Road trip movies are nothing new. Through the years, plenty have been released into theaters all following the same basic formula; a wildly mismatched couple is forced to travel cross-country together, getting into hilarious situations along the way. The success of these films is dependent upon the strength of their comedy as well as the chemistry between the actors portraying the odd couple. So while the concept behind "Identity Thief" is by no means revolutionary, its humor and pairing of Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy make it worth seeing.
Bateman plays Sandy Bigelow Patterson, an upright family man relatively content with his humdrum life. Patterson's world is turned on its head after Diana (McCarthy), a woman who routinely commits fraud to satisfy her taste for luxury, steals his identity. When Diana's criminal activities start disrupting his life, Patterson resolves to bring Diana from Florida to Colorado to clear his name. But with Diana being his polar opposite, and with two hit men and a bounty hunter also after her, Patterson has a hilariously difficult task ahead of him.
While it is highly unlikely that the police would hold a person accountable for crimes his identity thief committed and then allow him to track down the thief without any protection, the film's unbelievable premise is more than made up for by its humor. Almost every scene involving Patterson and Diana is enormously funny.
What's particularly surprising about "Identity Thief" is just how much heart it has. A criminal is not someone usually viewed as sympathetic, but the audience can really feel for Diana. As the trip goes on, the two become close, growing as people by learning from each other. By the end, you won't want Patterson to turn Diana into the police.
McCarthy should be lauded for her versatility as an actress. As Diana, she was both hilarious and moving, a range of emotion not usually seen in a comedy. Bateman was also perfect playing the neurotic foil.
"Identity Thief" is truly an excellent film in its own right.
Sean Quinn can be reached at sean.quinn@student.shu.edu.
