Catch Me If You Can is a fun little movie directed by Steven Spielberg, which won critical and box office approval during its 2003 theatrical run. Spielberg shows his penchant for making any film seem like a joy ride.

Loosely based on a true story, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Frank Abagnale, Jr., a teenaged con who impersonates an airline pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer--all in an effort to turn the tables on the way his family has been treated by the IRS. An FBI agent specializing in check fraud named Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks)doggedly chases Abagnale for four years.

DiCaprio and Hanks have fun in this film and turn in good performances. The movie itself hops along enjoyably, and it's easy to see how audiences smiled at the cat-and-mouse game played between the two characters.

I've always been a sucker for good period pieces, and it's fun to see the recreation of metroplitan America in the 1960s. From the classic cars to the vintage architecture and clothing styles, Spielberg's slick production values gleams through as always and paints a colorful picture for the star performers to play in.

There is no real moment of revelation as to why Abagnale is doing what he is doing. Near the end of the film he asks his father (played by Christopher Walken) to make him stop running, but the motivation is never crystal clear. By movie's end, I caught myself feeling like it was a cute little film that was fun to watch. The interplay between DiCaprio and Hanks is a pleasure to watch too, even though it's reported that DiCaprio was sick during most of the filming.

Catch Me If You Can grossed $164 million at the box office and is based on the book of the same name, written by the real life Abagnale, Jr. You can see the original trailer below.