Catch Me If You Can (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition) (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Catch Me If You Can" is the story of real-life con artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. who, in the late 1960's and early 1970's, when he was between the ages of 16 and 21, wrote $2.5 million dollars in bad checks and became one of the most notorious con men in American history. The film follows Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) from his early high school pranks to his check-printing operation and eventual capture in France five years later. FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) doggedly pursues Frank as he successfully impersonates an air line pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer, living the life of a playboy and cashing ingeniously forged checks all along the way.
"Catch Me If You Can" was directed by Stephen Spielberg and, along with Minority Report, signifies a revival of Spielberg's directing talent after fifteen years of mediocre-at-best filmmaking. This film is fairly light fare, but it is immensely entertaining, funny, touching, and impeccably cast. Frank Abagnale, Jr. is a perfect fit for Leonardo DiCaprio, and is probably his best role since "What's Eating Gilbert Grape". Tom Hanks seems to have abandoned his typically saccharine roles this year -much to his credit- and puts in a wonderful performance as sympathetic geeky G-man Carl Hanratty (along with a terrific showing in "Road to Perdition"). Christopher Walken was the only actor to receive an Oscar nomination for "Catch Me If You Can". His performance as Frank Abagnale, Sr., our protagonist's down-and-out father, deserved the honor. Frank Jr.'s awkward combination of admiration and pity for his father seems to have been a key motivator in his illustrious life of crime, and Christopher Walken really helps us understand that.
The real Frank Abagnale, Jr. is a successful security consultant these days, protecting businesses from white collar crime. He cooperated with and bascially likes the film, but is quick to point out that "Catch Me If You Can" is based on his biography of the same name that was written about 25 years ago. Mr. Abagnale says that some aspects of his experiences were exaggerated in that book and some have been altered for the movie as well. Whatever the inaccuracies, Frank Abagnale, Jr.'s immense intelligence, ambition, and guts are the most striking elements of the film. It's the rarity of finding all of these qualities in such abundance in one person that make Frank's character so fascinating, and make him one of cinema's most lovable antiheroes.
I highly recommend "Catch Me If You Can" for its great performances and its extremely entertaining story of an ingenious con man and his noble pursuer...made all the more interesting because the story is largely true.

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Freakazoid: Season 2 (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)One of the prizes of the Cartoon Network/ Warner Bros. late '90s merger was that some of the best cartoons from Warner Bros. found a new home and ready audience on Cartoon Network. That round-up brought in a roster of well-known 'toons that began with the masthead, "Steven Spielberg Presents" which, like the Looney Tunes logo, promised unbridled zaniness. The flagship series was Animaniacs, soon eclipsed by the smartest and subtlest segment, Pinky and the Brain. Mix the two and you might get Freakazoid!
The show only lasted two seasons on WB. Unlike these other Tom Ruegger shows, this one never really hit its stride, from the first peaking higher and crashing harder than most shows on the schedule. Season two might be more even, but that's also a misnomer. There are more stock characters to play off of from season one, the writers have carte blanche to do just about anything they can think of, pop culture references go whizzing by at dizzying speeds, while the shows themselves may seem to drag if you don't get the joke.
The show doesn't take itself seriously, but cartoon fans, movie buffs, and animation afficianados will have a field day pointing out parodies and tracking down tributes. One show starts with a parody of Bob Clampett's '60s series, Beany and Cecil. Another plays off the musical Hello Dolly. The show is constantly referential, as when Freakazoid, the Brain and Wacko all go see Spielberg to ask who has the best show. In the five minute bonus commentary, one of the writers remarks that the storylines are somewhat non-linear, revealing a gift for understatement. One could also say the episodes are metafictional, were one writing a thesis, or one could just enjoy the show.
Animation in general is an undervalued art form, so it may not be immediately apparent how amazing this show was when wedged into the schedule of normal linear and fictional cartoons. Animation buffs will appreciate the commentary, a bonus appearing more and more on cartoon DVD sets. Freakazoid! was also unusual in that like The Simpsons, each show was one long episode (rather than two or three). This well-packaged single case includes 11 episodes (shows) on two one-sided DVDs, along with bonus commentaries and a trailer for Saturday Morning Cartoons, the first two sets in a DVD series of SatAm Hanna-Barbera cartoons from Yogi to the Jetsons, as seen on CN's Boomerang channel. The first disc also starts with a preview that is almost a mini-documentary on the animated Green Lantern from DC Comics and Warner Bros.
Arguably, this sort of humor may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the audience for it has long been underserved. The arguments rage on as to which is the best show, but fans of Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain may find a third contender to target the funny bone in Freakazoid!


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Freakazoid - The Complete First Season (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're a fan of the spontaneous humor of the Animaniacs, then you'll love this show. Dexter Douglas uses the power of cyberspace to become the superhero Freakazoid (this was in the early days of the internet, so it seemed like a mysterious thing at the time). Unfortunately, Freakazoid isn't your normal superhero. Yes, he has superpowers (the funniest being when he flies by stretching his arms out and making wind noises as he runs around). Yes, he has supervillains. But he's not Batman by any means! He's fun and frantic and full of humor.
Each episode usually had one skit running throughout the show, with tiny sketches built into it like little commercial breaks. One of the best was "Frenching with Freakazoid", in which he would teach a French phrase. Most of them wouldn't be something you'd use in a normal conversation however ("Who cut the cheese?"). The frenetic pace of the show keeps it from being boring, and I'm so glad to see it finally make it to disc.
Superman has Lex Luthor, Batman has the Joker, and Freakazoid has Mo-Ron (yep, just like it sounds). Like I said earlier, if you're a fan of Animaniacs and Pinky & The Brain, this show will be a perfect fit for you. Never boring!

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Cyber nerd Dexter Douglas surfs the web one fateful night, gets swept into a digital techno-electro smash-up that bites him in the gigabytes and – ZAP! - goes from geek to freak. To Freakazoid!, that is, a smart- mouthing, butt-kicking, mega-voltage superhero with things to do (unless there’s something really good on TV). It’s Freaka-Me, Freaka-You fun!

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