An American remake of Danish 2002 film Klatretøsen, Catch That Kid is undemanding family fare for the, well, undemanding. Plot sees Kristen Stewart as Maddy, whose father is rendered paralysed from an old mountaineering accident. Unable to raise the $250,000 needed for the potential life changing operation, Maddy and her mother are at a dead end. But Maddy hits upon the idea of robbing the bank where her mother has been the security consultant, so enlisting the help of her two young pals, she sets about committing the perfect robbery.
Plot suggests it is what it is, kiddie friendly fodder that's as preposterous as it gets. But it's still a likable enough tale, stitched together competently enough by director Bart Freundlich, and the actual robbery itself is well crafted and not without genuine tension. The child actors, led by future Twilight star Stewart, don't annoy, and the writers even plant the strains of puppy love on the edges of the narrative. It's all heading to an obvious conclusion, one that is very It's A Wonderful Life in intent, but it does it's job well enough and closes off with a smugness that's hard to get mad at.
An easy enough time filler to watch with the kids or to do your ironing too. 6/10
Plot suggests it is what it is, kiddie friendly fodder that's as preposterous as it gets. But it's still a likable enough tale, stitched together competently enough by director Bart Freundlich, and the actual robbery itself is well crafted and not without genuine tension. The child actors, led by future Twilight star Stewart, don't annoy, and the writers even plant the strains of puppy love on the edges of the narrative. It's all heading to an obvious conclusion, one that is very It's A Wonderful Life in intent, but it does it's job well enough and closes off with a smugness that's hard to get mad at.
An easy enough time filler to watch with the kids or to do your ironing too. 6/10