From the director of “Horrible Bosses” and producers of “Ted,” the comedic flop “Identity Thief” is a waste of the talents of two high-profile comedic actors. With a ludicrous plot and many cheap, repetitive gags, this film fails to produce laughs.

The film begins with account representative Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) being tricked by con artist Diana (Melissa McCarthy). Diana convinces Sandy to relay his full name, birthdate and Social Security number over the phone, successfully stealing his identity and spending thousands of dollars in the process. This leaves the real Sandy Patterson to blame for the mess. The police inform Sandy that identity thieves are almost impossible to stop, and his boss demands the misunderstanding be resolved.

Sandy decides to fly across the country to apprehend Diana and bring her to Colorado to confess her crimes and clear his name. When his genius plan inevitably goes wrong, the two end up on a road trip full of crude humor and weak attempts at sentimentality.

Despite an unconvincing and bland storyline, Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy’s comedic chemistry is evident on screen, and they deliver performances that elicit an occasional chuckle. Unfortunately for the dynamite cast, poor writing and directing make this film a flop.

“Identity Thief” is easily forgettable and relies too heavily on typical road-trip comedy humor. This film is not so bad, it’s good. It’s so bad, it’s bad.