Identity Thief

Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman), seems to have it all — great family in Colorado, new job opportunity, affluent lifestyle — but it’s all in jeopardy when his identity is stolen by a woman in Florida (Melissa McCarthy). Because of the workings of the legal system, the only quick way Sandy can get himself out of the mess is to produce the identity thief to the police in Denver. He goes to Florida armed with handcuffs and little else, and ends up facing a bounty hunter, other criminals, and the belligerent thief herself.

ClearPlay In Action!

Most of Identity Thief’s raunchiness extends from its overuse of the F–word (45 times). That, about a hundred other profanities, some suggestive dialogue, and a protracted scene of implied intercourse, are cut in the ClearPlayed version. The movie glamorizes lawlessness to a degree, so even ClearPlayed, it’s not the ideal family picture.

Will Identity Thief steal two hours of my life?…

McCarthy and Bateman are well–cast as the sociopathic thief and well-mannered nice guy, respectively, but the movie’s comedy is based on pain, misfortune, and injustice. A little of that is amusing; a lot of it is fatiguing. If gunshots, car wrecks, and throat–punches make you laugh, knock yourself out. Otherwise, lock your doors and call the movie police.

Marvin Neebob — ClearPlay Pseudonym

Rated R for sexual content and language; 111 min | 121 min (unrated); Directed by Seth Gordon