Product Review

Identity Thief is a hilarious romp/caper featuring the comedic skills of Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) and Jason Bateman (Up in the Air, Arrested Development. Whoever had the casting idea to hire these two as the leads was on to something. While the script for Identity Thief may be a bit weak and predictable, the chemistry of the film's two stars gives it more than its share of belly laughs. McCarthy stars as Diana, a credit-card scammer, and Bateman is Sandy, a straight-laced executive who becomes a victim of her fraud. Sandy takes it upon himself to track Diana down and bring her to justice. Identity Thief echoes some of the best bits of Midnight Run (and Bateman himself seems to be paying homage to that film's costar, Charles Grodin). Identity Thief gets its personality and true moments of comedy from the interplay of the odd-couple stars. The supporting cast is strong, including Eric Stonestreet, Amanda Peet, T.I., and Jon Favreau, though they ultimately seem a little superfluous. Which is totally fine, because with the interaction of the two stars, and especially the fearless performance of Melissa McCarthy, Identity Thief will stealthily steal your heart. --A.T. Hurley