Crappy film

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

After a violent break-in and robbery, crisis-counselor Alexandra Paul (as Laura Benson) is disturbed by flashbacks. Her soccer-playing teen daughter Ksenia Solo (as Erin) has nightmares. Husband and father Gary Hudson (as Jim), often absent due to his work, decides to move the Illinois family of three to a gated community. Idyllic "Arbor Eden" is heavily secured; it has an entrance officer, coded doorways, and super-tough windows. As this is a "Lifetime" TV-thriller, you can assume they will be needed...At first, all seems well. The family adopts smart cat "Fred" to replace their likewise named, and unfortunately murdered, dog. Problems involve missing furniture and overbearing neighbor Shannon Lawson (as Janis Rivers). In a custody battle with her ex, Ms. Lawson lives with painfully shy daughter Michelle Killoran (as Jenny), in a perfectly decorated house. As chicken-fed chubby as Paul is attractively thin, Lawson gets on her neighbors' nerves. Lawson deliciously bites into her role, helping make this one fun.****** Love Thy Neighbor (2/26/06) Paul Schneider ~ Alexandra Paul, Shannon Lawson, Ksenia Solo, Gary Hudson

Alexandra Paul, who plays the leading role, is somewhat nuts throughout. She comes off as a live looney. And she does the most stupid things throughout the movie. You don't wonder she's a victim. She asks for it. I cheered when she got knocked down. She can't even run up the stairs without tripping. Coordination is not her forte. She has one expression that of shock and amazement. A bad actress. Shannon Lawson as the villain, does better in her schizo personality performance. Ksenia Solo as the daughter reminds me of Roseanne's daughter on her sitcom. Scott Wickware is good as the coach and Rod Crawford does well as the guard who hasn't a clue. Gary Hudson plays the usual Perry King type of husband, who is never there and doesn't believe his wife. Why are husbands so lost in space?

Is this a bad drama, or is this brilliant satire? Yes it was stupid, on the surface, but as I watched this and muttered about how badly they're acting, and what cheesy dialogue, it made me think of Serial Mom. Serial Mom worked because we knew what we were getting into when the film was released, but since there was no real clue in the promos, it was baffling - and I love that. The audience was being teased.Best part of the movie - Shannon Lawson as the picture-perfect neighbor from hell - fake self-effacing humor, constant quotes, big smiles, while her daughter skulks silently in the background. We all could sense the opening ticks of a time bomb, but when Janis's ex-husband drops their daughter off at home, Janis pulls up in - WHAT ELSE - an SUV, charges at the two of them at the gate and just goes off on her poor ex, while yanking the kid and practically throwing her back in the van.The macho soccer coach broke me up, too. The scene where he's accused of having sex with team members' moms had me rolling on the floor. Of course it's a TV-movie cliché, but it was still fun to watch, just like this whole movie is. Now, would I clamor for a Criterion Collection edition? No. I would, however, love to see the outtakes, the "making-of" footage. The cast must've had a wild time on the set.

... or should I say unintentionally hilarious? Either way, this is one of the best comedies I've seen in a long time. I was laughing throughout at the antics of some of the dumbest fictional characters this side of Homer Simpson. It's just one forehead-slapping, painfully stupid scene after another as the clownish, dim-witted cardboard cutouts substituting for actual humanoid characters push, pull, and drag the "plot" to its inevitable and obvious conclusion.If I had to describe this movie to someone, I'd call it a mutated hybrid of Fatal Attraction, Dumb and Dumber, and the Three Stooges, with a "climax" uncannily similar to the episode of Family Guy in which the whole family gets into a knock-down fistfight in the living room.Advice to Benson family: next time you get a new pet, do the poor animal a favor and DON'T name it Fred!