The breakout star from Bridesmaids, Melissa McCarthy, is both very likable and very funny. A talented comedian who excels both in the delivery of one-liners and in using her size as a springboard for some enthusiastic physical comedy, she comes as a breath of fresh air against the over-whelming stench of frat-boy comedy. It’s a genuine shame then that Identity Thief, her first star vehicle, is such a crushing bore.
Not that it didn’t have potential. Pairing McCarthy with the equally talented Jason Bateman was a nice piece of casting and director Seth Gordon, aside from the underwhelming Horrible Bosses, has worked on some great comedy in the past (The American Office, Parks and Recreation etc.). The concept is also promising. Bateman plays Sandy Patterson, a responsible family man whose personal and professional life begin to fall apart after his identity is stolen by the harmless looking but despicable Diana (McCarthy). Upon finding that the police are no help, Sandy decides to take matters into his own hands, travelling to Florida to track down the imposter and bring her back cross-country to clear his name.
McCarthy throws herself into it for all she’s worth and Bateman soldiers along as the mild-mannered straight man (a role he must be getting fairly tired of assuming) but the uninspired script and lazy execution kill any comedy that could have been mined from this likable odd-couple. After a promisingly zippy opening, Gordon allows the film to meander lazily down the highway, occasionally making turn offs into cul-de-sac subplots. The appearance of Robert Patrick as a grizzled bounty hunter just about passes muster but the inclusion of Genesis Rodriguez and Tip Harris as hitmen with a shadowy, imprisoned boss feels half-baked.
Only a brief episode with Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet as an amorous trucker brought a smile to my face in this largely chuckle-free “comedy.” It’s a mis-step for McCarthy that I hope won’t blot her copybook forever.