Cheap Catch Me If You Can (Full Screen Two-Disc Special Edition) (DVD) (Steven Spielberg) Price

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Customer Reviews of Catch Me If You Can (Full Screen Two-Disc Special Edition)

Good entertainment--but should have been better...
There's a lot to like in CATCH ME IF YOU CAN--the handsome production values, the unobtrusive John Williams score, the performances by a first-rate cast (Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Charlie Sheen, Christopher Walken) and the fact that it's based on the amazing story of a young man who fooled authorities with forgeries and impersonations over a long period of time. <
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>Makes me recall the Tony Curtis film, THE GREAT IMPOSTER ('61), which told the same sort of amazing story with a lot more exuberance. Somehow events never seem quite so extraordinary in the way that they unfold in this reenactment of a true story. Only a few times does the urgency of DiCaprio's escape from the man chasing him really involve the audience. <
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>Don't ask me why--but there's not enough punch to the proceedings and perhaps this is where John Williams with his "nice" score fails to take the drama seriously. Instead of accompanying the more gripping moments with dramatic bursts of music, he instead goes for a quieter, sophisticated sound closer to the bland '60s sound of cocktail music. Somehow this deadens the impact or seriousness of the crimes being depicted and gives the whole movie a bland quality that is out of place. I never thought I'd be criticizing a John Williams score for being bland but so be it. <
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>The performances can't be faulted--Tom Hanks is especially good as the F.B.I. man and DiCaprio does a highly competent job as the misguided youth. Christopher Walken makes the father an interesting character. <
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>Nevertheless, it IS an amazing story--this man had to be brilliant to pull off what he did--in an age where counterfeit checks and IDs are scrutinized as carefully as they are most of the time, it seems highly unlikely that such a ruse could happen in the light of today's heightened high security--or is it?? <
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Enjoyable, light-hearted romp
Ever since putting out Saving Private Ryan, Steven Spielberg's been sort of hit-and-miss. From likable outings like Minority Report to Munich to sort-of-okay ones such as A.I and The Terminal. Catch Me If You Can, a film similar in tone to the Terminal is a bit more accessible and it's interesting all the way through. But interesting doesn't mean great through and through and the film suffers from what I call a "perfectly too long script" where the film can't really be cut down but you wish it had been. <
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>The film centers on real-life con artist Frank Abagnale Jr. who successfully impersonated an Airline pilot, a doctor and a lawyer and receiving the checks priviledged to such prestigious careers. Of course people aren't too happy and on the case is FBI man Carl Hanratty, an expert on bank fraud. But there's more to Frank than just writing bad checks as he has some family issues that he needs to have taken care of and the desire to keep running. <
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>This is kind of a hard Spielberg film to like because it's more a sum-of-its-parts kind of film than looking at individual achievements. All his films, from E.T to Close Encounters to Jaws and Jurassic Park always had some memorable image or a musical theme or something. In this case, it's more acting that shines through. From Leonardo DiCaprio bringing in a great turn as Frank to the one who should've gotten the Oscar, Christopher Walken. Only real problem is Frank's chaser, Hanratty played by Tom Hanks. He plays it with an awful accent and at times you can't even tell what kind of character he's supposed to be. <
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>Where the film doesn't really fail but just sort of stumbles is in its pace. This is a film where looking back it's hard to tell what could be cut since a lot of it is important to establishing characters and motivations yet it just feels too long, like a movie you want to trim down but you wouldn't even know where to start. But tonally the film feels just right from its almost sugary atmosphere to the chase music. It's nice to see John Williams NOT to something that sounds like Star Wars all the time). It's not even close to being Spielberg's worst (look to 1941 for that) but not really Spielberg's best but it's still a nice little movie. <
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>If you're expecting another classic, look elsewhere. But if you just want something entertaining now and then, can't go wrong here.

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The cast is exceptional with a counterfeiting, identity theft script.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, is a movie partly about rehabilitation of <
>addicts to check counterfeiting, identity theft, and similar acts, so <
>suceeding in reforming what some may see as a character flaw of <
>individuals who are compelled to that behavior. Indeed, much like the <
>majority of day traders on the stock markets), their luch will <
>eventually catch up with them, in terms of the odds the long term. <
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>A major weakness in this movie, is the dated time frame in which the <
>activity was perpetrated, coupled with a lack of discernment in the <
>choice of the soundtrack, (chosing stereotypical, cheesy numbers from <
>the 60's and 70's). There is also a flawed filming technique, camera <
>work by the Director, that not everyone will agree with. In fact, ET, <
>Jurassic Park showed horrifically poor filming and presentation, yet <
>they made a ton of cash, were crowed pleasers and major attractions. <
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>Another downfall is the script, and its flawed tendency to make <
>comedy and clownish characterizations of a very serious matters that <
>affect the financial markets, human lives, entire industries and <
>markets, which is counterfeiting, impersonation of other people, many <
>of wheom laugh all the way to the bank. <
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>Aside from those aspects, I won't hold it against the director, to <
>release a movie that exceeds 2 hours vs. the standard 90 mins, <
>considering the difficulty in telling the story contained in the <
>book, encompassing a number of real life, biographical aspects. <
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>It's clear that the cast was exceptional, played by Di Caprio who <
>brings plenty of world class acting, as does Martin Sheen, Chris <
>Walken, raising the movie up a notch or two in quality. <
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>Reverting to the filming, there are just too many blurred, unsharp, <
>poorly selected lighting situations for this aspect to pass <
>unnoticed, or unannoying, suggesting a TV-like technique by the <
>technicians. The DVD transfer was not a real wide-screen release that <
>viewers were expecting, either. Also, the filming angles are much too <
>predictable, yet the movie does redeem itself in the odd moments <
>from its comical moments, that will show a split reaction. <
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>The final surprise, is the rhetorical matter of how someone can take <
>tens of millions, and after 10 years or more, have nothing to show <
>for, as all has vanished in thin air.