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Enjoyable romp, bit of fun, never a dull moment, I don't know why so many people have written so many bad reviews but judging from what they write I don't know what they were doing watching it in the first place they obviously can't switch off, sit back and just have a bit of a laugh. That's all there is to this film and there's nothing wrong with that in my opinion. Watch the DVD and avoid the dreadful ant n dec / x factor on a Saturday night!

IMDb insists that my review isn't long enough and I have to add some more lines so here's some padding. The acting is good, the plot is ridiculous and unfeasible but you have to put that aside, after all it's a movie not a documentary or an educational/training video. After reading the negative reviews on here I almost didn't bother watching this but I had already made the purchase and I am glad i did so before looking on here, because it would have put me off bothering!

It's not brilliant, but it isn't bad.

Not so bad, really. Did quite enjoy it first time I watched it. Yep that means have watched it more than once. It surely doesnt deserve all the bad reviews.

I went into the Houston premier of Identity Thief with modest expectations. The movie is more-so about the road trip of the straight and Honest Sandy alongside the Cunning, throat punching Diana. The premise is a recycled one, but is done in a fresh way. While watching, you don't get the "I've seen this before" feeling while watching it. There are plenty of laughs delivered by the hilarious two leading characters. The supporting characters actually are the only disappointments. They seem quite dry with their dialog being rushed and less integral to the humor of the movie. They are more side notes to keep the story rolling, but they do not slow the movie down.

The movie is a good time out and not a waste of money if you paid for tickets. It doesn't break the mold, but it does stand up as a movie you will enjoy and actually leave out of the theater talking about!

Needa a good laugh? Identity Thief is a great bet. Silly? Yep! Hilarious? For sure.

Melissa McCarthy Dives into this role, head first. She's a scream. She plays Diana, who steals Jason Bateman's (Sandy Bigelow Patterson) identity. She gets loads of credit lines and goes to town and shops 'til she drops and then goes to town some more.

With no where to turn, Bateman heads to Florida to confront McCarthy head on to save his hide. One bad escapade begets another. From the Police to debt collectors, to drug deals and a few other shady sorts. All the while, McCarthy and Bateman spar toe to toe...

The ending is nice, but not too nice. Which is a good thing in the land of Hollywood where Cinderella stories come true.

One sobering point is the reality and devastation identity theft can wreak. All kidding aside, take steps to protect yourself. Cyberfraud abounds!

Need a laugh? See Identity Thief. Sit back and crack up.

Now I feel compelled to see McCarthy's performance in Bridesmaids. Chick flic or not, why not.

Arthur VanDam, author and film critic

As the cartoon-ish posters tell us, Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) is a sucker. He just gave his personal identification information to a stranger over the phone. Sandy Patterson (Melissa McCarthy) is the "Identity Thief". After getting arrested and almost getting fired from his job, the real Sandy Patterson is determined to get his identity back. A stupid but convenient police procedural sets Sandy off across the country to bring the criminal to justice.

It's the type of film where critics and audiences are at odds. Critics think it's one of the worst comedies ever made, audiences don't particularly like it all that much either, but are paying to see it in theatres in droves. Go figure. Well, I liked it. It has its fair share of problems, but it can make you laugh, simply and effectively.

The key to comedy is timing. Bateman is a good comedic actor and he has great comedic timing. His lines are funny enough and we are able to laugh at his misfortunes because we know good will have to come to him eventually. The film itself also has good timing. A handful of well- timed edits had me screaming, laughing and crying in a ball as a snake squirmed its way up Sandy's pants. The scene that followed handled an animal joke better than most similar comedies do.

Say what you will about Melissa McCarthy, but she's a good actress based solely on the fact that every character she has played is completely different than any she has played before. "Sandy"/Diana is not Molly, not the filthy Megan, not the scattered Sookie and not any of the darker characters that she played in a few dramas. Diana has no friends (but can buy some using Sandy's money) because she's extreme in her actions. But that's where comedy lies, in the extreme.

"Identity Thief" does take the road trip comedy angle and makes it fairly formulaic with the various obstacles, but that's also what makes it likable. Sandy is likable, Diana is over-the-top but that's what makes the comedy work. The film, though, is a "soft R", meaning the jokes are tame and silly not overly crude or crass. Considering how much audiences love the R-rated comedy, that's apparently the problem with this movie. It just wasn't raunchy enough for them. Well, I can like my comedies with a few less swear words and no nudity, so I liked it.