DVD Corner

Catch Me If You Can 4K UHD Review

“Catch Me If You Can” is a curious outlier in Steven Spielberg’s filmography. 

Scripted by Jeff Nathanson and based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr. (and his novel), 2002’s “Catch Me If You Can” jumps back and forth in time from 1963 to 1969 (and beyond). The story revolves around a teenage Frank Abagnale Jr. whose home life falls apart. His con-artist father gets busted by the IRS and his mother and father divorce. A distraught Frank Jr. runs away from home and pulls cons on people not unlike his father. He poses as a Pan Am pilot, a pediatrician and later an assistant prosecutor. He also makes a fortune off of forging countless checks. He does all of this before the age of 19. FBI agent Carl Hanratty is hot on the trail of Frank Jr.’s criminal exploits, but he always seems to be escaping his clutches. Through all of this Frank Jr. and Carl form a bond together which creates an unexpected career route for Frank Jr. 

Steven Spielberg’s “Catch Me If You Can” is an unusual entry in the accomplished filmmaker’s filmography. It’s not really like any of his other work. It’s a strange and extraordinary true story based film that has little in the way of adventure and it’s not remotely fast paced. There are comedic elements to be sure, but it’s more of a psychological crime-drama period piece than anything. It’s a story about living a lie, running away from problems, and obsession. It’s the type of story that is so outlandish that it’s hard to believe it’s true. At 141 minutes, ‘Catch’ runs long and is perhaps a bit too drawn out for its own good. With that said, seeing how much Frank Jr. gets away and where his path ultimately leads keeps the viewer sucked in.

The cast makes it all work. Tom Hanks excels as the dedicated FBI agent Carl. Leonardo DiCaprio shows real range here and is somehow extremely convincing as a teenager. Christopher Walken gives a notable supporting performance as Frank Jr.’s father and even landed an Academy Award nomination. Look out for a few would be stars here including Ellen Pompeo, Elizabeth Banks, and Amy Adams.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p. How does it look? The 4K disc maintains the print grain while providing sharper image quality.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? From John Williams notable score to the dialogue, this 5.1 track delivers.

Extras (On The Blu-ray):
* Blu-ray copy
* Digital copy
* Behind The Scenes and Costume Gallery photo galleries
* “Cast Me If You Can: The Casting Of The Film” featurette
* “Scoring: Catch Me If You Can”- Film score featurette
* “Catch Me If You Can: Behind The Camera”- Set footage of the production alongside interviews.
* “Frank Abagnale: Between Reality And Fiction”- A 4 part extra on the real-life Frank.
* “The FBI Perspective” is about William Rehder (an FBI technical advisor).
* “Catch Me If You Can: In Closing”- Frank talks about the film.

December 21, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | 2000s Movie, Catch Me If You Can 4K UHD Review, Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, True Story