You would think most people would remember hearing about a bank robbery that was the second highest theft in the states, but I didn’t know that a small group of people back in 1997 had done so. Now their story comes to comedic life thanks to Jared Hess and his latest film, Masterminds (not to be confused with the Patrick Stewart film of the same name). Filled with laughs and a pretty fun cast, this is one for those who like a bit of zany comedy to go along with their bank heists.
The story follows David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis), a trusted armored-truck driver for Loomis Fargo who falls in love with Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig), a guard that works there too. Not long after being fired, Kelly stays with a petty thief named Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson) and his wife, and he talks Kelly into convincing David to steal what’s there in the company’s vault. Being in love with her, David agrees and ends up packing a van with more than $17 million, which forces him to lay low in Mexico while the FBI searches for who did it. All seems to go well until Steve decides to cut David out of the picture by hiring a hitman named Mike McKinney (Jason Sudeikis) to go to Mexico to kill him, prompting David to return to the states and expose Steve while saving Kelly in the process.
It tries a little too hard at times, but Masterminds did manage to be funny and entertaining for the most part, thanks to the cast and their roles. From Zach Galifianakis doing his usual, twisted humor, to Leslie Jones bringing a few laughs as the FBI agent in charge of the investigation, the comedy is a bit hit or miss, but manages to find its mark most of the time. Everything looks and sounds good on Blu-ray, as the visuals and audio comes through nicely, but sadly the only special feature is “The Imperfect Crime” that has the real David Ghantt, FBI agents Mark Rozzi and John Wydra, and others as they talk about what happened back in 1997 with the heist.
Masterminds is one of those comedies that tries hard to be funny but sometimes falls short. It’s still worth taking a look at though, especially for fans of Zach Galifianakis and the insane manchild schtick he brings to the table. If anything, this one is worth a rental at least, but fans of cast will want to pick this one up on their next shopping heist.