The second half of the film is a battle of wits between the watchers and the watched. There is no mystery over whether or not this guy is the alleged killer — Morse is in full-on bad ass mode and makes no efforts to hide who he is. This is a battle of wits between Kale and his pals, and Turner's desire to get away with some nefarious acts of murder. We slip from the light comedy of the first half to ever growing tension in the second, complete with plenty of PG-13 gruesomeness, which I did not expect, yet happily welcomed.

The movie coasts on the tense direction of DJ Caruso, who injects a lively excitement into the proceedings. Combine that with the nice cinematography from Rogier Stoffers and you have a film that is nice to look at. The script from Christopher Landon and Carl Ellsworth has some zip to it, but is let down somewhat by the performances. Shia Lebeouf has some talent, and 2007 is set to be a big year for him (he also stars in Transformers), but he doesn't quite reach the level he needs to be at here; he does decently, but could have used a little more desperation. Sarah Roehmer holds her own in a limited role. Then there is David Morse, whose work I have really come to enjoy. He is in full-on scenery chewing mode, and it works deliciously for the bad ass killer he portrays.

Bottom line. This is a nicely pieced together thriller. It may cover familiar ground, but it does so in a nice style and plays out in a strong enough manner that it can stand up and be seen. It is not destined for greatness, but it is a fun watch and better than I had been expecting.

Recommended.