| Reviewed on 2013-02-08 |
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| Rated | R |
| Received |  [3] out of 4 stars |
| Genre | Adventure / Comedy |
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| Having your identity stolen is an everyday occurrence that is turning people’s financial life upside down. “Identity Thief” shines a light on how quickly the theft can happen. Jason Bateman is Sandy Patterson, a struggling family man working in the world of finance. You would think he would have a little more sense than to share his personal information with a stranger over the phone. However when Diana (Melissa McCarthy) calls Sandy and pretends to be from an identity protection office he is more than willing to share his information with her, including his social security number.
Immediately Sandy’s identity is stolen and Diana becomes Sandy Patterson, using his name for credit cards and a new license. Quickly she racks up the debt. It is not until Sandy tries to get gas and his card is declined that he realizes something is not right. When the cops approach him about being involved in an assault in Florida he realizes that something is way off. When they pull the mug shot of Sandy Patterson and see it is a female the officer informs him his identity has been stolen.
Sandy is relieved, but his relief is short lived when the officer informs him these cases take over a year to resolve and the only way possible to clear his name is if the perpetrator was standing in front of them. This is when Sandy gets the wild idea to chase down the criminal. Through coincidence Sandy is aware of where his impostor will be so he sets out on his adventure to capture her and take her to his home in Colorado.
Diana is not as fragile as she looks and puts up quite a fight. A mission that originally seemed so simple gets complex and the pair set out on a cross country road trip that will involve violence, bounty hunters and snake bites. Similar to ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ the story has its heartfelt moments.
“Identity Thief” is a fun ride that puts the spotlight on criminals and how difficult it is to keep your information confidential with today’s technology. That aside a few things make this movie fail. Starters Bateman’s character is too trusting. For someone who deals with finances every day I found it very hard to fathom how willing he is to share his personal details with someone through a phone call.
I enjoy Melissa McCarthy, but in small doses. She is very funny and witty, but her comedy is better as a supporting role and not the lead. You get to a point where the humor vanishes and it begins to get annoying. “Identity Thief” tries its best to entertain but half way through it loses its appeal and you’ll be ready for the criminal chase to end. |
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