Disturbia ***
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, David Morse, Sarah Roemer, Aaron Yoo, Carrie-Anne Moss
Director: D. J. Caruso
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Kale (LaBeouf) is a troubled kid wo, a year after his father’s untimely death, is in court for punching his Spanish teacher. This is not his first bit of trouble, and the judge sentences him to three months under house arrest. He must wear an ankle bracelet that will alert authorities if he is farther away than 100 feet from the signal box. His mother (Moss) cancels his online subscriptions, and all Kale has to do is stare out of his bedroom window. He watches his neighbors’ lives unfold before him. The most interesting are Ashley (Roemer), the new neighbor girl and Mr. Turner (Morse), a man whose care looks like the one reported to have been involved in a kidnapping.

Sure, “Disturbia” is just “Rear Window” for teens. But, it is also a well made, tense thriller. It falters a little at the end when it veers away from the “Rear Window” storyline, but that is to be expected. Shia LaBeouf does a good job as leading man. Get used to seeing him, he will be leading the cast of “Transformers” and also star in “Indiana Jones 4”. David Morse is at his creepy best. Mr. Turner is a sleaze from his first appearance to his last, and as quite memorable. “Disturbia” succeeds as a modernizing of a classic. It is not up to the caliber of “Rear Window”, but it does not disappoint either. I recommend it.