I cracked up here and there watching this broad heist comedy, but it wasn’t laughter I felt great about. Director Jared Hess (“Napoleon Dynamite”) has always gone for geeks and oddballs, but this film mostly punches down at characters for being poor, unfashionable and stupid. Based on a true story, “Masterminds” sees David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis), an armored-car driver with a Playmobil-guy haircut, swept up in a plot to steal millions from his company with his crush Kelly (Kristen Wiig) and her sleazy friend Steve (Owen Wilson).
Hess’ film, which has been on the shelf since mid-2015, also features two of Wiig’s “Ghostbusters” co-stars. Kate McKinnon steals the show, as usual, as Ghantt’s tightly wound, turtleneck-clad fiancée; Leslie Jones, as a detective, endures yet more jabs at her appearance, including being called a guy. (In light of her being harassed so brutally on Twitter earlier this year, you have to wonder about the decision not to just leave this stuff on the cutting room floor.)
Despite the A-list roster of comic talent, most of the gags here have more to do with props. Jason Sudeikis is mildly amusing as a sadistic but dim hit man who’ll casually drop an ear on the floor midconversation; Galifianakis suffers multiple indignities, including biting into an oozing tarantula and having an attack of Montezuma’s revenge in a hotel swimming pool. His scene in a disguise of cat’s-eye contacts and a long, blond wig is the movie’s funniest, although you might be better off just waiting for the two-minute YouTube clip.