Catch That Kid (2004) (aka: Mission Without Permission) Kristen Stewart, Corbin Bleu, Max Thieriot, Jennifer Beals Movie Review

Catch That Kid (2004)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Kristen Stewart in Catch That Kid (2004)

Kristen's Crime Caper

Twelve-year old Maddy (Kristen Stewart) takes after her father Tom (Sam Robards) and has becoming an impressive climber and hopes one day to scale Everest just like he did. But when her father collapses and is left paralysed from the neck down the only hope is a revolutionary new operation but it will cost a quarter of million and their insurance wont cover it. It is then that Maddy calls on the help of her friends Gus (Max Thieriot) and Austin (Corbin Bleu) as she wants to get the money by robbing the vault at the financial institution where her mum Molly (Jennifer Beals) works.

The kid caper movie, the sort where we meet a group of friends, we learn that they need to do something dangerous to solve a problem, we watch as they plan and of course we then get the caper itself. The formula is not that different to a grown up heist movie which is why when it comes to "Catch That Kid" it seems such an ideal combination, a trio of young friends planning to rob a bank vault using each of their individual skills and talents which of course means one of the trio of friends has to be a technology whiz kid with equipment which would make many a grown man jealous.

Corbin Bleu and Max Thieriot in Catch That Kid (2004)

The thing is for me a great kid caper movie whilst having to mainly work for children still needs to have something for adults as well and sadly that is what "Catch That Kid" lacks. It can have all the creativity in the world alongside some slapstick and Tom foolery but when it doesn't offer anything to keep a mum, dad or older sibling amused it has issues.

Of course watching "Catch That Kid" now, some 11 years after it was released, there is the added entertainment which comes from it starring Kristen Stewart from before her "Twilight" days and she is a lot more likeable, she even smiles and doesn't act moody in every single scene. But in truth Stewart is as forgettable as the rest of the young cast with it now being a case that these then young actors had the right look more than anything.

What this all boils down to is that "Catch That Kid" probably did entertain a young audience back in 2004 and might still entertain young audiences now but it offers up next to nothing for any one who isn't under the age of 13.


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