Domestic Disturbance

Another simplistic thriller in the child-in-peril vein, Domestic Disturbance follows the heroic perfect father formula of Ransom and Don't Say a Word, substituting a murderous stepfather antagonist for the other films' kidnappers. Twelve-year-old Danny Morrison (Matt O'Leary) saw his mom's rich, pillar-of-the-community new husband (Vince Vaughn) kill a blackmailer (Steve Buscemi) from his secret criminal past and dump the body. Nobody believes him--including the implausibly inept cops--except for his nobly insolvent pop, John Travolta. The stepdad threatens the kid, tries to kill Travolta, and blah, blah, blah, until the showdown finale. You know the drill, and that's exactly what makes this movie a loser. Hollywood always chooses to err on the side of simplicity, and Domestic Disturbance is dumbed down to an intelligence-insulting level. Not recommended. (R. Blackwelder)