MASTERMINDS
US, 1997, 106 minutes, Colour.
Patrick Stewart, Vincent Kartheiser, Brenda Fricker, Bradley Whitford, Matt Craven, Jon Abrahams, Callum Keith Rennie.
Directed by Roger Christian.
Masterminds is an enjoyable thriller for a younger audience. At one stage there is a reference to Die Hard. This has been called a Die Hard for children. There is a fair amount of violence – but of the rather bloodless kind, explosions, minefields …
Patrick Stewart is obviously enjoying himself as a very suave security expert who masterminds the taking over of an affluent school and holding some of the children to ransom. His dialogue is full of sardonic remarks. Stewart, a veteran of screen and stage, made a great impact in his Star Trek years on television and in feature films. Since then he has had a distinguished career on stage. Vincent Kartheiser is the young recalcitrant lad, expert in electronics, who becomes the young Bruce Willis to save everybody in the school (Kartheiser being a veteran of television series). Brenda Fricker is as usual severe as the principal. A younger Bradley Whitford appears as a millionaire whose daughter has been kidnapped.
The film’s action is well done, the holding of the children as hostage is quite effective and there are quite an amount of special effects as the young boy attempts to thwart the plans of the kidnapping gang.
The film was directed by Roger Christian who was in the team who won a set decoration Oscar for Star Wars. Amongst his feature films were the science fiction Lorca and the Outlaws as well as the rather odd Nostradamus. After this film he made the Scientology film, Battlefield Earth, starring John Travolta and based on a novel by L. Ron Hubbard.
1.An entertaining adventure story? For younger audiences? Parents?
2.The American school setting, the mansion-like school, its vastness, the ordinary classrooms and corridors, the offices, the basement and its intricacies, the air vents etc? The tunnels for the sewers leading into the city? Special effects? Stunt work? All effective for this kind of film? The rousing score?
3.The title, the reference to Rafe Bentley and his gang? To Ozzie?
4.The introduction to Ozzie, downloading pirated editions of Scream 2? His contact with his friend Richard, ‘K-Dog’? His relationship to his father, his father’s remarrying, his attitude towards Helen? The clashes with his stepsister Melissa? Her putting on tantrums and taunting him? His father confronting him, threatening him with military school? His being shrewd and anticipating all his father’s comments? His having to take his sister to school?
5.The school, Claire Maloney and her strict running of the school, her antagonism towards Ozzie, his burning laboratories etc, his being expelled? Her confrontations with him and ousting him? The encounter with Rafe Bentley?
6.His sister, with her friends, going into class? Their being called into the assembly hall, the speech by Bentley, the decisions by Claire Maloney? Her wanting to go with her friend on the special art class? The teachers, the taking of the children to be ransomed into a special room? The classes being dismissed, some of the children being let go, later a bigger group let go? The children and their thinking it was an exercise?
7.Rafe Bentley, Patrick Stewart’s style, the discussions with Claire Maloney, supervising the security? The takeover, in the computer room, the map, controlling everything, the gates? The arrival of the police, the timing? Bentley and his background in security, his expertise? His team? The rounding up of the children, his speech, avuncular? The beginning of the drilling downstairs? The guarding of the perimeter? The police arriving, the minefield? The truck ramming the gate?
8.Ozzie, seeing what was happening, getting back into the building? His shrewdness in estimating what was going on? His getting to the computer, opening the gates again? The threat to the plan? His continually going through the school, on the roof and almost falling, down the chimney, the confrontation with the security guards? His putting up the heat and its effect on the group? His turning on the sprinklers? The computers being wet? The umbrellas? His being in the vents, the smoke, the knife’s piercing the floor? His getting out through the fan exit? His making connections for the phone, with his parents? Listening in to the plans? His setting the explosives for the swimming pool? Trying to rescue Melissa, her being taken by Bentley? K-Dog? getting in? Their teaming up? The explosion, the water from the pool? The vehicle and their pursuit through the tunnels? His rescuing Melissa and getting her from the other vehicle? Turning up in the middle of the city through the manhole? Concern about the police, the long talk with Helen, with his father, being a family, reconciliation? The hero of the film?
9.Bentley, keeping calm, his strict timing, the heat, the sprinklers, the drilling? His insistence that they keep to the timetable? The plan for the helicopter, for the money, the delivery of the money, being delivered by Foster? The irony of his being his accomplice for the money? The escape, Claire Maloney and her interventions, his driving – and landing in the harbour with the sewage?
10.The various associates, the computer expert, the drilling? The tough security guards? Being outwitted by Ozzie?
11.Claire Maloney, a strict school, with Bentley, watching him take over? Being helpless? Her going into action? Ozzie and the leading of the children to safety? On the vehicle with Bentley? Wielding the baseball bat?
12.The parents, their concern, Miles Lawrence and money being no object? The Paxtons, their concern, Ozzie and Melissa?
13.The financial deal, the buying of the television network, Foster DeRoy? and his presence? The deals? The irony of his being criminal? The background with Bentley and their past interactions?
14.The film’s being able to use all the excitement of Die Hard but adapted for a younger audience?
