Identity ThiefMovie Reviews

No
Avg. Critic Score: 35 out of 100 Generally unfavorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
16 Iffy for 16+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 75
    Slant Magazine | R. Kurt Osenlund

    Melissa McCarthy is riveting in simply-penned moments of remorse and confession, adding tearful depth to her ace timing and formidable physical comedy. Read full review

  • 67
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    The fault, I think, isn't in our stars but in the script, running up a huge comedy tab the likable players can't pay off. Read full review

  • 63
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Steven Rea

    In some ways, Identity Thief is a raunchier variation on another recent odd-couple road pic: Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogen as overbearing mom and nebbish son in "The Guilt Trip." Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Scott Bowles

    Preposterous, goofy and a clear ripoff of “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” Identity still manages to make off with just enough laughs to work, thanks to the wondrous McCarthy, one of the few actresses in Hollywood allowed to showcase her wit and charisma as much as her physique. Read full review

  • 50
    The Hollywood Reporter | Todd McCarthy

    With Melissa McCarthy playing a one-woman demolition team who, for 95 percent of the running time, is a genuine affront to nature, there are unavoidably some laughs here, although the gifted comic actor got more of them in less screen time in her previous films than she does in this starring role. Read full review

  • 45
    NPR | Bob Mondello

    Such a catalog of missed opportunities, it probably makes sense just to list them. Read full review

  • 40
    New York Daily News | Elizabeth Weitzman

    The ensuing road trip should be hilariously chaotic, a classic misadventure between two ill-matched travelers. Instead of “Midnight Run,” though, we get another gloss on the recent “Guilt Trip,” in which the concept is all that counts. Read full review

  • 25
    Boston Globe | Ty Burr

    Unfunny, predictable, and vulgar, it’s the generic equivalent of a Judd Apatow movie. As always, you get what you pay for. Read full review

  • 25
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    Identity Thief is not only not funny. It's negative funny. It's short on laughs, but it will disturb and annoy. Read full review

  • 0
    Wall Street Journal | Joe Morgenstern

    Watch the trailer, if you must, but spare yourself the full experience: Identity Thief steals time. Read full review

View more reviews for Identity Thief on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 16+ Great stars can't rescue uneven, sometimes violent comedy.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that Identity Thief is full of (comic) mayhem, with cars crunching into each other (sometimes on purpose) and characters shooting at each other, stealing from each other, and generally creating as much chaos as possible. The premise centers around a thief (Melissa McCarthy) who steals someone else's identity; he (Jason Bateman) then proceeds to try to get her to clear his name. In the process, they get embroiled in tons of hijinks, some of which are sexual in nature (though not with each other); there's simulated sex, but no nudity. Expect lots of innuendoes and plenty of swearing (including "f--k" and "s--t"), plus some racist jokes, drinking (wine, hard liquor), and product placement.
  • Families can talk about Identity Thief's premise. How often does identity theft happen in real life? Discuss ways to stay safe on the Internet and how to protect your privacy and identity.
  • How is Identity Theft similar to, and different from, other heist/road movies? Does it add anything new to the genre?
  • Is the movie violent? How does the overall tone impact the scenes of car crashes, shooting, etc.?
  • Why does Diana do what she does? Is it excusable? Understandable? Or does the movie let her off the hook too easily?
The good stuff
  • message true2 Positive messages: Forgiveness, empathy, and trust go a long way toward smoothing rough edges and bridging huge differences. And it's important to be confident and stand up for yourself. Also: Love and family mean more than stuff. That said, sometimes characters resort to violence to get out of a problematic situation.
  • rolemodels true2 Positive role models: Sandy is kind and caring, even to people who've done him wrong. He's able to empathize with his tormentor -- but he still wants the wrongs righted. Diana is lonely and troubled, though she does come to understand that her actions have repercussions. On the other hand, there are some mean-spirited jokes at others' expense.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Cars crash into each other; characters shoot point blank at each other; a woman punches men in the throat time and again. Also wrestling, hair pulling, etc. And characters create as much mayhem as possible to get out of any pickle they're in. Most of this is done with a light underlying tone, however, as the movie is a comedy.
  • sex false3 Sexy stuff: A woman flirts with a man at a bar, gets drunk with him, and then sleeps with him. Viewers don't see them in naked, but we do see their faces during the lengthy and over-the-top sequence. Lots of double entendres and some lewd/aggressive come-ons.
  • language false4 Language: Frequent use of a wide variety of swearing, including "f--k," "s--t," "d--k," "c--k," "bitch," "goddammit," "a--hole," "screw," "ass," "hell," "crap," "damn," "oh my God," and more.
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: Lots of name-dropping and label-flashing, including Adidas, Quicken, Fiat, Mini Cooper, Century 21, L’Occitane, Dodge, Lifelock, Hemlock, and more. One character drowns her sorrows with endless shopping.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: People get drunk on tequila shots at bars. Characters act out/are belligerent when they're drunk. A hook-up takes place between two drunk characters. Also wine-drinking at restaurants and other functions, mention of Xanax use, and the like.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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