Release Date: 8/7/07

The Film

It’s funny how my generation can pretty much relate almost anything to an episode of The Simpsons. With the release of Disturbia fans will no doubt recognize the formula used here as a teenaged boy is put under house arrest for three months (Bart wearing a leg cast on anyone?). A young man left to his own devices will always find a way to get into more trouble as Disturbia explores with a mix of predictable comedy and even more predictable action.

Shia LaBeouf plays Kale Brecht who’s recently lost his father in a brutal car accident where Kale was behind the wheel. After a teacher of his makes a smug comment about the passing of his father, Kale loses his cool, and clocks him in retaliation. Full of anger, angst, and guilt, Kale is now sentenced to house arrest, which starts off well enough until his mother takes away the video games and Internet, which just sounds like cruel and unusual punishment to me.

Now, left without any forms of entertainment, Kale takes to the binoculars spying on his neighbors, which include his new love interest, Ashley (Sarah Roemer) and a suspected serial killer living next door. Things obviously get out of hand as Kale and his friends now have a whole new problem on their hands as they try to expose the truth.

The DVD

The main menu comes with an introduction with animated backgrounds featuring clips from the film and music. Submenus include silent static stills.

The video is offered in 1.85:1 Widescreen Format. The video looks decent with a fair amount of details and above average color palette. Dark scenes contain a fair amount of sharpness and without any murkiness.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 2.0, and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0. The sound fairs about as well as the video with a good amount of bass and minimal surround sound. The dialogue is clear throughout as well. Subtitles are also offered in English, French, and Spanish.

The Extras

The Audio Commentary track is provided by DJ Caruso, Shia LaBeouf, and Sarah Roemer.

There are 4 Deleted Scenes with a Play All option and a quick minute-and-a-half reel of Outtakes.

The Making of Disturbia runs about 15-minutes and features interviews with the cast and crew, backstage looks, and clips from the film.

Serial Pursuit Trivia Pop-Up/Quiz is exactly what you would imagine: an option that will pop up random bits of info throughout the film.

The bonus options round out with a Music Video for “Don’t Make Me Wait” by This World Fair, a Photo Gallery, and the Theatrical Trailer.

Final Thoughts

Disturbia will please the young ladies because of its young star named Shia, however, for everyone else, the film remains strictly a rental because of its clichéd approach to a potentially thrilling story.

- Morris Tang