Disturbia (2007)
A teen living under house arrest becomes convinced his neighbor is a serial killer (IMDb).St. Kunta the Pious: 5/10
This movie really sets the pace in the first few minutes with its amazing portrayal of the ancient art of fly fishing...
But honestly it did well with the next scene in which that car comes out of nowhere! I was honestly surprised.
But anyway you settle back into the lull of the movie soon after. And you are offered some comedic relief, mostly in the form of a kid who I could have sworn played a role in Tokyo Drift...
Anyway, he says a Spanish word that sounds like "kiss ass" a lot and anyone that knows me knows I have a deep love for Asians saying funny sounding words. But after the first few times it got really old...
And suddenly the main character decks his teacher because he is still sore about inadvertently killing his father in a car accident...
Insert more story, the kid gets a fancy ankle bracelets and the people watching starts. I am an avid people watcher myself so I can relate to escape from boredom. One thing though, those kids who screw with him, I definitely could have whooped there asses and gotten back to the house in time, just saying.
Then suddenly, the movie starts, introduce Ashley... And while your at it introduce blue balls, because this kid has 'em. And who could blame him, the movie went with the classic Girl Next Door, and during the movie (if you're as lonely as I am) you start wondering what if? What if you were Shia Labeouf? What does Ashley's hair smell like? Why am I so alone in this world...
Anyway the popups from there on are pretty much too predictable, me and the homies at After the Credits were calling 'em from a mile away, which was really disappointing to see in a thriller. I was only entertained by the thought that Shia's mom was totally ready to bang the creepy neighbor.
Actually that is a lie, there was a place in my heart for the party scene in which Shia retaliates to Ashley's party by blasting music and then at the end the two realize they both like each other and kiss... I don't know why I like that scene, it confounds me, but I did, so now that that's done I can move on with my life.
"I'm only looking at you." Good for you Shia, good for you... Because who I am kidding? If it were me I would've done the same thing, she just would have realized how creepy I am right after and left...
Anyway, some stuff doesn't happen and then there was the most I had been invested the entire movie when Ronnie was supposedly caught and dead. Man... I was honestly worried, because without his comedy this movie would have only been left to Ashley, and let's face it we are not watching her for her acting.
So, for my closing thoughts I have a few questions:
What the hell was the killer thinking? Did he honestly think he was gonna get away with all this, and for how long? How shitty must those cops have been at their job? How does Kale not have crippling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from being stabbed, tied up, and falling into a water pit of dead bodies? Is Ashley really good enough in bed to make all this shit worth it? And lastly, if so, where can I get me some of that?
But honestly it did well with the next scene in which that car comes out of nowhere! I was honestly surprised.
But anyway you settle back into the lull of the movie soon after. And you are offered some comedic relief, mostly in the form of a kid who I could have sworn played a role in Tokyo Drift...
Did I just make an asian joke? Oh yea I did!
Anyway, he says a Spanish word that sounds like "kiss ass" a lot and anyone that knows me knows I have a deep love for Asians saying funny sounding words. But after the first few times it got really old...
And suddenly the main character decks his teacher because he is still sore about inadvertently killing his father in a car accident...
Insert more story, the kid gets a fancy ankle bracelets and the people watching starts. I am an avid people watcher myself so I can relate to escape from boredom. One thing though, those kids who screw with him, I definitely could have whooped there asses and gotten back to the house in time, just saying.
Then suddenly, the movie starts, introduce Ashley... And while your at it introduce blue balls, because this kid has 'em. And who could blame him, the movie went with the classic Girl Next Door, and during the movie (if you're as lonely as I am) you start wondering what if? What if you were Shia Labeouf? What does Ashley's hair smell like? Why am I so alone in this world...
Anyway the popups from there on are pretty much too predictable, me and the homies at After the Credits were calling 'em from a mile away, which was really disappointing to see in a thriller. I was only entertained by the thought that Shia's mom was totally ready to bang the creepy neighbor.
Actually that is a lie, there was a place in my heart for the party scene in which Shia retaliates to Ashley's party by blasting music and then at the end the two realize they both like each other and kiss... I don't know why I like that scene, it confounds me, but I did, so now that that's done I can move on with my life.
"I'm only looking at you." Good for you Shia, good for you... Because who I am kidding? If it were me I would've done the same thing, she just would have realized how creepy I am right after and left...
Anyway, some stuff doesn't happen and then there was the most I had been invested the entire movie when Ronnie was supposedly caught and dead. Man... I was honestly worried, because without his comedy this movie would have only been left to Ashley, and let's face it we are not watching her for her acting.
So, for my closing thoughts I have a few questions:
What the hell was the killer thinking? Did he honestly think he was gonna get away with all this, and for how long? How shitty must those cops have been at their job? How does Kale not have crippling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from being stabbed, tied up, and falling into a water pit of dead bodies? Is Ashley really good enough in bed to make all this shit worth it? And lastly, if so, where can I get me some of that?
Kunta Out!
Rufio: 6.5/10
Despite my usual aversion to movies like this and its
predictability, I still enjoyed Disturbia.
While some people do not like Shia LaBeuof as an actor, I do
like him and many of his films. In Disturbia, he plays Kale, a troubled teen that
is put on house arrest after assaulting his Spanish teacher. He tries to keep
busy with little projects, such as a tower of Twinkies, but eventually becomes
bored and begins spying on his neighbors. He is entranced by the newly arrived
Ashley and suspicious of the mysterious Robert Turner.
Ronnie, Kale’s best friend, was an excellent character. He
provided the necessary comic relief to counteract the more suspenseful scenes
and also does the legwork for the investigation. Ashley, Kale’s love interest
and a bit of a tease, is stunning and also becomes intrigued by their
mysterious neighbor.
Robert Turner is terrifying. This includes his appearance
and the way he goes after Kale. Once he realizes that Kale and his friends are
on to him, he goes after all of them and Kale’s mother (and Trinity from The
Matrix). His house might be the creepiest of all. He built a surgical room and
a crypt of sorts to torture and store his victims.
My primary critique of this film was its predictability. For
example, I knew that Kale’s father (Sean Penn) was going to die at the
beginning and I knew that Turner was the bad guy when they first introduced
him. But this did not detract from its enjoyability, and I look forward to
watching more thrillers in the future.
Sam: 6/10
Like every other movie before, I had seen Disturbia prior to
this review, and this is a movie where that really makes a difference. Since I
already knew what was going to happen, there wasn’t much of a shock factor.
However, I still enjoyed the movie. While it might not be a great critically
acclaimed film, it was an entertaining movie, which is all I really want from a
movie. Usually I like to make jokes about Shia LeBeouf, but I think this part
was pretty perfect for him, and he did a good job pulling it off. One thing
that keeps this from being rated higher was the lack of development of Robert
Turner. I wish his character and backstory had been developed more, because all
he really is a creepy neighbor throughout most of the movie. I don't know what
they could do, but I feel like something was missing, something more needed to
be done. Also, the movie was incredibly predictable, but since I had already
seen it, that didn't really make a difference. Overall, I wouldn’t call this a
“great film,” but it was an entertaining movie.
El Mapache Marylandino: 5.5/10
The movie starts off with a father and son fly fishing. Ok,
not a bad start but then while driving home their car first gets flipped over
and then the passenger side smashed by another car. The crash seemed malicious
and I was expecting some sort of reference to this later on in the movie, but
nothing. How could that second car not have seen a car flying through the air
and at least slowed down if not stopped? I don’t know much about driving but I
think I would know to slow down if there is a crash number 1 and number 2 a car
flying through the air and landing upside down.
The title is clever and its subtle reference during the
middle of the movie gives the viewer a hint as to why it is named the way it
is. I appreciated that one of the opening scenes of the movie takes place in a
Spanish class. Ronnie reciting his summer plans while saying quizas over and over again really set
the movie in the right direction. In fact, the interactions between Ronnie and
Kale are probably some of the best moments of the movie. Ronnie trying to pick
the lock on Mr. Turner’s car while on the phone with Kale is probably the best
scene of the movie.
Kale and Ashley are both trapped, Kale quite obviously under
house arrest and Ashley feels trapped by the will of her parents moving from
one place to the next. They bond over this and form a relationship that cannot
be broken by some dude at her party. The music that Kale was blasting certainly
helped to break up the party, though, and one minute there are nearly 30 people
around and the next time they show the backyard nobody.
My biggest grievance with the movie is the ending. Kale has
just discovered several dead bodies preserved in his neighbor’s house, swam in
some disgusting water with the bodies, fought Mr. Turner, who by the way has
kidnapped his mother, and eventually killed him. The next scene though he is
doing just fine. Sure, it helps having a beautiful woman by his side but how
could he not have suffered some psychological damage? I feel like I suffered
more watching the movie than he did killing a guy.
Common Plebeian: 8.5/10
This is an exceptional, modern interpretation of Hitchcock’s
legendary Rear Window. I’ll try my
best not to compare the two directly, but I've clearly already failed at that.
Obvious highlights include Ashley. This girl is the real
deal. She’s absolutely stunning in every scene and has a sense of adventure
that makes the plot seriously enthralling (Coffee and donuts? Yes, please).
Kale’s mental struggle with the traumatic loss of his father
makes him a fantastic protagonist.
The audience is fiercely on his side in the
battle in which he find’s himself. In the opening scene, the beautiful scenery
juxtaposed with the horrific events that transpire reaches out and grabs the
audience right by the heart. It’s extremely difficult for any viewer not to be
an advocate of Kale.
The main element of this film with which I was unhappy was
the role of Mr. Turner. The director’s treatment of this mysterious serial
killer was very sloppy. I applaud directors who can evoke a sense of doubt and intended
confusion in the audience. In this particular case however, there is never any
doubt that this psychopath is guilty and insane. In my opinion, some of
Turner’s choices and actions were illogical, but you can decide for yourselves.
I think a more simplistic approach to this character would have been extremely
beneficial. Behind all the thrill and craziness is an opportunity for the
director to get in the audience’s head and make them question their original
perceptions.
P.S. The ease with which Kale obtained blueprints of Mr.
Turner’s house was disturbing (pun intended). What’s the deal with that?
Signed,
CP (БК)
