Catchy type

I usually go back to Columbus, Ohio to see my mom and visit other family and friends a few times a year. Christmas is one of those times, this year being no exception. Every time I come home to visit, Mom and I like to hit the movies at least once. There’s usually a limited set of movies playing that Mom is willing or wanting to see. No action, no violence, and no intense drama, suspense, or natural disasters.

After wrapping up time with family earlier today, Mom and I returned home, then decided to head out to see Catch Me If You Can. I don’t care for DiCaprio, but rather enjoy Mr. Hanks. So I was up for the based-on-a-true-story con man flick, even though most of the Abagnale story seems to be fiction.

The movie itself was fair. Somewhat entertaining, yet quite long at 2.5 hours. But what really grabbed my attention was the title sequence and opening credits. The opener for Catch Me blended beautiful typography and a simple stamped-style animation. The official Dreamworks movie site [Flash 6 player required, skip the annoying and unrelated marketing intro] doesn’t do much justice to the title sequence seen on screen. The only example I can think of that even remotely hints at this typographic style is the Dunhill logo.

It’s rare that a title sequence is so striking or well-done that it can be enjoyed as art, independent from the movie to which it belongs. I even overheard those sitting behind us remark how nice the credits were once they finished. Other memorable opening credits that come to mind were from Spiderman, Casino, and Cape Fear (the latter two from the mastery of Saul Bass). If you don’t intend to see this one, show up early for your next movie, and duck into a theater that’s playing Catch Me just to catch those opening credits.