A lot of movies released into theaters deserve the label of "bad." Only a few cross the line into "reprehensible." Say hello to Identity Thief. The big problem with this overlong, tedious would-be comedy has nothing to do with the quality (or lack thereof) of its so-called humor. After all, everyone has a different definition of what constitutes "funny." The catastrophic misstep taken by this film is an attempt to incorporate a dramatic element to the proceedings. By going in this direction, it's no longer possible to view Identity Thief as a compilation of questionable fat jokes, sex gags, and slapstick. Instead, we are forced to absorb a cloying, artificial "serious" aspect that is so poorly rendered that it torpedoes any hope the movie has of succeeding. This feels a lot like some of the recent, unwatchable Adam Sandler offerings: boorish, unfunny comedy colliding with saccharine, quasi-dramatic filler.
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