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This movie is a good comedy, I cant believe i have to say this in every(almost)comedy review. comedy is not going to deliver any deep messages or "take" you anywhere. it is just the friend that comes over to cheer you up. ---check out "DRAMA" if you need meaning -- stop knocking pro made comedy , not everyone has the same sense of humor but most humor is universal so if you wanna laugh , you will,

the opening set-up for this movie jumps right in , explains the concept well and sets the tone for funny, i was laughing right away,

Top name actors , highly polished feel, easy storyline, and "it's true life experiences that we can all--well , most of us --laugh about(or cry).

Jon Favreau is in this- he does'nt do bad movies,if he is listed as producer(he is brilliant)or actor , it's worth watching.

lastly-nothing worse than a long review-hint to reviewers-- so i am oudahere --NOW HIT PLAY ON THE MOVIE

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!

Identity Thief is a comedy filled with exciting scenes and memorable quotes involving two people, Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) and Diana (Melissa McCarthy) that would have never met, until Diana steals Sandy's identity. We all know how important credit is and Sandy is not going to sit around and watch his hard earned credit go down the drain. He travels cross country to bring Diana to justice. Diana is not the kind of person who "rolls over and dies," she doesn't give up without a fight. The director (Seth Gordon) sticks to his style of comedy, like Horrible Bosses, also starring Jason Bateman. Some scenes are drawn out in this 111 minutes, but that shouldn't stop you from seeing this movie. Besides you might learn a thing or two on keeping your identity safe!

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

I must have watched the extended version mentioned here on imdb. At the start of the film I was struck by several long repetitive talky unfunny scenes setting up Jason Bateman's family situation, job move, credit card problems. In case audiences don't get how credit cards work, let's put in another credit card scene.

Melissa McCarthy in the first half is mostly obnoxious with nary a redeeming feature. The premise of Bateman's legal problems and his taking McCarthy across country does not seem to make any logical sense. The audience could easily ignore this if the characters and events were funny but here they aren't. The road movie antics with Bateman and McCarthy drag on with few laughs and little chemistry. The car crashes and villainous pursuers fail to add much tension.

A real problem is the lack of jokes in the script. The main joke seems to be a recurring one where people think Sandy is a girl's name and Bateman insists it is unisex. So if you enjoy repetitions of the line "Sandy is a girl's name!" you might enjoy the film.

In the third act McCarthy pulls out some good acting and the film tries to insert some meaning and characterisation into events. It is kind of effective but is a big switcheroo to try and pull off after the mess that went on before.