"CATCH THAT KID"
(2004) (Kristen Stewart, Corbin Bleu) (PG)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Minor	Minor	Heavy	*Moderate	Minor
Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Moderate	None	Moderate	None	*Mild
Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Mild	None	Mild	Moderate	Mild

---

QUICK TAKE:

Action/Adventure: A girl convinces her two friends to help her break into a high tech bank vault to steal money needed for her father's experimental surgery.

PLOT:

Maddy (KRISTEN STEWART) is a normal kid who lives with her parents, Molly (JENNIFER BEALS) and Tom (SAM ROBARDS), and toddler brother, Max. Like her father who previously ascended Mount Everest, Maddy yearns to be a climber, much to her mother's dismay. She also likes hanging out at her family's go-cart racetrack with friends Austin (CORBIN BLEU) and Gus (MAX THIERIOT) who both have a crush on her.

Her world is turned upside down, however, when her father suddenly collapses and finds himself paralyzed from a prior climbing accident. With the only chance for recovery being experimental surgery in Denmark, Molly hopes to borrow the needed $250,000 from banker Mr. Brisbane (MICHAEL DES BARRES), a client for whom her firm is installing a high tech security system for his innovative bank vault.

Yet, when he and others turn Molly down, Maddy decides to take matters into her own hands. Knowing she can climb to the vault that's suspended one hundred feet off the ground, she persuades Austin and Gus to use their individual talents to assist her in stealing the needed money.

After Maddy uses the bank's friendly manager, Mr. Hartmann (JOHN CARROLL LYNCH), as an unwitting accomplice, the three draw out the rest of their plans and set out to infiltrate the bank. As they do, however, they know they must overcome the high tech surveillance and alarm features and outwit security guard Ferrell (JAMES Le GROS) and Gus' mean older brother Brad (STARK SANDS) who's interning there.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?

Since it features kids outwitting adults and looks like a "Spy Kids" type film, they just might.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG

For some language, thematic elements and rude humor.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:

KRISTEN STEWART plays a girl who decides to use her climbing skills in robbing a bank vault to pay for her father's otherwise unobtainable experimental surgery. She persuades Austin and Gus to assist her and must put up with their crushes on her.

CORBIN BLEU plays her smart friend who likes her and assists in overcoming the bank's security systems.

MAX THIERIOT plays their friend who's concerned that girls favor smart guys like Austin over mechanics like him. Nevertheless, he assists Maddy in her heist.

JENNIFER BEALS plays Maddy's mom who's concerned about her daughter's preoccupation with climbing and then with her husband's sudden debilitating condition.

SAM ROBARDS plays her husband, a former climber who suddenly suffers from being paralyzed.

JOHN CARROLL LYNCH plays the bank's friendly manager who unwittingly assists Maddy in her plan by showing her all of the bank's security features.

JAMES Le GROS plays the bank's high-strung and somewhat sadistic security guard.

MICHAEL DES BARRES plays the bank's president who isn't happy that Molly's security system is not yet up to speed.

STARK SANDS plays Gus's mean older brother who's interning as a security guard in the bank.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

---

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

---

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

The following is a brief summary of the content found in this action/adventure film that's been rated PG. Profanity consists of a handful of expletives, while some colorful phrases and other imitative behavior are present. A man and woman briefly fool around in an office (in a non-explicit, but somewhat risqué fashion), while cartoon nudity (from TV's "The Simpsons") is briefly present.

Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, including three kids who conspire to rob a bank vault (but for money the girl's father needs for costly back surgery to alleviate his paralysis). Some of the related scenes during the robbery - including one featuring guard dogs chasing after the kids and some other perilous moments - might be unsettling or suspenseful to some younger viewers.

Brief crude humor is present, while some characters briefly drink and some brief violence (including a teen being hit in the crotch and two people being zapped by an electric wand) is present.

Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

---

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE

Tom may be drinking a beer (that he then pours on Gus's burn on his arm).

When trying to recall the breed of a dog (rottweilers), Austin says what sounded like "Budweiser."

Brisbane has some champagne.

Miscellaneous people have champagne at a reception where we then see a champagne toast.

BLOOD/GORE

Tom shows Austin and Gus the large scar that runs down his back (from a climbing accident).

We hear Brad fart.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE

Maddy lies to her mom about climbing a tower.

Brad is mean to his younger brother, Gus, and calls him a "retard." He then pushes him backwards. Moments later, after his go-cart has fallen apart, Brad chases after Gus -- saying he's going to kill him -- and then gets him in a head-lock (his arm around Gus' head).

Brisbane won't give Molly a loan to cover Tom's medical expenses (using her lateness in getting his security system in place as an excuse).

While trying to convince a worker that he needs a model building for his class, Gus implies that his stepfather beats him (making that up) and then shows her a scar (from earlier accidentally burning his arm on a hot grill) to make her think the stepfather did that.

Maddy convinces Austin and Gus to assist her in breaking into a bank to steal $250,000, but is doing so to pay for her father's medical bills.

To make both Austin and Gus assist her plan, Maddy separately tells each that she loves them.

Ferrell is a somewhat sadistic and high-strung security guard who doesn't treat Brad in a nice way.

Molly lies to cover up Maddy and the boys' bad behavior (and uses a stipulation in her contract to do so).

FRIGHTENING SCENES

Scenes listed under "Violence" might also be unsettling or tense to some, but mostly younger viewers (older ones will likely have little if any problem with the material there or here).

Maddy falls from a tall tower (while climbing the side of it) and her safety rope catches her just before she hits the ground.

Tom collapses at home, alarming both Molly and Maddy (he says he can't feel his legs). We then see him in the hospital where he's paralyzed from the neck down (from an earlier climbing accident and injury).

Some kids may worry about Maddy and her friends being discovered and/or caught during the robbery.

As Maddy climbs a vertical wall with the help of large safety deposit boxes that provide steps for her, one such box nearly knocks her off the wall when Austin accidentally causes that one to open.

Maddy uses climbing gear to ascend a 100 foot tall vertical wall inside a bank vault room. When it becomes stuck, she does a free climb (with no equipment) to climb the last 20 feet. Once there, she travels arm over arm while hanging and swinging from one horizontal rung to the next (far above the floor). When she gets over the large, suspended safe, she jumps down onto it from those rungs. She slips and falls over the edge, however, barely catching and then hanging onto the side. With time running out before an alarm sounds, she tries to enter various passwords into the safe door while clinging to the vertical side of it (far above the floor).

Maddy and Austin just manage to dive and roll under a vertically closing door.

Security rottweilers chase after the kids through various hallways inside the bank. They then grab and tug on the bags of money the kids are carrying.

GUNS/WEAPONS

Electric wand: Carried by Ferrell and used by Brad to zap him.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR

Phrases: "Retard," "Dork," what sounded like "Fart knocker," "Go contaminate someone else," "Loser number three," "Butt munch," "I'm gonna give you a purple nurple," "Let's kick some butt," "Don't freak out," "Nerds," "Fancy pants," "Maggot," "Are you freaking nuts?" what sounded like "Ass fart," "Freak of nature," "Suck," "Jerk," "Sweet," "We are so grounded," "You idiot," "Zip it," "That sucks," "Knucklehead move" and several incomplete "Holy..."

It's possible the film could inspire some kids to try to pull off some sort of heist.

Maddy uses climbing gear to climb up the outside of what looks like a tower of some sort where she writes her name and date on the side to indicate the height she's reached.

While trying to convince a worker that he needs a model building for his class, Gus implies that his stepfather beats him (making that up) and then shows her a scar (from earlier accidentally burning his arm on a hot grill) to make her think the stepfather did that.

Gus loudly belches.

"Fart" is used as a code word to make some rottweilers stand down from their attack.

Austin's go-cart runs out of fuel and so he jumps over onto Gus' go-cart (while both are moving).

Gus drops tacks onto the road that flatten various police car tires.

JUMP SCENES

None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)

A moderate amount of dramatic, action-oriented and some suspenseful music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)

None.

PROFANITY

At least 5 possible asses (what sounded like that word), 1 damn, 4 uses of "Oh God," 2 of "God" and 1 use each of "My God" and "Oh God."

SEX/NUDITY

We see a clip from TV's "The Simpsons" where Bart takes a photo of his bare cartoon behind (that we briefly see).

After Ferrell accidentally hits Brad in the crotch with a non-charged electric wand, he tells Brad to stay in the office and "take care of your privates."

A woman, who shows some cleavage in a party dress, tells Hartman, "I finally have you all to myself" when he shows her into an empty office during a party. Moments later, we see her sitting sideways across his lap. When Maddy's toddler brother finally speaks and says, "Mama," the woman thinks Hartman said that and suggestively tells him, "That's right, come to mama."

A miscellaneous woman shows a little cleavage.

SMOKING

None.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES

Tom collapses at home, alarming both Molly and Maddy (he says he can't feel his legs). We then see him in the hospital where he's paralyzed from the neck down (from an earlier climbing accident and injury) and Maddy and Molly are upset.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT

Whether crime is ever justifiable. Here, Maddy convinces Austin and Gus to assist her in breaking into a bank to steal $250,000, but is doing so to pay for her father's medical bills.

How no crime is fool-proof.

The way Brad initially treats Gus.

VIOLENCE

After his go-cart has fallen apart, Brad chases after Gus -- saying he's going to kill him -- and then gets him in a head-lock (his arm around Gus' head).

Gus accidentally burns his arm on a hot outdoor grill.

Ferrell smashes a spider with his electric wand.

Gus crashes his out of control go-cart on a racetrack, but is okay.

Gus throws something against an exterior wall in anger (while mad at Maddy kissing Austin on the cheek).

Ferrell and Brad spar in the security office, with Brad just trying to block Ferrell's jabs with a turned off electric wand. Brad isn't ready, however, when Ferrell hits him in the crotch with it, doubling him over. Ferrell then tells Brad to stay in the office and "take care of your privates."

Trying to prevent Ferrell from seeing him, Brad dives over a bar, but ends up breaking things on top of it.

Ferrell hits Brad with his beret.

Brad purposefully zaps Ferrell with an electric security wand and then accidentally zaps himself, rendering both of them unconscious.

Police cars chase after Austin and Gus down city roads at night. Austin's go-cart runs out of fuel and so he jumps over onto Gus' go-cart (while both are moving). A police car then drives over and smashes the empty go-cart.

Gus then drops tacks onto the road that flatten various police car tires.

Reviewed January 31, 2004 / Posted February 6, 2004

Other new and recent reviews include:

Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.

All Rights Reserved,
©1996-2022 Screen It, Inc.