“Masterminds” is one of those movies that will have you laughing at some scenes but also wishing it wasn’t so raunchy. In one of the first scenes of the film, we get acquainted with David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis), who is shown driving a car with a wooden driver’s side door, which replaced one that was obviously damaged. From the get-go, the viewer knows that David is a bit odd. David is a guard for an armored car company and, strangely enough, this movie is based on a true story.
David likes a woman he works with, named Kelly (Kristen Wiig), who winds up getting fired from the job. Kelly thinks David is sweet and is nice to him, and he falls for her, despite the fact he is engaged. In fact, one of the comedic scenes features David and his fiancée taking engagement photos. Their poses are, at times, hilarious. Unfortunately, Kelly knows a schemer named Steven (Owen Wilson), and Steven comes up with the idea of motivating David, through his feelings for Kelly, to rob millions of dollars from a vault. David has the access, too. He nearly fumbles the entire plan (with some side-splitting moments), but he gets the money and is led to believe that Kelly will meet him in Mexico to live happily ever after with him. He winds up with $20,000 cash and expects more as he waits in Mexico for her. However, though Kelly isn’t going to meet him, she feels guilty for how she used David. Also, when Steven hires a hit man to kill David, Kelly does her best to warn him. Fortunately for them, and for some more laughs, their paths cross again.
Some of the other funny moments include David leaving the country with $20,000 stuffed in the back of his pants, giving him a rather large derrière as he makes his way through the airport. Another comedic moment features David putting on a disguise, and he looks like Gene Shalit, formerly of “The Today Show.” Many other such instances show the sweetness in David’s personality, despite his poor decision making, which Kelly can’t seem to forget. Unfortunately, the film features strong language, in addition to several sexual comments and innuendos. So, we are unable to award it our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal. What a shame, because, with a little “cleaning up,” it could have been an entertaining movie for parents and kids 12 and older.