fi, psychological and have had my share of bad eggs so to say. This, takes the cake, eats it, shits it out and then tries to feed it to you, the one watching. All the while being real proud over itself for its run-down building atmosphere. Sure, it had one moment where it even made me slightly interested in how this storm of plot-holes and bad writing would need. Problem is, just as they really try to do something good with this piece of garbage, the writer makes it commit suicide, making you angry you even got your hopes up.Im gonna say this one more time, STAY ... AWAY. Not worth it.

A remake that is actually better than the original. Well that is probably a first (well that I can think of anyway).Directed by Tobe Hopper his best movie in years since his hey days (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Eaten Alive & Funhouse). For a start I wouldn't really call this a remake, as it's in name only, the story is almost completely different and as a movie in its own right I'd say that this is a pretty decent movie. The Plot = A young teacher Nell moves into an old apartment complex with her husband Steven, a building with a mysterious past. After Nell's friend disappears and several tenants start getting murdered, Nell decides to investigate the building's sordid past and who's behind these murders.The tone of this movie takes a completely different turn to the original, not that it's a bad thing, in fact it features some pretty decent performances (something the original lacked), especially Angela Bettis who plays the young teacher, turns in a solid and well rounded performance I also enjoyed her in one of her earlier horror movies "May", a radically different role to this one, as she's more straight forward in this one. As for this film, Tobe Hooper proves that he's still got that magic touch, with its generally creepy atmosphere, solid set pieces and fast paced, which is always a bonus. Okay this movie is the general standard Slasher movie fare. But it keeps you hooked from beginning to end with some decent kills and has that old school feel to it.Okay there are some low points, like none of the other cast are fleshed out, they're just cardboard cut outs, apart from Angela Bettis, none of them are remotely memorable, but that often happens in these types of movies. And some of the plot scenes doesn't really go anywhere, like the mysterious symbols and curses that are found, but this part of the story falls flat and certain things aren't explained very well leaving massive plot holes, like towards the end seems rushed and left a lot of questions unanswered.All in all "Toolbox Murders" definitely improves on the original version, Tobe Hooper shows us that he's still got what it takes, but this doesn't quite reach the heights of some of the classic and won't be as well remembered in years to come, but it's a pretty decent movie, with some effective deaths and a creepy killer.

Toolbox Murders (2004) * 1/2 (out of 4) Remake of the 1970's cult classic has director Tobe Hooper trying to recapture his golden days but failing due to a horrible script that borrows loosely from the original but doesn't improve anything. There's plenty of gore to go around but the main character is way too annoying. I was really hoping Hooper would get his act together but sadly we'll have to wait for his next film, which we've been saying for the past two decades. The 1978 version isn't much better but it at least has a certain charm to it.