Disturbia (2007)

Overall Rating From 1 to 100: 79

Directed by D.J. Caruso
Shia LaBeouf / Sarah Roemer / David Morse
104 min. Thriller
MPAA: PG-13 (on appeal for sequences of terror and violence, and some sensuality)

Review by Jason Pyles / April 20, 2007

Every once in a while, Hollywood exceeds our expectations with a pleasant surprise like “Disturbia.”

When I first watched the trailer for "Disturbia," I scoffed at its apparent audacity to rip off Hitchcock's classic "Rear Window" (1954). I was wrong. "Disturbia" doesn’t duplicate, but honors "Rear Window," and even provides some modernized twists.

If a movie has a great curtain-raiser, then it’s usually a good sign. Kale (Shia LaBeouf) is on a fly-fishing trip with his dad. Almost immediately, we like Kale. But after disturbingly tragic circumstances befall his family, we can understand why Kale strays from his usual “good kid” beaten path.

The judge seems to understand, too, so the 17-year-old’s punishment is somewhat lenient: three months house arrest. And to keep him in his domestic prison, Kale has a GPS ankle band that prevents him from leaving his yard. If he crosses the perimeter or tries to remove the anklet, the police are summoned.

The house-arrest concept is an excellent plot device. In “Rear Window,” the protagonist had a cast on his leg that confined him to his living quarters. Both gimmicks work quite well and enhance the movies’ suspense.

As the previews have excessively revealed, Kale, in his boredom, becomes a voyeur. He watches all of his neighbors and their activities. Kale’s favorite entertainment, however, is his attractive neighbor, Ashley (Sarah Roemer), who just moved in. But Kale finds an equally intriguing person to watch: a killer … or so he suspects.

Although much of the movie is given away from the trailer, there is much more to “Disturbia” than meets the eye. This movie combines so many of Hollywood’s most entertaining bag of tricks. It’s thrilling, quite humorous and extremely fun to watch. Films like “Disturbia” are the reason people love movies.

“Disturbia” is currently rated PG-13, a rating that’s on appeal. This movie should be rated R. It’s shockingly violent and the sexuality and partial nudity are excessive, as well.

Shia LaBeouf has me convinced: He is on his way to becoming a monumental presence on the silver screen. Initially, I was saddened to hear that he was cast in the fourth Indiana Jones installment; but now, I’m looking forward to it even more. LaBeouf is an actor whom we should keep our eye on.

O Masterpiece (95-100)
X Excellent (75-94)
O Good video rental (60-74)
O Merely OK (50-59)
O Pure mediocrity (30-49)
O Medusa: don't watch (1-29)

Copyright 2007.
JP0080 : 380