The Oswegonian

The Independent Student Newspaper of Oswego State

DATE

Apr. 26, 2024 

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Laker Review

‘Masterminds’ plays well with comedic cast, actors shine

Relativity Media Studios’ newest film “Masterminds” was released in the beginning of October, It tells the story of the Loomis Fargo heist, the largest bank robbery in American history, filled with a variety of comedy used within the characters.

Loomis Fargo was robbed in Oct. 4, 1997, of $17 million by David Scott Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis, “Baskets”), who is persuaded into the robbery by Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig, “Ghostbusters”) and Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson, “Zoolander 2”).

The film was directed by Jared Hess, who is well known for films such as “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Nacho Libre.” Hess retells this story mostly through Ghantt’s point of view.

In this film, Galifianakis gives viewers a performance they have seen in many of his previous roles. This film still managed to deliver a large amount of comedy throughout its duration, without feeling like the viewer is being force-fed humor.

The rest of the cast mainly comprised of past and present “Saturday Night Live” cast members, such as Wiig, Leslie Jones (“Ghostbusters”), Jason Sudeikis (“Son of Zorn”) and Kate McKinnon (“Ghostbusters”). With the large number of comedy actors and actresses, this film could have easily been a flop if not done correctly.

For example, the recent to “Ghostbusters” reboot used an all-female cast, which also featured Wiig, Jones and McKinnon received mixed reviews.

That said, this film brought in unique comedic elements from each character as the protagonist interacts with them. McKinnon’s spaced-out characteristics in this movie were laughable all on their own, without any dialogue. Sudeikis’ psychotic antics throughout his interactions with both Wilson and Galifianakis’ characters are dark but still funny. Jones’ wise-cracking attitude throughout the film also adds to the hilarity.

Each actor had a unique sense of humor they used to enhance their character. This helped make the film a comedy, as well as keeping true to the story of the actual “hillbilly heist.”

Wilson’s character, Steve, would have to be the weakest part of the film. He is a trailer park thief who constructs the robbery plan. Steve uses Galifianakis’ character as a delivery boy to steal from Loomis Fargo. Wilson relies on the dimwittedness of his character for his comedy. Wilson’s character is often on screen with another actor or actress who takes the focus off his character, allowing the other characters to stand out more.

This film is comprised of a variety of slapstick comedy, as well as many one-liners that are sure to get the audience laughing and invested in the story.