The Chase Is On
Spielberg Plays Catch Again

Earlier this summer, Steven Spielberg took moviegoers on a thrill ride with Minority Report. In that film, one cop is framed for a murder that will happen in the future and he must run from the PreCrime police. In Catch Me If You Can, Spielberg once again lures audiences into a chase, this time of the more traditional cops and robbers kind.

Catch Me is based on the true story of one of the most notorious check forgers in history, Frank Abagnale, Jr. What makes Frank's story more interesting is that he started at the tender age of 16 when he ran away from home. By the time the FBI caught up with the "skywayman" four years later, he had impersonated an airline pilot, doctor, and a lawyer while traveling all over the country and the world.

What makes this film so amazing is the sheer enjoyment I received from watching it. The storyline is quite simple, but enthralling. Seeing Frank Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) turn from a sweet high school kid to a desperate manipulative con artist is fascinating -- and often outrageous. When Frank is forced to go to a new high school, he pretends to be a substitute teacher for French in order to humiliate a bully. The scene, like many of Frank's scams, is a delight to watch.

Chasing Frank is a zealous FBI agent named Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks). Seeing Hanks in a blue suit and thick black glasses made me think of the old Dragnet episodes with Jack Webb. (This is ironic considering Hanks played in the 1987 remake that brought the television show to the big screen.) Hanks plays Carl with a no-nonsense attitude. He's the straight man to Frank's crazy antics, and the fall guy whenever Frank slips away.

In addition to the main characters, the film gets a boost from some great supporting roles, including veteran actors Christopher Walken (as Frank, Sr.) and Martin Sheen as a Louisiana lawyer who accepts young Frank, Jr. into his family.

The film is also a period piece of sorts, set in the mid to late 1960s. The costumes and decor are vintage '60s, capturing that "retro cocktail hour" look that people my age associate with old television shows like "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

Style aside, the film has substance. Although Frank is a criminal, he's one of those outlaws who we find ourselves rooting for. His crime is done with pieces of paper, not a gun or a knife. He isn't trying to hurt people. In fact, it becomes quite clear that his motivation is more about being noticed than getting rich.

While I never expected a cat and mouse game to garner my interest for two hours, Spielberg makes it clear from the beginning how this chase ends. The journey, not the destination, becomes the lynch pin of the film. Surprisingly, it's a journey that will have many people rooting for the criminal even after he gets caught.

MY RATING: 9 out of 10.

RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 140 min.