Iffy for 16+
Great stars can't rescue uneven, sometimes violent comedy.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Identity Thief is full of (comic) mayhem, with cars crunching into each other (sometimes on purpose) and characters shooting at each other, stealing from each other, and generally creating as much chaos as possible. The premise centers around a thief (Melissa McCarthy) who steals someone else's identity; he (Jason Bateman) then proceeds to try to get her to clear his name. In the process, they get embroiled in tons of hijinks, some of which are sexual in nature (though not with each other); there's simulated sex, but no nudity. Expect lots of innuendoes and plenty of swearing (including "f--k" and "s--t"), plus some racist jokes, drinking (wine, hard liquor), and product placement.
- Families can talk about Identity Thief's premise. How often does identity theft happen in real life? Discuss ways to stay safe on the Internet and how to protect your privacy and identity.
- How is Identity Theft similar to, and different from, other heist/road movies? Does it add anything new to the genre?
- Is the movie violent? How does the overall tone impact the scenes of car crashes, shooting, etc.?
- Why does Diana do what she does? Is it excusable? Understandable? Or does the movie let her off the hook too easily?
The good stuff
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Messages: Forgiveness, empathy, and trust go a long way toward smoothing rough edges and bridging huge differences. And it's important to be confident and stand up for yourself. Also: Love and family mean more than stuff. That said, sometimes characters resort to violence to get out of a problematic situation.
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Role models: Sandy is kind and caring, even to people who've done him wrong. He's able to empathize with his tormentor -- but he still wants the wrongs righted. Diana is lonely and troubled, though she does come to understand that her actions have repercussions. On the other hand, there are some mean-spirited jokes at others' expense.
What to watch for
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Violence: Cars crash into each other; characters shoot point blank at each other; a woman punches men in the throat time and again. Also wrestling, hair pulling, etc. And characters create as much mayhem as possible to get out of any pickle they're in. Most of this is done with a light underlying tone, however, as the movie is a comedy.
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Sex: A woman flirts with a man at a bar, gets drunk with him, and then sleeps with him. Viewers don't see them in naked, but we do see their faces during the lengthy and over-the-top sequence. Lots of double entendres and some lewd/aggressive come-ons.
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Language: Frequent use of a wide variety of swearing, including "f--k," "s--t," "d--k," "c--k," "bitch," "goddammit," "a--hole," "screw," "ass," "hell," "crap," "damn," "oh my God," and more.
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Consumerism: Lots of name-dropping and label-flashing, including Adidas, Quicken, Fiat, Mini Cooper, Century 21, L’Occitane, Dodge, Lifelock, Hemlock, and more. One character drowns her sorrows with endless shopping.
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: People get drunk on tequila shots at bars. Characters act out/are belligerent when they're drunk. A hook-up takes place between two drunk characters. Also wine-drinking at restaurants and other functions, mention of Xanax use, and the like.
Fan Reviews provided by
5
They Didn't Ruin It! by ShaunO'Cee
I was so worried this would be one of those movies where all the funny scenes had been wasted in the previews, but I laughed throughout the entire run. Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman are amazing, and play off each other's energy the entire time. It also avoids focussing too much on the sentimentalizing that is bound to accompany the end of a movie like this (a la Planes Trains and Automobiles as it is).
See this movie! Sell blood, pawn your watch or jewelry, give a closeted tourist a handy while his wife isn't looking, whatever it takes to scrape together the money to see it. You won't be disappointed.
4
Good for a laugh! by bethjanelle
Melissa McCarthy has done it again! To me the movie was more than the typical farce/road trip saga, due to the talents of Ms. McCarthy. Just when the humor becomes overly broad, she will bring real emotion to the surface. Sure there are enough predictable plot points that we have all seen before. However, Ms. McCarthy and the wonderful Jason Bateman, bring a real human element that can take the viewer by surprise at the most unexpected moments. By the end, when the expected warm fuzzy brought real tears to my eyes, the last joke had me falling out of the chair in a fit of giggles. Will this movie change the world? No. Did it give me a nice break from a crappy week and enough giggles to reframe my outlook for awhile? YES. This will be one of the movies that goes on my list to see again and again on DVD when I need an attitude adjustment. Great use of limited funds and well worth the time to escape for a while.
5
Identity Thief by dolores.mills
So Good!!!! Excellent cast!...love Jason Bateman. Fast -paced, action packed and awesome stunts. Extremely funny movie. I was entertained from start to finish with all facets of this movie especially the acting and cinematography. Well directed film. "FIVE STARS"
My daughter and I planned to see this movie from the first time we saw the trailer and I'm so glad we followed through. This movie was so good, as we left the theater we laughed while recalling all our favorite sceens and I'll be dang if we didn't dang near relive the entire movie. We even discussed possible sequels. As soon as I got home, I got on Fandango and submitted a FanAlert for "The Heat"...Melissa McCarthy, I'm a fan for life. You really helped make this movie GREAT!!!! Well done!
3
A little more than So-So but not quite Go. by parent52
It was entertaining, but predictable, and there were characters in the movie that just never developed. The bad guy in prison, the three people chasing our characters, they just kind of were -- and nothing was really ever explained. This is a good movie to watch when it comes out on DVD, Apple TV, Digital Download etc. Funny moments, but just not all that funny.
5
AWESOME!!! by wyattduncan92
Identity Thief is hilarious!!! If you want a good laugh then go see this! well worth the $11.50 ticket price. good story line. I hope they make a part 2.
4
Better than "So-So" by MedRed
Identity Thief breaks no new ground, but manages to entertain the requisite amount of time to be a fun and funny movie.
It really straddles the line between a "so-so" and a "go" but I'll give it the green light as it will at the least keep a smile on your face.
This movie does suffer from jokes that should have been left on the cutting room floor and from segments that just needed to be removed altogether. Some areas of the movie feel like filler and do nothing more than move the audience away from what they should be feeling for the characters.
The most important element of Identity Thief that is seldom done right in comedies of this nature is the well executed resolution. Despite being disjointed and the cast suffering from the occasional unintentional identity crisis, Identity Thief wasn't horrible (bosses).
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4
Simple funny comedy. by Alex_Devas17
I had to see this once I saw Melissa was in this. I can't believe this is that same woman who played Sookie in Gilmore Girls! Anyway, Bateman plays a good straight man to McCarthy's antics. There are some slow moments 2/3s into the movie, but i was surprised that the movie was able to create a heartwarming ending.
This isn't a complex or award-winning movie, but a good simple comedy that leaves you satisfied at the end. If anyone tells you different just punch them in the throat.
I have a feeling McCarthy's movie with Sandra Bullock (The Heat) will be lackluster in comparison.
5
Identity Thief by horrorbuff50
This is definitely a must see. It is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a few years! Be ready to laugh yourself silly! Great plot, excitement, unusual twists, and even some edge of your seat action!
4
identity thief by vartgf
If this was supposed to be a comedy, they kinda dropped the ball. Just a movie about two people, one a regular guy and the other a thief and how they meet in life, great movie. I really liked it. Because it was billed as a comedy and I was expecting jokes. But, the serious nature of McCarthy's role at times was good. She could play serious roles. She's way more than a comic actress. Bateman was his typical self, great. The movie was fun more than funny. The bedroom scene could have been left on the cutting room floor, at least some of it.
5
Cute and funny! by Laurieannspencer
Great chemistry between these two! The story unfolds as expected, but glad we went to see it. Worth going.