Catch Me If You Can 2002

Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News: DiCaprio gives a radiant, movie-star performance. Read more

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: Mindful in many ways of Spielberg's very first feature, the good-natured fugitives-on-the run drama The Sugarland Express. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: The movie feels like the work of a filmmaker who has earned himself a break. Because it's Spielberg, the audience gets to share in the party. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: Spielberg perfectly re-creates the fashions, the mood and the trends of the '60s, and DiCaprio and Hanks have a lot of fun with their roles. Read more

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune: It's a technically superb film, shining with all the usual Spielberg flair, expertly utilizing the talents of his top-notch creative team. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: The most charming of Mr. Spielberg's mature films, because is it so relaxed. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: Ultimately about fathers and sons -- but it's also about the pleasures of telling a good story, with retro charm to spare. Read more

Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: If this fact-based tale of a wunderkind swindler suffers from the director's gigantism, it's still lighter on its feet than anything he's made since Jurassic Park. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: Spielberg's breeziest work in years. Read more

Manohla Dargis, Los Angeles Times: For all his genre-hopping and shape-shifting Spielberg seems to have become too big to tell small stories, which is one reason why the film sputters on one too many false endings. Read more

Ben Schwartz, Chicago Reader: Catch Me if You Can is one of those deceptively slight offerings that manages to reveal more about its maker than the intended masterpieces often do. Read more

Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle: This is one of the most consistent and perfectly balanced films of Spielberg's career. Read more

Paul Clinton (CNN.com), CNN.com: Wildly entertaining from start to finish. Read more

Steven Rosen, Denver Post: This breezy caper movie becomes a soulful, incisive meditation on the way we were, and the way we are. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: DiCaprio, though 27 when the film was shot, has just the right touch of baby-cheeked deadpan innocence to make you believe in the schemes of this eager boy grifter. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: A nice, light treat. Read more

Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News: Mr. Spielberg and his company just want you to enjoy yourselves without feeling conned. And they succeed merrily at their noble endeavor. Read more

John Powers, L.A. Weekly: Bursts with the old-fashioned Hollywood panache. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: A very adult, very funny, very well-acted daydream that should delight just about anyone who's ever been asked for picture ID. Read more

Peter Rainer, New York Magazine/Vulture: Breezily enjoyable but thin. Read more

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer: That rarity of rarities, a mainstream American feel-good movie with both charm and intelligence. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Never takes itself or its subjects too seriously, and contains more genuinely funny material than about 90% of the so-called 'comedies' found in multiplexes these days. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The story is a good story, directly told, and such meaning as it has comes from the irony that the only person who completely appreciates Abagnale's accomplishments is the man trying to arrest him. Read more

Charles Taylor, Salon.com: Though Catch Me If You Can isn't badly made, the fun slowly leaks out of the movie. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: The colorful cinematography, smart performances and brisk tempo suggest a filmmaker subordinating every other impulse to the task of manufacturing pleasure. Read more

David Edelstein, Slate: After a series of dud roles, DiCaprio is back in star form. Read more

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: [Spielberg's] frothiest and most fun movie in years. Read more

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine: A gently funny, sweetly adventurous film that makes you feel genuinely good, that is to say, entirely unconned by false sentiment or sharp, overmanipulative Hollywood practices. Read more

Geoff Andrew, Time Out: This is the director's most likeable film in ages, even if it's insubstantial, overlong and, frankly, a touch redundant. Read more

Mike Clark, USA Today: Offers mild fun but never as much as its animated '60s-retro opening credits portend. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: DiCaprio's winning performance goes a long way toward encouraging the viewer the forgive the film its indulgences and missteps. Read more

J. Hoberman, Village Voice: Sporting a stingy-brimmed hat and erratic Boston accent, Hanks gives a ludicrous performance. Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: One of the most enjoyable films of the year. Read more