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 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.