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Fox Home Entertainment presentsCatch That Kid
(2004)
Gus: Are you crazy? We can't rob a bank.
Maddy: We'll pay them back.- Gus (Max Thieriot), Maddy (Kristen Stewart)
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Corbin Bleu, Max Thieriot
Other Stars: Jennifer Beals, Sam Robards, Michael Des Barres, John Carroll Lynch, James Le Gros
Director: Bart Freundlich
Manufacturer: PDMC
MPAA Rating: PG for mild language, thematic elements and rude humor
Run Time: 01h:31m:37s
Release Date: 2004-06-01
Genre: family
| Style Grade |
Substance Grade | Image Transfer Grade | Audio Transfer Grade |
Extras Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B+ | B | B | A+ | B |
DVD Review
Do you ever notice that many pre-adolescent kid movies tend to look alike? That's why Catch That Kid is somewhat of a surprise. Aside from one cartoonish character stereotype thrown in for comic relief, it differentiates itself by not talking down to its audience and attempts to be a little more grown-up, which is great for parents because they have to endure it as well, right Mom and Dad? (I can hear the "amens" out there).Maddy (Kristen Stewart) is a tomboy-ish 12-year-old whose main hobby is climbing, an adventurous sport that runs in her family via the influence of dad Tom (Sam Robards), who runs a local go-cart track. One night after work, an old spinal injury he incurred while scaling Mt. Everest comes back with a vengeance. Rushed to the hospital, the prognosis for recovery isn't promising; it's gonna take a costly operation in order for Tom to regain use of his legs.
Frustrated by her mom's unsuccessful attempts to get a loan from a local bank at which she's employed, Maddy takes matters into her own hands plotting a high tech Robin Hood plan to grab the needed funds. Together with crafty computer whiz buddy Austin (Corbin Bleu) and Gus (Max Theirot), one of her dad's young mechanics from the track. But even with their excellent skills, they've got to get past the usual obstacles of guard dogs, electronic sensors, and obligatory security watchman (James LeGros in an over-the-top scenery gnawing turn; where's Jerry Lewis when we need him?)
Though predictable at times, Catch That Kid is an engaging caper flick for the younger set thanks to the effective chemistry of its leads and a good supporting cast (Robards, musical Power Station alumnus Michael Des Barres as a quietly menancing bank president and Flashdance babe Jennifer Beals, who can't possibly being playing a mom already—in other words, she still looks great). Bart Freundlich's snazzy direction, great editing by Stuart Levy (who did the amazing cutting on Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday) and Julio Macat's cool cinematography add to the effectiveness of a great escapist film that doesn't overstay its welcome thanks to a tight 91-minute playing time.
Rating for Style: B+
Rating for Substance: B
Image Transfer
| One | Two | |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 1.85:1 - Widescreen | 1.33:1 - Full Frame |
| Original Aspect Ratio | yes | no |
| Anamorphic | yes | no |
Image Transfer Review: Yet another one of Fox's crystalline transfers with beautiful colors, rich textures, and nary a nitpick in sight. For those who find it necessary, there's a full-screen version on the flipside.
Image Transfer Grade: B
Audio Transfer
| Language | Remote Access | |
|---|---|---|
| DS 2.0 | French | yes |
| Dolby Digital 5.1 | English | yes |
Audio Transfer Review: Absolutely stupendous! Great action-oriented mix that may be a little intense for the younger sense, so use good judgment in volume control. Constant activity in the rears with neat-o split surrounds and luscious, wide spaciousness upfront; excellent clarity to the dialogue, too.
Audio Transfer Grade: A+
Disc Extras
Full Motion menu with musicScene Access with 24 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English, Spanish with remote access
1 Original Trailer(s)
1 Other Trailer(s) featuring Like Mike
8 Deleted Scenes
1 Feature/Episode commentary by Actors Kristen Stewart, Corbin Bleu, Max Thieriot
Packaging: Keep Case
1 Disc
2-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single
Layers Switch: 01h:31m:37s
Extra Extras:
- Academy Award Nominated Short Gone Nutty
- Fox's Inside Look: Garfield: The Movie Teaser
As for the former, Stewart, Bleu, and Thieriot start off tentatively, but once they get over a case of first-time commentary nerves, it's a fun talkathon with many interesting behind-the-scenes stories and about 100 occasions in which the leading lady hates the way she looks.
Gone Nutty is a delightful four-minute cartoon that introduced the lovable Scrat from Ice Age to the world; since I've yet to see his feature-length debut, I'm going to have to negotiate a borrow from my nephew's growing animated library.
Other inclusions:
Eight deleted scenes are mostly padding, but there were about two or three I would have left in: Maddy's emotional outburst when her mom discovers she's been doing the climbing routines without her knowledge; Maddy indulging friendly bank employee Mr. Hartman, who for my money was the coolest character in the movie as performed by Drew Carey alumnus John Carroll Lynch; a funny bit when Austin and Gus decide to get intimate with Maddy simultaneously only to wind up making hand to hand contact with each other (ewwwwww)!
Fox's "Inside Look" is a fancy title to showcase the teaser trailer for Garfield: The Movie; the original trailer for Kid is included as is a plug for another vintage offering for the young folk, Like Mike
By the way, if you think your copy of the film is missing some of these special features, you're not alone. Some are on the widescreen side with the remainders on the flip; very confusing.
Extras Grade: B
Final Comments
Think Oceans Eleven meets Spy Kids. Catch That Kid manages to blend elements of two drastically different movies into a kid-friendly concoction that everyone in the family can enjoy. Add a cute Oscar-nominated cartoon into the mix and you've got a perfect evening at home.Jeff Rosado 2004-09-22