Common Sense Media Review
Painfully bad. A real head-scratcher.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Catch That Kid
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Based on 16 kid reviews
Kids say that the film offers a confusing and controversial message, with several reviews criticizing it for portraying a crime committed with impunity and presenting a negative role model for children. However, there are also positive reviews highlighting its appeal as a fun family movie for younger audiences, with some viewers appreciating its lighthearted nature and positive message, despite disagreements over its overall quality.
- bad role model
- confusing message
- fun for kids
- positive attitude
- light violence
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Kristen Stewart (Panic Room) plays Maddy, a young girl who inherited her father's love for climbing. He becomes paralyzed from an injury he received climbing Mount Everest, and his only hope is an operation that costs $250,000. The family's insurance won't cover it and they cannot get a loan. So Maddy decides to steal the money from the bank. Maddy, whose mother (Flashdance's Jennifer Beals) designed the bank's security system, gets a tour, taking pictures and getting the security code. Maddy's two best friends, Gus (Max Thieriot) and Austin (Corbin Bleu), agree to help her with the heist.
Is It Any Good?
The real robbery in this senseless movie is 90 minutes from the lives of the people who watch it. CATCH THAT KID is a movie about a child bank robber who heartlessly manipulates her two best friends and risks the lives of her friends, her baby brother, and everyone else in her path. And she's the heroine! What were they thinking? The kids do their best, the robbery has one or two clever twists, and there are a couple of funny moments, but the script is so fundamentally misconceived that it is, well, a crime.
The head-scratching moments just keep coming. Why put Taxi Driver references in a movie for children? Is it supposed to be funny or admirable that a child lies about physical abuse in order to persuade a sympathetic adult to give him the information he needs to knock over a bank? Should children find it acceptable to steal from a bank because the boss is really mean? And what is James LeGros doing as an inept security guard who gets knocked out by his own cattle prod-like Taser?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what made Maddy decide that it was all right for her to steal from the bank. How did she consider the risks and the benefits? A famous study several years ago found that when presented with a question like the one Maddy faced -- should you steal in order to get medical treatment for a family member -- boys were more likely to say yes and girls were more likely to say no. Why do you think that might be? Families could also talk about the lies Maddy tells and the lie her mother tells.
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 6, 2004
- On DVD or streaming : June 1, 2004
- Cast : Corbin Bleu , Jennifer Beals , Kristen Stewart
- Director : Bart Freundlich
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Multiracial Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Gay Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Adventures
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some language, thematic elements and rude humor
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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