OUR RATING SYSTEM
(*****) = do NOT miss! This one is as good as they come.
(****) = Fantastic - It's worth the price of the ticket (and then some).
(***) = Average - Nothing really bad, nothing really spectacular...
(**) = Perhaps you should find another movie to see.
(*) = The bottom of the barrel. It would be hard to find something less entertaining or more unworthy of your time.



Maureen (Mo) holds a PhD in marine geophysics (Dr. Maureen, to you) and works for the U.S. Geological Survey in Santa Cruz, CA. Maureen enjoys the outdoors (skiing, swimming, hiking, camping), dogs, cooking, singing, getting into (and out of) uncomfortable situations, and most importantly, watching quality movies. She makes a point of seeing as many Oscar-nominated films as possible each year and (correctly) predicting the winners. Her role on this blog is primarily as an advisor, collaborator, and "chime in"-er.

John (Jo) holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Film Studies. He currently lives in Chicago, Illinois and works as a nurse. His one true obsession in life is movies... The good, the bad, and everything in between. Other than that, he is busy caring for his cat, painting, writing, exploring Chicago, and debating on whether or not to worship Tilda Swinton as a deity. John is the master and commander and primary author of this blog.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Identity Thief (Jo**)

Identity Thief represents a seeming standard of today's comedies. What may have originated with The Hangover, today humor seems to be veered towards crime, violence, and an ever-increasing amount of subplot. Sure, there were some laughs to be found at the Melissa McCarthy/Jason Bateman pairing, but this is a movie that mostly fell flat on its face.

With the tagline 'She's having the time of his life,' and the popularity of McCarthy, you think this film would be a rousing success. Alas, we find a movie that snoozes when it should excel. Bateman works in a law firm, has a feminine first name (Sandy, funny maybe the first 2 times), and gets his identity stolen by McCarthy (Diana, or whatever her real name is). Bateman decides to travel to Florida to physically bring her back to face justice, thus hilarity ensues.

I have to admire McCarthy, especially, who delivers a performance of surprising depth considering the subject matter, though her story is trapped in a movie that works better as a jigsaw puzzle than a coherent story. Diana is pursued for some reason by the Mexican Mafia, as well as a hick bounty hunter (played by Robert Patrick), though these subplots really never pay off for better or worse.

And that's about it. Sorry to be brief, but I would feel better committing my time towards something other than this review.

General consensus? Wait for RedBox.

(Awards potential: No awards potential)
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