Identity Thief

Overview

Oh, hey. How's it going?

*Sighs. Pulls self off couch. Rubs eyes.*

So, ah...this...this just wasn't a great film, you know? I mean...it tried, definitely. Well, kinda. Okay, not really. In fact it seemed pretty lazy across the board. And that's...*yawns*...that's kind of an infectious sensation. Even when Jason Bateman appeared on The Daily Show to spruik Identity Thief, he casually dismissed it and set off talking about something else entirely.

The problem with the film, in broad terms, is that there's nothing new about it. The 'odd couple road movie' has been done so many times before, and usually far better (Planes, Trains and Automobiles, The Sure Thing), as has the 'life ruined by identity theft' plot (Trading Places, The Net and Enemy of the State). Even worse, Identity Thief's point of differentiation — Bateman having to bring his thief across America to prove to his boss he's not a criminal — is so frustratingly unbelievable that you're annoyed before things even get going.

Speaking of Bateman, he offers up a predictably deadpan performance as the nice but hapless guy who falls victim to circumstance and horrible people. Naturally he's got some terrifically funny lines, yet even he comes across as less likeable than usual on account of his bland conversations with the thief, Melissa McCarthy. Like Bateman, McCarthy is a fantastically funny comedian and actor; however, in Identity Thief her principal job is to scream as loud as possible and occasionally throw up. This is a clear-cut case of unrealised potential, and no matter how much you will the plot to lend these actors some good scenes, it rarely delivers.

The film was directed by Seth Gordon, whose last film, Horrible Bosses, not only made far better use of Bateman but also kept its more farcical moments at least close to the realm of plausibility. In Identity Thief you have gangland assassins, bounty hunters, animal attacks and high-speed car crashes — all coming into the life of someone who we're repeatedly told to think of as a regular family man/accountant. Identity Thief also offers Jon Favreau and Amanda Peet in supporting roles, with the latter putting in perhaps the only believable performance of the bunch.

Bottom line *stretches back*, don't fall victim to Identity Thief by letting it steal two hours of your time.