Identity Thief - A good effort, but flawed

`Identity Thief' is about a woman - Melissa McCarthy - who steals hard-up, hard-working, everyman, Jason Bateman's identity over the phone and then goes on to run up debts that he can't afford to pay for. He, in turn, seeks her out on the other side of the country and tries to bring her to justice in order to clear his name (and debts!).

It's a decent enough premise, but with one problem: Melissa McCarthy is one of the most despicable characters in movie history and the whole point of the film is to try and make us like her (and even root for her). It's easy to root for Jason Bateman - he's struggling to make ends meet and support his family and doesn't deserve to be stolen from and have his life potentially ruined. However, Melissa McCarthy steals from people without a thought for her actions. Yes, we find out that she has led a hard life, but still... she steals from families who - most likely - can't afford it. It's like making a mugger your central character and wondering why audiences don't take to them.

This is a shame, because Identity Thief has a lot of comedic acting talent on display, plus it's actually quite funny. I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion. However, the bottom line is that - despite watching McCarthy for ninety minutes - I still wanted to see her brought to justice. It's not the actress' fault - it's not an easy part to play. She was great in The Heat and Bridesmaids). The film would be much better without her character, but then, her character is kind of integral to the whole point of the movie.

Yes, it's funny in places, but you need a strong stomach to put up with McCarthy's character, plus you may need to suspend your disbelief in places, as there is a certain lack of logic if you look too closely.

6/10 May just keep you awake if Freddy Krueger was haunting your nights