Critics Say 'Identity Thief' is Short on Laughs, Predictable and a 'Chunk of Junk'

"Identity Thief," rated R, opens at 10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, at Gateway Cinemas 12 in Bethlehem. It's playing in the BigD Experience. Showtimes for Friday, Feb. 8, and Saturday, Feb. 9, are 1:00, 4:00, 7:00 and 9:35. 

The premise, courtesy of IMDb: 

Mild-mannered businessman Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) travels from Colorado to the Florida coast to confront a deceptively harmless-looking woman (Melissa McCarthy) living it up after stealing his identity.

Here's what the critics are saying:

'Identity Thief' is not only not funny. It's negative funny. It's short on laughs, but it will disturb and annoy. — Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

I’ll hazard to guess that there is no one who will find Melissa McCarthy obnoxiously singing along to Kelis’ not-at-all-current 'Milkshake' funny. Especially when ‘Identity Thief’ — a new 'comedy' with McCarthy and Jason Bateman — goes to quite successful lengths to make you HATE her character. And you just might wind up hating this movie too. — Jordan Hoffman, Screen Crush

How many ways can a grown person waste valuable time and lose vital I.Q. points at the same time? If you’re a movie critic, the possibilities are unlimited. And they all come together in a new chunk of junk called Identity Thief. — Rex Reed, New York Observer

Unfortunately, 'Identity Thief' is a depressingly predictable road-trip buddy comedy that's far more interested in car chases, lame shootouts, physical shtick and cheap schmaltz than creating anything original. — Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times

With Melissa McCarthy (no relation!) 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. Her following is so deservedly loyal that Universal should expect a robust opening weekend, but the gas tank will likely run dry fairly soon. — Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter

Barrow Patch wants your movie reviews! Come back and tell us in comments what you thought about "Identity Thief" and how many stars out of five you would give the film.

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