Rating: 
Summary: What an Entertainment!
Review: This movie is not a standard "cop catches a thief" story. I don't think Steven Spielberg wants us to dislike or hate the thief and that, we want justice to be done towards the end by having the cop getting the culprit. Rather, he shares with us Leonardo's character's family background, about his parent's divorce, about a young innocent boy that is forced to grow up too fast to fend for himself. All along, Leonardo's character has a affectionate relationships with his father (played convincingly by the ever brilliant Christopher Walken) & there is a tell-tale sign in the movie that his X-factor is passed on by his father. Maybe, Leonardo's character enjoys acting different characters so that he can escape from reality & that, he wants to make a lot of money to justify to his parents that they don't need to worry about financial security anymore & that they needn't have to worry about the very thing that separates them at the first place. That's why in the end, all we have for Leonardo's character is utmost sympathy. Sympathy is what Tom Hank's character gives Leonardo's character & maybe, that's why they share this chemistry or bond that can be read in between the lines. It's refreshing to see Martin Sheen NOT playing US President for a change. A truly enjoyable movie to watch & an affirmation of Steven Spielberg's versatility in directing different genres of movies. Highly recommended & shouldn't be missed!
Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly good
Review: Summary:
Frank W. Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a young man in what he believes to be a very difficult situation - his father, Frank Abagnale, Sr. (Christopher Walken), is in trouble with the IRS and, as a result, his mother, Paula Abagnale (Nathalie Baye), is having an affair and wants a divorce. Unable to handle the stress and not wanting to deal with the situation, Frank Jr. runs away from home. Unable to find a real job that will pay him what he needs, he turns to crime, but a type of crime that has some early roots in lessons learned by his father. His crime spree begins as he realizes he can write people bad checks and get away with it. However, the bad check scam only works for so long before people catch on. Frank Jr. learns this rather quickly and, instead of continuing to write bad checks, turns to creating phony checks and cashing them at unwitting banks, realizing he can get away with it for much longer. His success at forging checks brings him to the attention of the FBI and their check fraud specialist, Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks). It is only through Carl's persistence that Frank Jr. is eventually caught, but not before Frank Jr. can try his hand at several other ploys. Building on his deceptiveness in the check forging scam, Frank learns that people very seldom actually check your references and as long as you look the part, they are willing to let you play it. Frank takes advantage of this fact by getting a Pan-Am pilot's uniform and flying millions of free miles in the jumpseat of airplanes. Once he becomes aware that Pan-Am is catching on he leaves the pilot business and forges the necessary credentials to become an emergency room supervising doctor that only requires him to make sure the residents under him take care of everything. This job is short-lived however, and he trades it in for a job as a lawyer when he falls in love with a successful, New Orleans attorney's (Martin Sheen) daughter, Brenda Strong (Amy Adams (III)). He actually tries to adopt this life permanently, but his past catches up to him and eventually he has to flee to Europe to escape Carl, but to no avail. Despite being caught after a multi-million dollar and several year crime spree, Carl eventually devises a plan to get Frank out of jail early and put him to work in the check fraud division at the FBI, where Frank Jr. eventually builds a very successful career. My Comments:
I thought I was going to have a problem with this movie in the very beginning when Leonardo DiCaprio's name was before Tom Hanks's name in the opening credits, but I quickly realized that it was justifiable - this is not a Tom Hanks movie, it is a DiCaprio movie to the core and very good one at that. If the movie wasn't based on a true story (though embellished no doubt), it would fall into the absolutely unbelievable category of movies and I probably would not have given it as as good of a rating as I did. Throughout the movie my wife and I were incredulous that something like this could actually have happened. I haven't done enough research to actually discover what was real and what was embellished, but even if one-tenth of what happened in the movie was real this is still a fascinating story. Of course, as with most movies where you are rooting for the criminal, it does kind of turn the tables on justice, but because this one is a real story where the criminal not only was caught but then turned around and began meting out justice to other criminals, you feel justified in rooting for him. Also, despite any embellishments, the story was very solid - there were virtually no plot holes and very few if any gratuitous or wasted scenes. This is a very tight movie. As for the acting, I think I am going to finally have to break down and give Leonardo DiCaprio some credit. I also recently watched Gangs of New York and this guy has got it going right - he can play a very convincing number of roles. DiCaprio was superb, hands down superb. Also, the supporting cast, including Tom Hanks, were also very good. There were only a few major names in the movie besides DiCaprio and Hanks, but major names weren't really necessary. For the most part the acting in this film was very convincing. The only thing I might criticize about the movie was the opening credits. They seemed wasted on silly animations that could have been used to introduce characters and cut down on the the movie time (this is a pretty long movie).
This criticism carries over to the DVD menu structure because it uses a similar type of animation that is actually kind of difficult to read. Other than this wasteful and silly decision, the movie was great. Overall, this is a wonderful movie. The acting is very convincing and the story is impeccable. I can't think of anything bad to say about this film. It draws you in and stuns you with every twist and turn. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun movie and great acting and storyline
Review: The storyline- although based on a true story (so sorry no originality points) is great. Such a clever idea for a movie and so fun to watch the cat and mouse game between Tom Hanks and Leo DiCaprio. Leo does such a great job- I still am not sure why he isn't an Oscat winner... and the movie does not have a dull moment.
Rating:
Summary: An Unbelievably Touching Story!
Review: The storyline seems highly implausible on the surface; a seventeen-year-old boy runs away from home and impersonates an airline pilot, a pediatrician, and a district attorney - and is chased by the FBI for passing millions of dollars in bad checks. And why cast Leonardo DiCaprio, a pretty face, in the lead role if you want this film to be believable? But the movie, 'Catch Me If You Can,' works surprisingly well; and not just because Leonardo uses his disguise to obtain sex from unsuspecting stewardesses; and not just because he cons a high-priced hooker into giving him a night's worth of pleasure - in exchange for an over-the-amount cashier's check - in which he even makes a profit on the deal! No, this feature is remarkably heart-warming because Leonardo (as Frank Abagnale Jr., a real person) is motivated, despite his sophistication, by a young boy's desire to help his father financially - in the secret hope that he might somehow bring his parents back together. Christopher Walken plays an outstanding role as Frank Abagnale Sr., Leonardo's father in the film. The relationship they share is special; and Walken presents the elder Abagnale with extreme dignity, even as his life spirals irreversibly downhill. Tom Hanks (as Inspector Hanratty) is the nerdish FBI agent who obsesses over catching Leonardo, and eventually does. But the movie reaches a seemingly poignant conclusion when Leonardo discovers, after he is apprehended, that his father has died without ever regaining his stature; and that his mother has remarried (and has had another child) - forever dashing his dreams of recapturing they joy they once shared together as a family. Frank's life then encounters a fortuitous twist - which leads to a surprisingly happy conclusion! If you've ever loved your dad, or suffered through your own parent's break up, I'm sure you'll find this film to be exceptionally moving. The outrageous cons are actually just for kicks. This is easily the best Leonardo DiCaprio or Christopher Walken movie I've ever enjoyed, and I recommend it very highly!
Rating:
Summary: Catch the book instead.
Review: 'Catch Me If You Can' is perfectly fine, watchable stuff. However the book upon which this film is based is far more thrilling and entertaining. Frank W. Abagnale has a fascinating story to tell though it comes off a little flat on screen and loses some of the books finer details. By rights Spielberg should have us on the edge of our seats, and though it's enjoyable enough I can't help but feel it had the potential to be greater.
Rating:
Summary: A Great 60's Film!
Review: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is a funny, intresting movie that follows main character Frank William Abignail. His father has just won a prestigious award, but is now having troubles with the IRS. Learning from his father's 'good' examples, con-artist Frank soon poses as differant people. From Teachers to Piolts, to Physicians to Lawyers, Frank plays it all. Carl (Tom Hanks), works for the FBI and is desprete to track Frank down. Can he do it? Can he catch the con-artist?
I totally loved this movie. The music and the plot were excellent!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Twists and Turns up to the last minute!
Review: I really enjoyed this movie! My DH said, "Yeah, right. Since when is a Tom Hanks movie really entertaining?" This movie, from beginning to end, had his attention! It was a true joy to watch the inter-play with Leonardo and the surprises that were around every corner! Highly recommended! An added bonus on the DVD version is the extra disc which highlights the author's true-life story and his commentary on the same. Very interesting man!
Rating:
Summary: a great movie!
Review: I'd like the story, it's amazing and you never get bored.
The actors act very well particularly Leonardo Dicaprio( like in Gangs of New York).
The characters are very attaching, you don't want Frank To get caught but If the policeman don't catch him, he would have some problems.
It's strange to think at the end of the movie that it's based on true facts. Frank was very clever for a young boy!
The movie is very entertaining, So I suggest you to buy it!
Rating:
Summary: A great movie
Review: This movie was just great. I loved the story: it's funny, entertaining and you never get bored. It's really strange to think at the end of the movie that it's based on true facts.
The actors did a great job, Tom Hanks was perfect and Leonardo DiCaprio played well (like in Gangs of New York).
The caracters are attaching, especially Frank, you really don't want him to get caught. It's funny to see how much more clever and intelligent a young boy is than other grown-up people.
It was a pure pleasure seeing this movie
Rating: 
Summary: Plodding, depressing, and disappointing
Review: I guess I must have viewed a different version of "Catch Me If You Can" than did many of the other previous reviewers. So their will be a number of readers who won't like what I going to say, but every man has a right to his opinion, so here goes. Based on a true story, "Catch Me..." is the tale of con-man, Frank Abignale, Jr. who over a 5-6 year period posed as a pilot, doctor and deputy prosecutor as he bilked over $4 million dollars in "salary" from Pan Am, a medical hospital and the city of New Orleans. Frank's story is basically a sad one that Director Steven Spielberg portrays accurately. So accurately in fact, that the movie is rather depressing to watch. The son of a con-man, young Frank learned the ways of his father quite well and spent a number of years just trying to get his father's approval and his parents back together. FBI agent Hanratty (Hanks) spends the entire movie on the trail of young Frank coming oh-so-close, but almost always finding himself one step behind. Speilberg seems to takes considerable poetic license in portraying both Hanks and the FBI as modern day Keystone Kops who never quite get the job done! I can't imagine that the real FBI bungled the chase as much as Speilberg portrayed. It's hard to believe that this movie was just a "mudder" with the outstanding cast that it had. (But then again, look at the cast of "Nothing But Trouble" and explain to me why that ensemble allowed themselves to be associated with THAT celluloid dog!!)You just can't get much better than Tom Hanks, Chris Walken and Martin Sheen and each of them seemed to be oddly out of place in this film. Leonardo Dicaprio does a credible job as young Frank, but even he seems stunted somewhat by Speilberg's heavy-handed direction. Well...maybe I am a little hard on the film, but I did go into it with very high expectations. So rather than completely ignore it, the viewer should probably pony up the cash to rent it (I wouldn't buy it) and make his or her own qualified judgement. But after you view the first 45 minutes or so, you too might be urged to change the title to "Turn Me Off If You Can". NOT RECOMMENDED
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