De-mentes criminales

I watched this not knowing what to expect and found myself laughing a lot and enjoying it thoroughly. I was surprised to see that it was not better received (not too surprised though, as it seems only the most popular movies get any positive reviews and there tends to be a bandwagon effect).

Based on true story of one of the largest cash heists in history, it follows the crazy story of its perpetrators and their attempts to avoid being caught.

Zach Galifianakis and other cast members are hilarious. The makers of the film obviously took pains to add little details to every scene that really add to the comedy. In the beginning, for example, there is a scene of awkwardfamilyphotos.com style engagement photos that is so great. Plot twists as the film progressed to its conclusion kept the story interesting. There were some parts that were hard to buy, but it was a comedy after all. It's on Netflix currently.

Despite a set of tremendous comedic actors, 'Masterminds' isn't half as funny as it ought to have been. It has some moments, but they aren't enough to pass this delayed release as a winner.

'Masterminds' Synopsis: A guard at an armored car company in the Southern U.S. organizes one of the biggest bank heists in American history. Based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery.

'Masterminds' tries to adapt a crazy true-story into a much crazier film. Sadly, it only engages in bits. I enjoyed the sub-plot of the hero & his crazy girlfriend (Zach Galifianakis & Kate McKinnon), but the main plot doesn't bring out the best laughs. Also, the jokes are too crass & get silly after a point. Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer & Emily Spivey's Screenplay is alright. Its only sporadically funny. Jared Hess's Direction is just passable.

Performance-Wise: 'Masterminds' rests on the madness of its cast. Zach Galifianakis can be dumb & funny more than anyone else can right now & hence, he's spot-on. Kristen Wiig is irresistible, even though she doesn't much scope. Owen Wilson is okay. Jason Sudeikis is absurd, yet entertaining. Leslie Jones hams. Kate McKinnon is fantastic as Zach's crazy girlfriend & she, completely steals the show.

On the whole, 'Masterminds' isn't funny enough. Nonetheless, watch it if you must!

Am I surprised Masterminds only gets a 5.8 rating on here? Not really as comedies are the most difficult movies to rate. We just don't all have the same sense of humor so what is funny to someone looks dumb to another. I'm on the side of the people that had great fun watching this biography/comedy. Based on a true story, although I have serious doubts about some events that took place in this movie. It doesn't really matter though, more than 17 million of dollars have been stolen, by amateurs, and those are enough ingredients to create a funny movie. Certainly with a cast like this one, all comedians that I really appreciate watching. Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Kate McKinnon and Jason Sudeikis are all actors that know how to make people laugh and it shows. Great cast and good acting from all of them. The story is quite unbelievable what makes it entertaining. I'm sure I won't be the only one that will definitely watch this movie again in the future, when I need some good laughs to cheer me up.

Jared Hess (the director) is someone who doesn't believe in the usual comedic mould.

His vision of comedy is obscure in that he doesn't want us to laugh at the obvious slapstick.

He wants us to cringe a little at the truth behind his laughs.

While it's true that in the end comedies need to make us guffaw, chuckle, snicker, titter and chortle; the real art of comedy is to make us feel the pain of our protagonist.

I think in this regard, Jared Hess has achieved something rare.

A comedic protagonist who is very real and flawed and sad.

His sadness makes us laugh because of how bleak his existence is.

We feel for him and wish him all the best. I feel that people who don't get this movie are afraid of humanness in others.

That's why people are idiots. Because they see comedies as an excuse to simply laugh mindlessly at absurd plot lines. Comedies are also commentaries on the human condition. In spite of being marketed as slapstick, Masterminds is a film about a fragile soul in a dangerous world. Since making such a film a drama would turn away crowds in droves, the film maker re-framed it as something of a tragic comedy.

My heart felt for this hero who is at once self-deluded and incredibly sensitive.

If you have ever understood unconditional love, you might find something to love in Masterminds too.

Despite having comedy juggernauts like Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudekis and Leslie Jones (The people who made me laugh other than...), Zach Galifianakis was the powerhouse genius that made this movie flow. When he was not on the screen, it did not flow like when he was on, and he was always on. He played stupid so brilliantly that he will have you busting a gut uncontrollably. The more dimwitted the funner it got.

Proving the It's so funny it's true statement is correct, Galifianakis leads an ensemble cast in a story based on true events about a security guard leading a boring life about to marry the only woman who would have him (Played hilariously by Kate Mckinnon) until his co-worker (Kristen Wiig) used her lady charm to convince him to help her friend (Played Owen Wilson, but not in his best role) rob their employer. Now he's on the run from The FBI (Played by the Hilarious, Leslie Jones), and a hit man hired to keep him from talking (Played by also Hilarious Jason Sudekis).

It's a pretty well laid out heist movie, but I got to say, it has so many comic masterminds in it you'd expect that I would laugh so hard, I die of it, but the only real worthy laughs come from Zach Galifinakis, who took the simplistic and turned it into comic gold. It's good enough just to see him do that.