Review of Masterminds (2016) by Kevin P — 30 Jan 2018

Strengths: The cast is chock-full of comedic talent. Zach Galifianakis (David) was pretty much the perfect choice to play the lead. It's a character that suits him. Kristen Wiig (Kelly), Owen Wilson (Steve), Jason Sudekis (Michael), and Kate McKinnon (Jandice) were all funny in their own way within their roles. Jared Hess does well enough to make sure this features his brand of comedy.

Weaknesses: Despite being based on a true story, too much of this was way over the top. The situations felt super contrived and as if the writers added or embellished on too much in an attempt to be funny. There are struggles to tell a consistent story, while things go from funny to goofy too often. Jones and Jon Daly are mostly a miss as the cops on the case. None of their scenes are even remotely funny. In fact, that's the case with a lot of the jokes, despite the talented cast. The script lets them down at every turn.

Overall: Considering the quality of the director and the talented cast, this feels like a letdown. It just misses the mark in a lot of ways and tries too hard to go over the top in retelling what was already a wacky story.