Movies: Disturbia

Shia LaBeouf is hot stuff in Hollywood. The 21-year-old actor will be in the fourth "Indiana Jones" flick, and he has already starred in the "Transformers" movie. I think that his performance in "Disturbia," though, is probably a better yardstick for judging his talents.

It's a sorta-remake of the classic "Rear Window," minus the witty sarcasm of Jimmy Stewart, the ethereal presence of Grace Kelly, and the masterful direction of Alfred Hitchcock. LaBeouf plays a troubled teen named Kale who is placed on house arrest in a seemingly normal suburban neighborhood. Confined to his house and suffering from boredom, he begins spying on the neighbors with his friends.

It's a premise that telegraphs its intentions with every scene, though for the first hour or so, the film manages to ride the coattails of its more famous forebear. Where things really start getting unhinged is the point where it all devolves into a run-of-the-mill slasher flick. It's certainly commendable that director D.J. Caruso didn't follow "Rear Window" beat-for-beat, but if you're going to go genre, you'd better be good at it.

Rating: 6/10