A U.S. remake of the Danish film Klatretosen (2002), Catch that Kid is a teen heist film, in a nutshell. When Maddy's (Kristen Stewart) dad needs an expensive operation, she plans a heist to get the money to pay for it, enlisting the help of her two equally inventive friends, Austin (Corbin Bleu) and Gus (Max Thieriot). Catch that Kid is a lot of fun, but viewers who are only looking for "realistic" fare may be disappointed. As a teen heist film, Catch that Kid is heavy on the fantasy aspects, which are frequently more cartoonish than realistic. Whether you'll like it will largely depend on whether you don't mind, or even prefer (as I do), fantasy instead of reality in films. And unlike traditional heist films, Catch that Kid has an overarching "warm and fuzzy" message, with a predictable climax and denouement. Even though it is heavy on fantasy elements, the three stars, Stewart, Bleu and Thieriot, are very believable, in context, in their roles. The film is interesting that in spite of being a heist film, it is also constructed like a more traditional fantasy/adventure story. In this interpretation, the bank is as a castle, presided over by an evil ruler. Our heroes must enter the castle stealthily, foiling the court jesters/castle guards, evading the magical beasts to scale the inner sanctum, retrieve the sacred token, escape on horseback and save the true King. That the plot can work in both the modern heist setting and the traditional fantasy/adventure setting gives in more depth and more unconscious resonance with audiences amenable to less realistic tales. Comparisons can easily be made to other recent films such as the Spy Kids series, the Cody Banks series, or even animated fare such as Kim Possible, but each has its particular niche, and Catch that Kid was just as entertaining to me (a middle-aged male) as any heist film for grown-ups. Finally, in a different tone, let me repeat the rant I gave in my review of The Grudge (2004): It is ridiculous that U.S. distributors and studios feel that we need remakes of foreign films to make them appropriate for consumption. The original versions of these films should just be playing in U.S. theaters in wide release. There is no need to present an almost identical film but just substituting white American actors for non-white or foreign actors. Yes, Catch that Kid is a fine film, but ultimately, I'd rather see something original using this talent, and be treated to the latest foreign films--not just European, but Asian, African, etc.--at my multiplex. In the hope that someone with some pull at the studios reads this, it is also more cost-effective to do this, as (1) you can completely avoid production costs, and simply make domestic distribution deals from which you receive profit, and (2) you can make money off of fans like myself who otherwise pick up the foreign film DVDs in foreign manufactured or even bootleg versions.
Review of Catch That Kid
