MASTERMINDS 2 stars Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Leslie Jones; PG-13 (crude and sexual humor, some language and violence); in general release
Its remarkable to think that there is a true story lurking in the heart of the lunacy that is Masterminds.
Masterminds tells the true story of a $17 million armored truck heist, albeit with a little Jared Hess-style enhancement. The caper is centered around a Loomis Fargo employee named David Ghantt, who was an upstanding citizen right up until his hormones got the best of him.
Zack Galifianakis gleefully plays the inside man Ghantt under a hideous hairdo that makes the rookie criminal look like, as one supporting character puts it, if Kenny Rogers and Kenny Loggins had a love child. It would be easy to assume the getup is created purely for laughs, but a photograph over the closing credits suggests Galifianakis is playing the real-life Ghantt pretty close to reality.
Ghantt has always longed for adventure, and opportunity arrives in the form of a vixen of an ex-co-worker named Kelly (Kristen Wiig), who convinces him that if he pulls off the job, shell run off to Mexico with him to live the high life.
The temptation is too much for Ghantt, who is more than happy to break his engagement to a creepy, glassy-eyed gal named Jandice (Kate McKinnon). When the film is making its introductions early on, we are treated to Ghantt and Jandices vivid engagement photo session, and that tells you all you need to know about their relationship.
But Ghantt isnt the only one with divided allegiances. Kelly is beholden to Steve (Owen Wilson), a deadbeat living with a wife and two sons in what he calls a double-wide high-rise a mobile home on six feet worth of blocks. Steve gets Kelly to put Ghantt up to the task, then sends a hit man named Mike (Jason Sudeikis) to get rid of his patsy.
After Ghantt somehow pulls off the heist, the Masterminds plot splits into two settings as Ghantt heads to Mexico with Mike in pursuit, and Steve starts buying everything in sight, to the suspicion of his brand-new wealthy neighbors.
Set in the late 1990s, Hess takes us to a world of pagers and pay phones with the same awkward quirkiness he used for 2004s breakout Napoleon Dynamite. But while there are enough nods to Hess style to make the directors presence felt, Masterminds feels crafted more towards showcasing the talents of its celebrity cast, similar to Hess Jack Black vehicle Nacho Libre.
Thanks to Relativity Studios 2015 bankruptcy, Masterminds took a little extra time to make it to theaters, but fans of Hess and his eccentric cast will consider the product worth the wait. Fans of McKinnons work in last summers Ghostbusters reboot will be especially pleased to see more of the actress' unique deadpan style, and the amateur criminals in over their heads theme will feel familiar to anyone who enjoyed Wilsons first role in Wes Andersons Bottle Rocket.
At one point in the film, Ghantt describes himself as a corn dog at a hot dog party, and that seems like a pretty accurate way to describe Masterminds among the fall seasons various based on a true story offerings.
On its own, Masterminds is a decent comedy, even if everyone involved has done better work elsewhere. But next to all the serious options playing in theaters right now, Masterminds may be just the goofy change of pace you need.
Masterminds is rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, some language and violence; running time: 94 minutes.
Its remarkable to think that there is a true story lurking in the heart of the lunacy that is Masterminds.
Masterminds tells the true story of a $17 million armored truck heist, albeit with a little Jared Hess-style enhancement. The caper is centered around a Loomis Fargo employee named David Ghantt, who was an upstanding citizen right up until his hormones got the best of him.
Zack Galifianakis gleefully plays the inside man Ghantt under a hideous hairdo that makes the rookie criminal look like, as one supporting character puts it, if Kenny Rogers and Kenny Loggins had a love child. It would be easy to assume the getup is created purely for laughs, but a photograph over the closing credits suggests Galifianakis is playing the real-life Ghantt pretty close to reality.
Ghantt has always longed for adventure, and opportunity arrives in the form of a vixen of an ex-co-worker named Kelly (Kristen Wiig), who convinces him that if he pulls off the job, shell run off to Mexico with him to live the high life.
The temptation is too much for Ghantt, who is more than happy to break his engagement to a creepy, glassy-eyed gal named Jandice (Kate McKinnon). When the film is making its introductions early on, we are treated to Ghantt and Jandices vivid engagement photo session, and that tells you all you need to know about their relationship.
But Ghantt isnt the only one with divided allegiances. Kelly is beholden to Steve (Owen Wilson), a deadbeat living with a wife and two sons in what he calls a double-wide high-rise a mobile home on six feet worth of blocks. Steve gets Kelly to put Ghantt up to the task, then sends a hit man named Mike (Jason Sudeikis) to get rid of his patsy.
After Ghantt somehow pulls off the heist, the Masterminds plot splits into two settings as Ghantt heads to Mexico with Mike in pursuit, and Steve starts buying everything in sight, to the suspicion of his brand-new wealthy neighbors.
Set in the late 1990s, Hess takes us to a world of pagers and pay phones with the same awkward quirkiness he used for 2004s breakout Napoleon Dynamite. But while there are enough nods to Hess style to make the directors presence felt, Masterminds feels crafted more towards showcasing the talents of its celebrity cast, similar to Hess Jack Black vehicle Nacho Libre.
Thanks to Relativity Studios 2015 bankruptcy, Masterminds took a little extra time to make it to theaters, but fans of Hess and his eccentric cast will consider the product worth the wait. Fans of McKinnons work in last summers Ghostbusters reboot will be especially pleased to see more of the actress' unique deadpan style, and the amateur criminals in over their heads theme will feel familiar to anyone who enjoyed Wilsons first role in Wes Andersons Bottle Rocket.
At one point in the film, Ghantt describes himself as a corn dog at a hot dog party, and that seems like a pretty accurate way to describe Masterminds among the fall seasons various based on a true story offerings.
On its own, Masterminds is a decent comedy, even if everyone involved has done better work elsewhere. But next to all the serious options playing in theaters right now, Masterminds may be just the goofy change of pace you need.
Masterminds is rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, some language and violence; running time: 94 minutes.
