Wick's Review

Summary - Good 3.0

Masterminds starts off rock-and-roll, but soon becomes dumb-and-dumber, only not so funny or charming. Loosely “based on a true story”, it oscillates between parody and homage, albeit more the former given its deep SNL roots. Unfortunately, TV-quality sketch comedy bits don’t a great movie make.

About that Saturday Night Live heritage, four SNLers are in the cast, another in the writing crew. They are married up with Zach Galifianakis, who is cut from the same comedy cloth, if at the moviestar level. The great supporting cast, especially the SNLers, keep the movie afloat, even as Galifianakis keeps going under.

His problem and the movie’s overall problem is that the comedy can’t ever stoop too low, which gets old fast. The pudgy moviestar is willing to absorb any blow, availing himself of hot and cold self-abasement. This leads to overly broad attempts at LOLs, of which he bears the brunt, as does the audience – us.

It’s a movie worth an on-demand view. But like the crime it kinda documents, it’s more a miss than a hit.

Acting - Very Good 3.5

Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon slay as a small town hottie and a conniving wife, respectively. They are far and away the funniest and most compelling members of the all-star cast. McKinnon demonstrates once again her talent for inhabiting women who are unaware of how contrived their behavior is, just as she did with Hillary Clinton.

• Zach Galifianakis has never regained the comedic gold he struck in The Hangover.
• Kristen Wiig is equally funny and sexy as the woman of his dreams.
• Owen Wilson plays a typical Owen Wilson part as a superficially charming user.
• Jason Sudeikis is less compelling than usual as a hitman.
• Kate McKinnon: We’re not worthy!
• Leslie Jones is fine as a tough FBI Agent.
• Ken Marino is always at least fine as a supporting character in a comedy.

Film - OK 2.5

Edge - Risqué 2.3

Reality - Surreal 2.4

Masterminds is a highly surreal take on a spectacular real crime from October 1997, the $17.3 million Loomis Fargo robbery.

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