Customer Reviews

Catch Me If You Can (Widescreen)

5 star:		(89)
4 star:		(66)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Steven Spielberg directed this light hearted "based on a true story"
crime drama.it's basically about one young man who assumes several
different identities while forging millions of dollars worth of checks
without the FBI being aware of it.along the way,he poses an a
doctor,lawyer and a commercial pilot.once the FBI does catch on to him
he manges to stay at least one step ahead of them.this movie takes
place in the 60's and in this day and age,a Frank Abagnale would not
likely have been successful in forging checks and/or eluding the
authorities.Leonardo DiCaprio plays the lead role of Frank
Abagnale.leading the FBI investigation is Carl Hanratty played by Tom
Hanks.it's fun to see the two try to outwit each other,and there are
some close calls for Frank,in which he is moments from being
discovered.just like in The Terminal,Steven Spielberg shows he is just
as skilled with the lighter fare as with the darker subjects he is
known for.for me,Catch Me If You Can is 4.5/5

a mediocre movie without any special merit to praise for. mucho media hypes to lure people to buy tickets to watch this so-so movie. dicaprio didn't fit into this role in the least way and not too convincing and believable. he just looked too young to be acceptable as a gifted con man. almost everything in this movie looked pretentious and unreal. don't know why so many thumbs were up for this somehow bored to death movie.

From the opening credits design we get in the mood of this very entertaining film. They create the tone for what will follow. Steven Spielberg is in rare form directing this movie that doesn't have a dull moment.

Mr. Spielberg has found a perfect actor to fill the shoes of the con man with the perfect casting of Leonardo DiCaprio. It's very easy to see why all the women fall prey of this charmer. He was a fast talker and a slick operator. He exudes charisma to fill another couple of movies.

It's a welcome sight to have Mr. DiCaprio working in a vehicle that shows his talent as Frank Abagnale, a man of many faces. He plays a game of hide-and-seek throughout the movie with Hanratty, the FBI agent that is in his trail. Tom Hanks shows great assurance and gusto with this character. Of course, the DiCaprio magnetism dominates the action with the many ironic twists and the miraculous and narrow escapes he pulls with an aplomb that's bewildering to the Feds, who are on his tail all the time.

The minor roles are equally important. Christopher Walken as the father starts out as the prototype of the con man, but he's too decent to do wrong; his business fails eventually. His marriage to Natalie Baye, the fine French actress, ends in divorce because obviously she hates being married to a loser.

The action doesn't stop for one moment. This film is great fun to watch with the winning combination Mr. Spielberg assured hand gives us this time out. Mr. Spielberg can thank the genial Mr. DiCaprio who responds obviously to his direction and makes this con man endearing even when he is committing crimes

"Catch me if You can" is a disposable movie about the exploits of "paperhanger" Frank W. Abagnale, based on the book of the same name. Frank Jr.(Leonardo DiCaprio in a good role) starts his imposter career while still in high school. Then, he drops out when his father(played subtly by Christopher Walken) has severe financial problems, and starts to learn how to pass off bad checks. He comes up with the idea to pose as a Pan-Am pilot, and uses a new scheme taking advantage of routing numbers. Hoping to find the con-man, is Carl Henrietty(Tom Hanks). There are a few close calls where Carl nearly catchs Frank, and Frank always calls Carl on Christmas(which leads to his undoing). Frank also impersonates a lawyer and a doctor on his crime spree, and meets a woman that he falls in love with(Amy Adams). Frank meets the girl's father(Martin Sheen in a great cameo), who is estanged from her. Frank nearly marries her, and he runs away after he has to tell her the truth. There is a happy ending, as Carl helps Frank to use his abilities to catch other crooks.

I really liked this movie. The story is well spread. There were some parts that could have been taken out, although. I must say that even though Tom Hanks (wonderful actor!!!!!) was conciderd as a main part, personaly I couldnt feel it. To me he seemd to be a part that wasnt so important, even though he was. The acting was wonderful. Every thing was well showed and expressed. Leonardo DiCaprio was excallent in his part ! !
I recommend this movie!!

This movie is wonderful!I loved every minute of it.Everything from the plot to the dialogue is amazing, but what else would you expect from ann award winning director and cast.Leonardo Di Caprio shines in one of his best pieces of work and in my opinion runs this film.Tom Hanks also does an absolutely great job.Christopher Walken who I enjoy from other movies also rounded out this fun film.The dialogue is smart and witty with great directional views from the one and only Spielberg.The plot is great and represents the actual events wonderfully.This film has a great moral and just makes you feel good at the end.When I watched this film the other day it didn't seem near two hours long.It is worth every cent you pay to buy or see it.I had heard about this film and all the great reviews but I expected it to be boring and uneventful since it took place in the 60's, but I was very impressed and suprised with how touching and smart it really is.The setting and class of the film will impress many.I was suprised at how ritzy and humorous it was at times and definetly think it could be one of the best films of that year and can't wait to see more from the amazing crew.Make sure to check this out if you already haven't.

Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo Di Caprio) worked as a doctor, a lawyer and as a co-pilot for a major airline -- all before his 18th birthday. A master of deception, he was also a brilliant forger, whose skill gave him his first real claim to fame: At the age of 17, Frank Abagnale, Jr. became the most successful bank robber in the history of the United States. FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) had made it his prime mission to capture Frank and bring him to justice, but Frank is always one step ahead of him, baiting him to continue the chase. Steven Spielberg will direct "Catch Me If You Can," from a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson, based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Frank Abagnale, Jr. and Stan Redding. The film is being produced by Steven Spielberg and Walter F. Parkes ("Gladiator"), with Barry Kemp, Laurie MacDonald, Michel Shane and Tony Romano executive producing. -- © DreamWorks Pictures

Many details from the book are changed but it captures the spirit of the story, which is excellent. Both the movie and the book are highly recommended!

More than 130 minutes for a film which has a lot of action and rhythm. Both main actors make a great performance. For Tom Hanks (Carl Hanratty) is not news, as all latest roles have been outstanding, but for Leonardo Di Caprio (Frank Abagnale, or, Frank Conners), I think this has been his best acting ever.

Besides the story (based in a real character, but full of fictionary situations) is very dynamic. Sometimes, the continuous race between the policeman and the thief seems to be somewhat ridiculous, but I think this is the spirit of the movie. To catch such a smooth criminal is really disgusting and frustrating and you need to have real perseverance to get what you want. It's like what a hacker is used to do nowadays.

Christopher Walken and Martin Sheen have got short but very important and memorable appearances. Amy Adams, who takes part as Frank's girlfriend, is on the other side, very greasy and clumsy (sorry about that).

It's not the thing you should expect from Steven Spielberg who had lost some credit after "I.A.", but it's really recommended.

I heard about this story back in 1980 when the book came out. So naturally, I was very interested in how the movie would play out. The story of Frank W. Abagnale is told with some humor and some melodrama by Director Steven Spielberg. DiCaprio and Hanks give very good performances in this unbelievable, but true tale. Not one of Spielberg's best, but very entertaining.

Based on the 1980 memoir by Frank Abagnale, this film follows most of the life of one of the most notorious impostors of all time. As Abagnale (played by the surprisingly amiable Leonardo DiCaprio) assumes the identities of various professionals such as an airline pilot, a lawyer, and a pediatrician, he's pursued by FBI detective Carl Hanratty (played by Tom Hanks and his ludicrously phony Boston accent). Eventually, Abagnale is caught and, with the help of Hanratty, he sees the light and puts his gift of deceit to good use by helping the FBI crack future cases of con-artistry.

Performances are adequate, at the least. DiCaprio consistently juggles between innocence and trickery, and he is both believable in the beginning as a 16-year-old and in the end as his character endures true adulthood. Most definitely his best performance since "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" Two-time Oscar-winner Hanks definitely could have done better, considering his credentials as well as his past performances. It was by no shade of the imagination bad, though, and at times one almost forgets his absurd attempt at a dialect. Christopher Walken, though, probably delivers the best performance as Abagnale's emotionally struggling father, despite his limited screen-time.

"Catch Me If You Can" captures the candy-colored fantasy that was the '60s, but it's not free of at least some appropriately bleak moments. The film is surprisingly minimalistic with its cliches even while setting forth its good-hearted message, and director Spielberg makes the two-and-a-half hour flick breeze by like a nice, lighthearted dream.