Westhoff Reviews “Identity Thief”
By Jeffrey Westhoff
“Identity Thief”
**
Rated R: Sexual content and language
Running time: 1 hour, 52 minutes
Who’s in it: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Amanda Peet, Robert Patrick
What it’s about: When a Denver businessman (Bateman) discovers that a Florida woman has stolen his identity and destroyed his credit record, he travels to the Sunshine State to confront her.
Verdict: After a lengthy setup, this turns out to be a road comedy patterned after the “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” formula of forcing a family man to travel with a weirdo. The attempt is misguided, because McCarthy is an unrepentant crook who doesn’t earn the sympathy that John Candy did. Many other clichés are visited along the way. Despite the script’s slippery grasp on morality, Bateman and McCarthy still find ways to be funny and charming.
