New U.S. Release

Catch That Kid

By BRIAN LOWRY

Corbin Bleu, left, Kristen Stewart, and Max Thieriot star in tyke-oriented caper pic 'Catch That Kid,' directed by Bart Freundlich.

A 20th Century Fox release of a Fox 2000 Pictures presentation in association with Mediastream III of a Mad Chance/Nimbus Film production. Produced by Andrew Lazar. Executive producers, Damien Saccani, James Dodson, Mikkel Bondesen. Directed by Bart Freundlich. Screenplay, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, based on the film "Klatretosen," written by Nikolaj Arcel, Hans Fabian Wullenweber, Erlend Loe.
 
Maddy - Kristen Stewart
Austin - Corbin Bleu
Gus - Max Thieriot
Molly - Jennifer Beals
Tom - Sam Robards
Mr. Hartman - John Carroll Lynch
Ferrell - James Le Gros
Brisbane - Michael Des Barres
Brad - Stark Sands
 

Although adapted from 2002 Danish film "Klatretosen," this loud, tiresome kids caper fantasy (think "Ocean's Eleven" if the title referred to the age of the characters) feels like a prolonged episode of "Power Rangers" minus the colorful costumes. Whatever charm the original had was clearly lost in translation, resulting in a tedious exercise that 6- to 10-year-olds may find mildly diverting -- a narrow target that doesn't bode especially well for pic's box office heist.

Indeed, watching "Catch That Kid," it's hard to imagine an idea this banal had to be adapted from anything. Twelve-year-old Maddy (Kristen Stewart) loves climbing, a passion she acquired from her dad (Sam Robards), who falls terribly ill and needs a $250,000 operation that insurance won't cover. So she and her two guy friends, Austin (Corbin Bleu) and Gus (Max Thieriot), decide to rob the bank whose sneering president (Michael Des Barres) rejects the family's plea for a loan.

Giving them a fighting chance is the fact that Maddy's mom, Molly (Jennifer Beals, who -- judging by the adult audience's level of interest and her own bored expression -- could use a bucket of water dropped on her) designed the bank's security system. So the kids break in, spending about $250,000 on gadgets and evening wear in the process.

Expecting logic is clearly too demanding here, but in addition to the wizardry at the kids' disposal it's hard not to notice that beyond the high-tech alarm system, the entire security detail includes two buffoonish guards and a couple of rottweilers. And just to add a Greg Louganis-like degree of difficulty to the act, Maddy and her crack team pull off the elaborate stunt while baby-sitting her toddler brother.

Director Bart Freundlich ("The Myth of Fingerprints") doesn't exhibit much feel for suspense or for wrangling his youthful cast. Moreover, the climactic chase -- involving the kids taking flight on souped-up go-carts -- is shot so darkly that it's difficult at times to make out what's happening, which is probably just as well.

Like the in-release "The Perfect Score," which involves high school students pilfering answers to the SAT test, this is theoretically larceny for a good cause; still, it's hard not to wonder what's next -- perhaps neglected toddlers planning a detailed escape from the drudgery of daycare?

There's also something slightly distasteful, given their ages, about the romantic triangle at the pic's center, with Maddy playing Austin and Gus against each other, telling both that she loves them to secure their cooperation.

Given the lifeless performances, most of the emotional cues come from the music, which oscillates between a heart-warming George S. Clinton score and the kind of energetic, amplified tracks that would normally accompany an aerobic workout. In fact, if everyone could get up and jump around to the beat, maybe "Catch That Kid" wouldn't feel like such a waste of time.

Camera (DeLuxe color), Julio Macat; editor, Stuart Levy; music, George S. Clinton; executive music supervisors, Darren Higman, Laura Z. Wasserman; production designer, Tom Meyer; art director, Denise Hudson; costume designer, Salvador Perez; sound (Dolby, DTS), Ed White; first assistant director, James Sbardellati; second unit directors, Mic Rodgers, James Dodson; visual effects supervisor, Cosmas Paul Bolger Jr.; stunt coordinator, Gary Paul; casting, Donna Isaacson, Douglas Aibel. Reviewed at the AMC Theaters, Burbank, Feb. 4, 2004. MPAA Rating: PG. Running time: 92 MIN.