The title characters in Masterminds do not have an elaborate scheme that they spent hours upon hours perfecting. They barely have a plan. David (Zach Galifianakis) and Kelly (Kristen Wiig) are drivers for an armored car company, who—inspired by another theft—realize there's basically nothing standing between them and millions of dollars. It's a slapstick take on the real 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery and was apparently made with the help of actual vault supervisor/"mastermind" David Ghantt—although you'd never guess it, because the central joke is "look, these must be the most idiotic criminals of all time."

The movie opens with what appears to be security footage of attempted robberies gone wrong: would-be thieves shooting themselves in the foot and staggering around with cumbersome disguises. Most of the movie revolves around how dumb the robbers are, but it's also set in North Carolina, so you get plenty of jokes about Southern hicks, including a truck with a door made from a sheet of plywood.

All told, the jokes are disappointing, especially because (except for Owen Wilson and Mary Elizabeth Ellis) the supporting cast is made up of Saturday Night Live regulars—Kate McKinnon, Jason Sudeikis, and Leslie Jones. They do their best—particularly Kristin Wiig, who is usually great at being funny and developing a truly empathetic character—but you want to see them working with sharper material. At its best, the movie feels like an extended skit, but the script feels witless and is far too focused on moving along the convoluted plot. (The fact that it doesn't live up to expectations shouldn't surprise people who are familiar with the recent work of the director, Jared Hess.)

Thankfully, the unimpressive writing doesn't completely hold back the actors; they can still make strange faces and wear ridiculous costumes. The strongest parts of the movie are the entire cast's unsettling facial contortions and the floppy pageboy haircut sported by Galifianakis. His various disguises were definitely crowd-pleasers—one of the biggest laughs is earned by an outfit featuring a diaper made of money (worn inside a pair of gray track pants), snake-eye contact lenses, and a Barbie wig.

If you do decide to see this goofy caper movie, savor every scene with Kate McKinnon. Her flat voice and fixed, dead-eyed smile makes her seem like a cyborg who might go on a murderous rampage at any moment. recommended