Patty’s Pick: ‘Identity Thief’ – Slick, But Not Slick Enough

Those who know me know that I love a great comedy and a good laugh! I’m a total sucker for comedies… I mean, they’re basically what make up most of my top movies. So when Buzznet sent me to preview the comedy Identity Thief, I was sooooo stoked! Screening the new Melissa McCarthy flick? Yes, please!

The premise of Identity Thief is pretty straightforward: Business savvy family man Sandy Petersen (Jason Bateman) finds out his identity has been stolen – and pretty much ruined – by what seems like a harmless-looking woman (Melissa McCarthy). Determined to clear his good name and take back what’s his, Sandy vigilantly goes to Florida to confront the identity thief and physically take her back to prove his innocence. Easy, right? WRONG! The lady isn’t as harmless as she looks and even gets poor Sandy caught up in a pretty major boo-boo of hers. Oops!

As much as I love the amazingly talented Melissa (who will always be Sookie St. James to me), I was sadly let down by the film – and I DESPERATELY wanted to like this movie. After all, it boasted quite a cast: Jason and Melissa, two of Hollywood’s finest comedic actors, as well as John Cho, Eric Stonestreet, Amanda Peet, Jon Favreau and even rapper T.I.! To be honest, I didn’t LOL once within the first hour. I think they showed the majority of the real humor in the trailer, leaving the audience wanting more…and never getting it. Uh, and where was T.I.?! Definitely not enough screen time…seriously.

Identity Thief did have a few moments: Melissa McCarthy wiggling around crooning, “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard…” is reason enough to sit through this flick, and the outlandish ending gave this otherwise predictable movie a silly twist.

Patty’s Pick: 3/5 Stars

Plan on seeing this movie or have already seen it? Let me know your thoughts on the movie!