CATCH THAT KID

Catch That Kid (2004)
Grade: B
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Corbin Bleu, Max Theriot, Jennifer Beals, Sam Robards, John Carroll Lynch, James LeGros, Stark Sands, and Michael Des Barres
PREMISE: A teenage girl enlists her two best friends to help her rob a bank so she can fund a corrective surgery for her sick father.

RATED PG (contains some action, peril, and rude humor)

I actually liked Catch That Kid. Far more mature and realistic (and I do use that word lightly) than 2000's Spy Kids--which kicked off the kids/teenagers as spies/agents/superheroes craze that was mostly composed of three other Spy Kids movies--the film is largely forgotten now but for the fact that its two top-billed actors, Kristen Stewart and Corbin Bleu, have reached megastardom headlining some of Hollywood's recent teen phenomena (Stewart in Twilight and Bleu in High School Musical). It's an entertaining, uplifting little film that contains elements of a coming-of-age-story, a teen romance, an action/espionage flick (duh), and a farce. Like Hugo and Mirror Mirror, the other two PG-rated family films I've reviewed, part of Kid's appeal is its innocence, not to mention its lack of excess (at 91 minutes, it's not a moment too long). And it's a good movie, to boot.

Plot: Maddy (Stewart) loves to climb. Austin (Bleu) loves to shoot movies. Gus (Theriot) is a go-cart mechanic. Good friends (and, in the boys' case, romantic rivals) their lives are fun and carefree and mostly revolve around hanging out at Maddy's father's (Sam Robards) go-cart track. When he suddenly collapses of an old climbing injury--it's he who instilled in Maddy the love of climbing, as he once reached the summit of Mt. Everest--and ends up paralyzed from the neck down, the cost to fix him ($250K) is more than even Maddy's workaholic mother (Jennifer Beals) can afford. Devastated, Maddy turns to a last-resort option: rob the prominent bank for which her mother has been designing a state-of-the-art security system. There's an upcoming party that provides the perfect cover-lots of noise and distractions, no one hanging about-so Maddy decides to put her plan into action, seeking to swipe the money she needs from the top-security vault. But she needs help. Gus and his go-carts can provide a quick way in and out. Austin can use videos and other computer skills to override the complex security system. But to make it work, Gus and Austin have to stop quarrelling over Maddy and work together. And the trio is going to have to figure out passwords, dodge security cameras, escape packs of vicious Rotweilers, and outwit a deranged security guard (James LeGros) and a nasty bank manager (Michael Des Barres).

What Works?
The movie isn't really about the acting-more about the plot-but the three kids are appealling and effective in their roles. Stewart, the best-known of the three (even then, after roles in 2001's Panic Room and 2003's Cold Creek Manor), has taken a lot of heat for her dull, seemingly-bored portrayal of Bella Swan in the Twilight films. She's better than that here, though it's clear she's not a particularly expressive actress. If you're looking for animation, look elsewhere. But, importantly, she's appealing enough that it's believable that the Bleu and Theriot characters would both like her. Elsewhere, LeGros has some devilish fun as the tough but wacky guard, Des Barres is perfectly hateful, Beals is winning and earnest, and James Carroll Lynch (Crazy Stupid Love) adds a likeable portrait as a bank employee who really aspires to be an actor.

Also, as I said, the movie is quick and to the point. The action is engaging, the laughs are frequent, some of the twists are very clever, and the heart and emotion are palpable.

What Doesn't Work?
In a movie like this, there are always going to be happenings that cause the eyebrows to raise, and it remains true. Could kids-even smart kids-really do all this stuff? Are cops really that inept? Wouldn't go-carts racing on city streets raise more alarm and cause more of a ruckus? Would Maddy's mom really be that supportive once she finds out about their scheme? Those sorts of questions can be asked about any movie like this (like Spy Kids) and they're valid, but, in my opinion, Kid is entertaining enough that those questions don't hinder one's viewing.

Content:
Squeaky clean. Other than a few intense moments with barking Rotweilers and characters traversing great heights, there's nothing here kids can't see.

Bottom Line (I Promise):
Entertaining little romp with a big heart and a few tricks up its sleeve. Also a good chance to see teen icons Stewart and Bleu before they were icons.

Catch That Kid (2004)
Directed by Bart Freundlich
Written by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas
Rated PG
Length: 91 minutes