Rating: 
Summary: Illustrates the Cons of Being a Con.
Review: While I looked forward to seeing this movie, I was surprised at just how well it was done. DiCaprio and Hanks both give very good performances, but what hit it out of the ballpark for me was capturing the mood of both the era and the chase.Films and books have an interesting way of turning outlaws into charming folk heroes. This is one of those films that realistically bucks that notion. It shows the slick charm and finesse that Frank Abagnale Jr (Leonardo DiCaprio) used to sneak onto airlines and into prolific jobs, but it also shows the emotional destruction ---both his as well as his friends' and family's--- that comes with living on the run. Abagnale did live lavishly at times, but always had the anxiety of looking over his shoulder and keeping his stories straight. We also see Abagnale grow up witnessing his father (Christopher Walken) attempting less successful scams, thus planting the seed for Jr's career. We also get a nice overview of how bank criminals committed bank check fraud before the "personal computer" era, how such crooks were able to evade quick detection of the checks they forged, and how one person's charm versus another's gullible nature can be a deceptive weapon. All in all, this film does a great job showing why even a successful con-artist is not so successful. This film humanizes the con-artist without making us feel pity for him. The lack of pity for the scammer is partly due to the character of Hanratty (Tom Hanks), who makes numerous personal sacrifices (including working in a department of the FBI that his peers judge as tedious). When you see Hanratty getting little thanks and dire frustration while playing by the rules, you want to see Frank Jr get busted.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie
Review: This movie was great. I thought that DiCaprio did a wonderful job as did Hanks. This movie was extremely entertaining and worth the couple of hours. I used to work at a bank so I guess I understood it and got what he what attempting more than most people, but otherwise it was a great story.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best of 2002
Review: I had no idea that this film was going to be this great. The idea that this plot was a true story made this movie incredible. Tom Hanks plays an untainted role as a cop tracking down Frank Abignale Jr., a check forger in the U.S. The acting performance by Leonardo DiCaprio put all of the stereotypes against him to rest, as he played an almost flawless role. However, what I found most intriguing about this movie was the depth of the relationship between Carl (Hanks) and Frank, as they realize that they have become more than just a cat and a mouse, or so to speak. Go see this film.
Rating:
Summary: Gladly surprised, very entertaining: a versatile DiCaprio
Review: I admit I was ready for a not-so-good Spielberg movie, after having seen "Minority Report" last year which has been my favorite movie by him since "Schindler's List," yet I was gladly surprised to watch this atypical Spielberg flick, based on the true story of one of Frank Abagnale Jr, one of the world's greatest con artists, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Since Spielberg's directing and the acting of Tom Hanks (who plays the FBI agent behind Abagnale's back) are both legendary already, I'd like to dedicate these lines to the lasting impression that DiCaprio left on me, with his versatility compared to his more dramatic performance in his other 2002 Christmas movie, "Gangs of New York." With this performance, he comes full circle, by encompassing the dramatic/romantic ("Titanic," "Romeo and Juliet," "Iron Mask"), the action ("Gangs of NY") and the funny ("Catch Me...") both in commercial, and not-so-commercial productions. His performance was very enjoyable: subtle, yet all-encompassing... like the smart intro titles of the movie. I am pretty sure you will enjoy this movie, for this, and for the cleverness of the whole concept, specially considering that it's based on a true life story.
Rating: 
Summary: Come Fly With Me
Review: There is a definite sadness inherent in the story of Frank Abagnale Jr (Leonardo DiCaprio) in the film made by Steven Spielberg of Abagnale's life as a con man. But it is a sadness tempered by exhilarating highs when Frank's cons work to his advantage.
DiCaprio plays Frank with all the notes necessary to convey both the sadness: check out his annual 12/24 calls to his nemesis FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) and the exhilarating highs: Frank methodically planning and executing a con. Spielberg, in deciding to keep things "light," misses out on making his film deeper and more probing especially since he pretty much avoids the psychology of what makes Frank Jr. tick. His one stab at explaining Frank is a scene with Frank's father (brilliantly played by a subdued Christopher Walken) in which Frank Sr. tries to con a Bank Loan Officer and has Frank Jr. help him out.
The Cons by themselves are fascinating...this is true. But how much more interesting they would have been if we knew more of Frank's motivations. Is it just the money? I don't think so.
The production is flawless, capturing the 1960's in all their grooviness: the space age looking airports, the avocado colored refrigerators and stoves, the neon colored shirts and peg leg pants.
"Catch Me if You Can" is bright and fun and it's lingering sadness reminds me a lot of the TV series, "The Fugitive" with Tom Hanks playing Lt. Gerard to DiCaprio's Richard Kimble. If Spielberg had probed a little deeper though, "Catch Me if You Can" could have also been a lot more meaningful.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as great or as classic as it thinks it is.
Review: I loved the animated opening. The film itself got dull somewhere, just repetitive seeing a smarmy DiCaprio get into a suit again.
The classroom scene is great! So is Nat King Cole's lyric when DiCaprio is looking in his mother's window at Christmas: "...to kids from one, to ninety-two..." His character, Abagnale feeling a need to call the cop looking for him at Christmastime because he had no one else to call was a sad touch. The lighting is nice too, very 60's. What happens is DiCaprio plays a guy who pretends to be other people, because his dad admires him for it. There are humorous situations and DiCaprio tries out different women. There was some trauma in his home. Things are about that deep, with no need to be any deeper, this was fairly entertaining and lighthearted enough. There were certain quirks like the 'escape through the toilet' scene I couldn't take too seriously or appreciate. I think that Abagnale's seeing his dad in a dream would add more than going back for a chat a few times in which things are underlined nicely at first, then too much so. Jennifer Garner's prostitute character added Nothing. There's only so many times I can see DiCaprio grin when he does something clever to someone unassuming in a suit, in what feels like a very Hollywood-esque take on a real story. When Abagnale got a job in an office, it would have been interesting to see him ask Hanks worriedly:
"Well--What if I don't do well here? Am I going to be sent back to jail?"
or something like that. It would remind us that he is still just an awkward kid from missing his dad. Hanks character would just brush him off and say
"you'll do fine"
slamming the door behind him. And then DiCaprio's next move would make more sense to an audience.
Anyway, check it out, I was suprised by just how much Spielberg could get into a PG-13 film, though!
Rating:
Summary: HOPING FOR SNAPPY AND GOT DROOPY
Review: I was pretty psyched about CATCH ME IF YOU CAN before it came out. I'm not one of those psycho DICAPRIO TITANIC fans or anything, in my opinion, the real star of TITANIC was JAMES CAMERON. But, from the trailers, it looked like a snappy, snazzy hip little movie with SPIELBERG in charge. Come on, it can't miss. I think it did though. It's nothing like it's trailer. From the trailer, I was expecting IN LIKE FLINT, THE PINK PANTHER, JAMES BOND... something quick witted, colorful and frantic, but instead it was slow. It had some snazzy parts. In fact, it had some really good parts, but I couldn't help thinking that this movie was more suited for a CBS sunday movie or LIFETIME NETWORK. Before seeing the movie, I was expecting to see an OSCAR contendor or something. After seeing the movie, I will be really disappointed if it is. In fact, now I'm thinking CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND is the real TRUE STORY movie to see. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is a true story and it's an interesting story. The acting is great. I don't think anything different of DICAPRIO or HANKS. They're both top notch performers. In fact, if anybody deserves any acknowledgement in this movie, it's CHRIS WALKEN. He's outstanding in it. Maybe a best supporting actor here. Although, the movie was a let down, should have just waited for it to come out on video. A good movie, but not what I expected and not the kind of movie I wanted to see.
Rating:
Summary: Spielberg comes through with another winner!
Review: It's surprising that no filmmaker has told this story before -- it's an amazing one in so many ways! It's a totally unique tale considering the age of the con man (a teenager), how much he got away with and how he actually did his cons, the extended pursuit by the FBI man, and much more. The movie is full of amusing moments (fellow audience members were laughing at many points), but there's also a very human side as Frank the con man's motivations are explored. The two lead actors in Catch Me are marvelous. You have to believe Leonardo DiCaprio (as Frank) as both a high school kid and a decade-older adult, and he carries it off well. His convincing performance minimizes the "how could anyone fall for it" aspect of the cons. (As in, "how could anyone believe a 16 year-old is a doctor/airline pilot/lawyer?") Tom Hanks as the FBI agent is playing a kind of ornery character relatively different from the lovable or heroic people he usually portrays. The development of the complex relationship between hunted and hunter is one of the movie's most interesting features, largely because of the skill of the two leads. There are many visual touches throughout the movie that reveal we're in the hands of a master. Clever camera angles, excellent period costumes, great sets, props and casting - everything comes together so well in Catch Me If You Can. I also appreciated how satisfyingly the final scenes wrapped things up.
Rating:
Summary: Catch It If You Are In The Mood For A Well Told Story
Review: This is a well directed, well acted movie from an excellent screenplay that tells the story of Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), a teenage "con man" who was finally captured after more than three years of posing as an airline pilot, doctor and lawyer while becoming a master check forger who undestood the intricacies of the banking system as well as did FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), the agent in charge of check fraud who pursued him. Obviously the reason Stephen Speilberg chose to make this movie was the challenge of keeping an audience entertained while telling an absolutely unbelievable story that only compells our attention because it is true. Leonardo DiCaprio becomes Frank and convinces us of his ability to con others through his belief in himself, and Tom Hanks is Carl Hanratty, the man whose life is his job and who not only becomes Frank's shadow but eventual savior from a French prison (in the movie's opening scene). The supporting cast is very good as well - Amy Adams as Brenda, with whom Frank falls in love, Martin Sheen as her father who despite his belief in his worldliness is totally taken in by Frank, but most crucially, Christopher Walken who plays Frank, Sr. to perfection, a dysfunctional father and husband whose self deception and failed marriage cause the crisis that leads to Frank's decision to make a life for himself without the usual moorings of reality. This is a story with many funny moments, but it is not a comedy. The movie begins near the story's conclusion to give us needed perspective, since otherwise it would seem even slower paced than it does at the beginning, which is one of its few faults. Then it concludes rapidly in a very interesting and somewhat unexpected manner except for those few moviegoers who may be familiar with the details of the story. However, when the film was over I felt that the audience's patience and understanding had been well rewarded; interestingly enough after more than two hours several people didn't rush out of the theater but sat there watching the credits and talking about the movie. In the end, to understand Frank's story, you had to understand his father, you had to understand Hanratty, you had to fully appreciate that Frank was really only a teenager, and the movie needed time to develop and integrate all these themes. So, kudos to all concerned for a well told story.
Rating:
Summary: Sorry, definitely not a five-star film . . .
Review: Zzzzzzzzzzzz...that was my reaction to the New Year's Eve showing I saw of "Catch Me If You Can", and I wasn't the only one in the audience who had trouble staying awake. One of the main flaws with this film is its structure. By starting the movie by showing us what is essentally the happy ending first (juvenile criminal Frank Abagnale all-grown up on the "To Tell the Truth" show, followed by a more-recent flashback being rescued by agent Handratty from a French prison), we can pretty much figure out the whole plot right at the outset, so the best director Spielberg can do for the remainder of a very long film is to distract us. Granted this is done with superb acting and awesome photography of 1950's-60's scenery and costumes, but all it amounts to is a distraction nonetheless. I found the repeated Christmas phone calls and outrageous coincedences simply too much to swallow. Spielberg IS one of my favorite directors of all time, but even his most far-out sci-fi epic was written more believably than this. There are glaring continuity problems in "Catch Me..." that have continued to sneak into SS's films starting with "Artificial Intelligence" when a character is shown in a perfectly dry, pressed shirt after rescuing his son from a swimming pool; and in "Minority Report" when the weather changes from a torrential rainstorm to a brilliantly sunny day in the next frame. In "Catch Me" we have an absurd chasm between two Kitty Carlisle voice-overs in the opening scene, and later, a wine-stain on beige carpet moves very obviously between shots. Come on, Steven, with all that dough and studio-backing, can't you hire someone with a pad and pencil to watch out for these bloopers?
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