Masterminds (1997)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Roger Christian

Writers (WGA):

Floyd Byars (story) &
Alex Siskin (story) ...

Release Date:

22 August 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller | Comedy

Tagline:

The criminal mastermind of the century just met his match...

Plot:

Trapped in a school which a gang of criminals has siezed control, a young troublemaker fights a cat and mouse battle from inside.

Plot Keywords:

Die Hard Scenario

Cast

Patrick Stewart	...	Rafe Bentley
Vincent Kartheiser	...	Oswald 'Ozzie' Paxton
Brenda Fricker	...	Principal Claire Maloney
Bradley Whitford	...	Miles Lawrence (as Brad Whitford)
Matt Craven	...	Jake Paxton
Annabelle Gurwitch	...	Helen Randall Paxton
Jon Abrahams	...	Richard 'K-Dog'
Katie Stuart	...	Melissa Randall
Michael MacRae	...	Foster Deroy
Callum Keith Rennie	...	Ollie
Earl Pastko	...	Captain Jankel
Jason Schombing	...	Marvin
Michael David Simms	...	Colonel Duke
David Paul Grove	...	Ferret (as Buck)
Akiko Morison	...	Janet

Also Known As:

Smart Alec (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence included in a children hostage situation, and for language.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Iceland:12 | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:12 (video premiere) | UK:12 (video premiere) | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Hatley Castle, Royal Roads, Colwood, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Byars-Dudelson

Trivia:

When Patrick Stewart's character makes his first appearance, he asks Principal Maloney to call him by his first name, "Raif," to which she immediately replies "Fine." This is a reference to the actor Ralph Fiennes, whose name is pronounced "Raif Fine."

Goofs:

Continuity: Bentley's guards are repeated; in other words, the same guard is in more than one place at once.

Quotes:

Maloney: I've got the rear.
Ozzie: Truer words were never spoken

Movie Connections:

References Scream 2 (1997)

Soundtrack:

Youth Of America

Seen the movie several times and love it

I first saw this movie on cable, and loved it. After that i saw it a few more times, and each time noticed a little someting more new. Adults (over 25) may think of this as a foolish or dull movie, but it was not targeted towards them. It was targeted towards the high schooler who wishes something like this could happen so that he could feel better about himself. Each individual part is very well acted, and adjusted to work with the acting styles of the other actors. The harmony among the actors is impresive to say the least. V. Kartheizer is an actor that very few have heard of, but the work he does is outstanding. If you are looking for a movie to see on a friday night, this is it.