Identity Thief
User Score
5.1 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 76 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 76
  3. Negative: 22 out of 76

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  1. moonman1994
    Feb 9, 2013
    3
    A poorly done comedy. With few comedic moments that haven't already been seen in the previews. I counted that I laughed a total of 3 times the entire movie. The crowd in the theater was responsive but I'm not sure how they found it funny. I honestly was checking my watch and waiting for the film to end. If you like cliche comedy movies then this is the film for you. I will say that there was nothing wrong with the acting or the filming but the writing was just bad. It just wasn't very funny.… Expand
  2. GreatMartin
    Feb 8, 2013
    1
    The two redeeming features in the movie “Identity Thief” are Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy trying to make a stupid movie funny out of every cliche ever heard/seen before in a supposed ‘comedy’. Aside from Paul Rudd Bateman is the best ‘straight’ man in movies today and, in addition, is clean shaven which is quite different for an actor in the films today.

    What is there to say abou     to say about Melissa McCarthy except that it looks like she is being typecast as the raunchy plus size woman in movies when she, obviously, has so much more to offer as an actress.

    This is an ‘odd couple’ road trip movie with a screenplay by Craig Mazin who hasn’t met a line in any road trip movie that he doesn’t use. He has the two stars beating up each other, running from killers, getting into car races, and crashes, walking away as if nothing had happened. He puts a man and woman in the trunk of a car and nothing does happen. Add to this a director, Seth Gordon, who seems to have attention deficient disorder and is afraid to have the camera on a scene more than a minute or two. What could and should be a funny sex scene has to be the dumbest and lest comic scenic ever put on film not to mention very insulting to overweight people.

    The subject of identity theft is a serious one but can still offer humourous moments and “Identity Thief” has talented actors who could handle both sides of the problem but aren’t given anything to work with.

    Amanda Peet, John Cho and Morris Chestnut offer good supporting performances while Eric Stonestreet forgot to leave Cameron from “Modern Family” off the set and doesn’t do himself any good here.

    Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy and the movie audience deserve a lot better than this.    … Expand
  3. certified_hater
    Feb 10, 2013
    4
    In one of those movies where the funniest moments are in the trailers, “Identity Thief” is director Seth Gordon’s hit and miss follow up to the hilarious “Horrible Bosses”, and is also nothing more than a less consistently funny version of “Due Date”. The Plot: This movie lays out the improbable (even for a comedy) set-up of a man in Colorado named Sandy Patterson (funny name to give a man to give a man, huh? Well, I guess it’s funny the first few times this joke is told) played by the very much underrated Jason Bateman, who gets his identity stolen by a woman in Florida, played by Melissa McCarthy. After the police outright refuse to help him, Sandy sets out on a quest of sorts to Florida in order to bring McCarthy’s character back to Colorado himself (basically doing the police’s job for them) so that she may stand trial for her crimes. Hilarious! Now, when Bateman and McCarthy find themselves in a road trip situation (about 30 minutes in) it is only then that Gordon seems to let these two very funny comedic actors run wild and “Identity Thief” begins to see comedic moments that actually work. In saying that, as I stated before, aside from all of the funny scenes that the trailers had to offer, and one laugh out loud sex scene (that of which occurs in the unevenly entertaining middle portion of this film) “Identity Thief” is bookended and sporadically injected with more unfunny and contrived moments, which consistently work to drag this movie back down into the still waters of mediocrity time and time again. Furthermore, while the beginning is slow and shockingly sigh inducing, the ending’s ineffectiveness clearly notifies audiences about how flawed Gordon’s visual storytelling abilities are in this instance. OK, so to avoid ruining this very predictable ending, I’ll simply put it like this: There was not one moment throughout this film where I did NOT want to see McCarthy’s character end up in prison. Call me heartless if you must.
    The Acting: OK, while Gordon does attempt to mask how weak this plot is by allowing Bateman to make some funny faces and come through with some snide monotone zingers, as well as allow McCarthy to pursue an Olympic trial’s worth of physical comedy, in all actuality the rest of this supporting cast is absolutely worthless. In fact, let’s (for a second) run down the list of notable actors who are wasted in this movie: Jon Favreau is only in one scene; wasted, Robert Patrick plays a forgettable bounty hunter; wasted, John Cho is given half of a funny line to say in a 90 minute movie; wasted, T.I. gives one of the more worthless cameos in recent years; wasted, Amanda Peet is such a non-character here that I almost forgot that she was in this movie; hence, she’s wasted, Genesis Rodriquez has nice eyebrows, but all in all she’s wasted, and Eric Stonestreet…well, he’s actually pretty funny in his one scene with McCarthy. Final Thought: While “Identity Thief” does contain pockets of funny, not even Bateman or McCarthy flailing about can help this film fully recover from its own flimsy premise, implausible actions and a failed ploy by the director to display any sort of sympathy for Melissa McCarthy’s character. So, at the end of the day, it is not the two leads that let this movie down, it is the material itself, which unfortunately causes “Identity Thief” to be a rental recommendation at best. That said, “Identity Thief” is still funnier than “Bridesmaids”.

    Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland

    Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus    … Expand
  4. Oroiael
    Feb 11, 2013
    1
    I might buy several editions of Rosetta Stone software just to learn how to say "not good" in other languages. Here is my first try, "Ayyyyeee mommy. La pelicula no es bueno!" Stupid movies can be very entertaining and allow us to divert from the seriousness of everyday life. Unfortunately this movie simply made me sad. I know writing comedy can be hard, but if you are going to spend millions making a movie shouldn't the studio at least try to find someone good at it.… Expand
  5. Thegodfatherson
    Feb 17, 2013
    1
    Ahhhhh!!!! Identity thief is torture!!!! I just hated this film. Other than some of the jokes that work the film was just crap.... Seth Gordon forgot the rules of a great laugh out loud comedy movie. The comic story just didn't work, 1/10. The 1 is for Jason batemen aka the only good actor in the film. Avoid this movie while you still can and look forward to Mellisa Mcarthy's new upcoming film, The Heat........… Expand
  6. csw12
    Mar 4, 2013
    3
    Identity Thief is a lazy, idiotic film that insults your intelligence on almost every level. The film is so poorly done that it doesn't even complete a scene before moving onto the next. Half the time your wondering what is happening and if the true comedy is the actual making of the film itself.
  7. Nesbitt10
    Mar 10, 2013
    3
    "Identity Thief" is one of those movies that promises you a outlandish ride, and doesn't disappoint. That is, if "outlandish" to you means low humor, slapstick, blunders, fat jokes, and lots of zany antics. "Identity Thief" also throws in a menagerie of unresolved side plots and weak dramatics, making me believe the title should be Identity Crisis. A truly miserable experience it is to watch two likable actors fumble their way through an inane story filled with bogus slapstick, cringe-inducing, completely implausible developments, and total moral bankruptcy.… Collapse
  8. GatorZero
    Feb 13, 2013
    4
    Very disappointing. All the funny parts have already been seen on TV commercials. The comedy fell short of what everyone expects from what they see on TV. It wasn't terrible, and I'm sure some people will find it hilarious, but most won't. An OK movie at best.
  9. lkusa
    Feb 17, 2013
    4
    The best of this movie is in the one-minute trailers. Bouncing from unethical to moralism, back and forth, ad nauseum. Funny in places, poorly cast, poorly written, poorly acted. Yawn.
  10. HotFuze
    Feb 25, 2013
    4
    There were a couple problems I had with this disappointingly droll comedy. First of all, anyone excited to see this movie by the hilarious previews is doomed to be disappointed. All the funniest jokes in the movie lose all there laughs seeing them the second or third or fourth time. The only other problem was it was confusing what kind of audience this film has targeted. Despite all the lewd jokes and other inappropriate parts this movie seems to want to be family movie emphasizing Jason Bateman's character Sandy Patterson loving relationship with his family and those attracted by the jokes will be bored by the film's message.… Expand
  11. tropicAces
    Mar 3, 2013
    4
    What a waste of Bateman and McCarthy's talents. The script and plot are just all over the place, not which one of those places is funny. When the writer of your movie write Scary Movie 4 and Hangover 2, a red flag should instantly be waving.
  12. roymarvelous
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    You know that funny diner scene in the trailer? Well, that's the only part in the movie that's funny. This is not a comedy. It's an annoying movie which will leave you feeling like time has been stolen from you. Good cast, absolutely horrible script.
  13. scott8798
    Mar 16, 2013
    4
    I felt that this movie had decent acting that was hurt by an awful screenplay. If you don't know the premise, just read the summaryor watch the trailer. Anyway, Melissa McCarty and Jason Bateman both played very wellas Sandy Bigelow Patterson, and any fan of the two will be quite happy with this film. I wasn't. The screenplay is awful. Craig Mazin's script include's odd cursing at random times and one-liners which weren't too amusing. There were some major plot holes, which confused me (the bounty hunter?, and too many mood changes, Usually, a film has one major climax, a turning point. But in this movie, there were around 3 or 4. The movie seemed much different from the trailer, with more emphasis on action than there was in the trailer. Also, the story seems more and more unrealistic as this film goes on.There were some clever jokes, though not many, and that is why I am going high enough to gie this movie a 4.… Expand
  14. SlimShaddy
    Mar 21, 2013
    1
    Disappointing movie, dead humor, weak plot, two dimensional characters. It is a buddy film like "Due Date" but has no laughs. skip this movie completely.
  15. billups92
    Mar 25, 2013
    3
    a great trailer and a poor movie.very disappointed,i expected more,it had two or three funny scenes and that is it...i wouldn`t recommend you to watch this.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
35 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 41 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 41
  3. Negative: 15 out of 41
  1. Empire
    Reviewed by: James White
    Mar 18, 2013
    40
    Clever premise, witless execution.
    Read full review
  2. Total Film
    Reviewed by: Ken McIntyre
    Mar 11, 2013
    40
    Melissa McCarthy’s over-the-top performance as a low-rung grifter enlivens what is otherwise a groan-worthy odd-couple comedy.
    Read full review
  3. Film.com
    Reviewed by: Stephanie Zacharek
    Feb 26, 2013
    42
    Watching Identity Thief will steal nearly two hours of your life that you’ll never get back. It takes far more than it gives.
    Read full review
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