Movie Review: Identity Thief (+trailer)

Melissa McCarthy has made quite a name for herself in recent years by playing characters who aren't exactly glamorous.

McCarthy defies Hollywood's craving for overly slim actresses and offers a more real character potential with her plus-size figure.

She stood out as Megan in Bridesmaids and, though her role as Molly in TV sitcom Mike and Molly is more traditional, it demonstrates her comedic talent.

Her character in Identity Thief is Diana, a lost soul who finds comfort in pulling off whatever rort she can get away with. She finds it quite easy to steal identities and run up huge credit card debts while totally indulging herself. It is fun and she never has to confront those she is hurting.

That is until she assumes the identity of mild-mannered Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman), a hard-working husband and father.

When Sandy sees his life slipping away as the debts mount, he decides his only option is to find the identity thief and bring her back to his boss and local police.

Diana proves to be quite an elusive and determined target, and Sandy soon realises he isn't the only one after Diana. A bounty hunter and a drug cartel also have scores to settle.

When Sandy catches up with Diana, he takes her on a cross-country road trip to get her back to Colorado from Florida.

Determined not to like Diana, Sandy soon discovers a lonely woman with no friends or family to call her own.

He warms to her plight and is left with the dilemma of whether to take her in to the police or let her go.

Identity Thief takes a little while to warm up and can be a little disjointed early on. However, once it gets into its rhythm, it's a fun ride with some hilarious moments.

Identity Thief (M)

125 minutes

Rating: 3 / 5