Identity Thief

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Identity Thief - 19/3/2013 6:15:12 PM

Empire Admin

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Joined: 29/6/2005

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Monana - 19/3/2013 6:15:12 PM

HulkySmashSmash

Posts: 38
Joined: 3/1/2012

I think I'll just watch the Friends episode where Monica finds out that woman was using her credit card.

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Post #: 2

A road movie that's all cruise-control. - 22/3/2013 6:56:27 PM

TheMightyBlackout

Posts: 92
Joined: 28/4/2012
From: Oxford, UK

So. That's the film. Planes, Trains and Automobiles, but with a fat woman instead of a fat man.

McCarthy remains too consistently unlikeable for the audience to really want her to change, and Bateman never fully reaches the breaking point required for his own character's destination. The film's only saving graces are that it's frequently chucklesome, and that it's not as mean-spirited as many of its contemporaries.

I can't hate it, because if Seth Gordon's not going to put in the effort, why should I?

_____________________________

More reviews and rambling like that ^^^ at: >>>WorldOfBlackout.co.uk <<<

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Post #: 3

Is it even a comedy? - 25/3/2013 12:35:56 AM

tysmuse

Posts: 256
Joined: 24/9/2007

It's a drama!? or a thriller, with lame drug-dealer, bounty hunter, car chases, elements.

ZERO Laughs.

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Post #: 4

Waste of Time - 25/3/2013 11:29:06 PM

Gumba23

Posts: 8
Joined: 4/10/2012

I hadn't seen much of Melissa McCarthy before this movie, but her trailers never really hit the spot. I liked her small segment in This is 40, but apart from that, I really don't get the hype around her.

But a lot of people seem to enjoy her work, and Bateman is usually good for a laugh, so when I went to see this movie, I hoped to at least get something out of it...
I was wrong.

The story is so incredibly forced, it stopped making sense even before the two of them actually met. Now, this being a comedy and all, I can forgive a lot of plot holes, strange decisions, stupid coincidences and what not, but this movie just kept on making it worse. I guess what put me off the most is the way in which the bounty hunter and the two gangsters just keep reappearing, with not even a hint of a plausible explanation of how the hell they found them... again... and again... and again.

But all of that wouldn't be a problem, if the movie made up for it with actual jokes. It doesn't. Identity Thief puts way too much weight on the shoulders of McCarthy, who tries to make her character the kind of crazy over-the-top funny that seems to be her trademark. She just isn't likeable, and I really could care less about her sitting in the car, trying to decide if she should leave or not.
Bateman has funny moments, but mostly he's just there to give McCarthy her cues, which is a waste of potential.
The film shows a complete lack in funny supporting characters, Jon Favreau being the most outstanding with his three minutes at the beginning of the movie.
And whatever Jonathan Banks is doing in this movie... I have no Idea.

But to be fair, I really enjoyed the physical comedy in Identity thief, especially the scene in McCarthys House.

So in the end, this movie might have been better if either Bateman and McCarthy would have continued to hit each other with guitars, cars or whatever they can find, or, as suggested in the Podcast, the two of them switched the roles.
The way it is,

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Post #: 5

RE: Waste of Time - 30/3/2013 3:04:24 AM

Phubbs

Posts: 660
Joined: 3/4/2012

Identity Thief (2013)

From the director of 'Horrible Bosses' but alas this isn't anywhere near as good. Simple premise, a woman steals a family mans identity and maxes out his credit cards causing him all manner of issues which involve the law.

This is one of those films that just didn't sit well with me, the whole idea made me feel uncomfortable right from the start. This bloke has a nice happy family life which is brought to ruins by some fat binge drinking female who you just wanna smack in the face. Now I realise the director probably wants you to hate this thief character but it doesn't work, at no point in the film did I like her or feel for her, even when you're clearly suppose to with the sappy friendship that builds during the film and the obvious fluffy ending.

The whole time I'm watching all I could think of was what I'd do in that situation, if this happened to me, I sure as hell wouldn't team up with the woman and do what Bateman's character does, screw that!. The film is kinda annoying and just gave me constant nasty thoughts for McCarthy's thief character and how I'd kill her if it was me. On top of that she isn't in the least bit funny, neither is Bateman, the whole road trip pairing is really laboured and doesn't gel and nothing much happens throughout the film which is funny either.

The whole film is just about screwing people over with the added obligatory car chase and obligatory nasty criminals trying to kill the main duo, there isn't even much point in that sub plot. What's so stupid about this is the fact that at the start of the film Bateman's character discovers what's happened to him and eventually gets backed up by the police, yet his boss still says he gonna fire him for shit that's been proved wasn't him!! huh?.

Even the police detective doesn't fully believe he's innocent for gods sake! despite the fact its pretty clear identity fraud has been committed. That's like your bank calling you saying you've had suspicious activity on your account, you confirm the activity wasn't you but the bank doesn't believe you!. So no one at the start of the film basically believes Bateman's character is innocent, clearly he's done everything and no one believes in fraud. So to clear himself he goes off on this ridiculous road trip to find the culprit and bring her to justice! yeah like you'd do that, makes no sense whatsoever.

Literately nothing to recommend here, nothing funny about any of it, over worked, overly stretched, forced, awkward to watch with no redeeming qualities. Its like a wannabe 'Planes Trains and Automobiles' type vehicle but fails badly on every front. End of the day what is funny about something like identity fraud?!.

2/10

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Post #: 6