Masterminds MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +3 Content: -1 1/2

Sixteen year-old Ozzie Paxton (Vincent Kartheiser) is one of America's underachievers. He's a computer genius who escapes his pain by pirating unreleased computer games. His mother died recently, and his father is gone most of the time being a high-powered executive for a software company that resembles Microsoft. Ozzie escorts his little step-sister to her ritzy school, but as he's about to leave, mastermind criminal Ralph Bentley (Patrick Stewart) seizes the school and holds the children for ransom. Ozzie gets sucked into a cat-and-mouse game as he tries to foil Bentley's plan while at the same time avoiding capture by Bentley's mercenaries. Teens will enjoy this movie as it provides for them a skateboard-riding, grungy-clothed, smart-mouthed hero in Ozzie.

Violence may cause problems for younger viewers as mines explode, hurting members of a tactical rescue team. One bad guy is electrocuted when he steps into a trap set by Ozzie. And the school principle is plowed by an all-terrain vehicle driven by Bentley. Foul language and crude gestures also mar the film as the movie contains two dozen crude words, six obscenities, and five profanities. In addition, Ozzie makes a crude finger gesture to Bentley via a security camera. Parents probably won't appreciate Ozzie's rebellious behavior, though he does learn to appreciate his family by the end of the film; and they learn to appreciate him. Overall, MASTERMINDS is a mildly entertaining movie, but the foul language makes it less than masterful.

Preview Reviewer: Jason Shepherd
Distributor: Columbia Pictures, 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232