No one can set out to be a hero. It is a matter of being at the right place at the right time. It also entails making the most of your talents in service of others. Masterminds revolves around Ozzie (Vincent Kartheiser), an adolescent computer whiz who has been exiled from the posh Shady Glen private school by principal Maloney (Brenda Fricker). He's also under fire from his father (Wes Craven) for giving his stepsister (Katie Stuart) a hard time.

All of Ozzie's extracurricular learning comes in handy when he stumbles upon a take-over of Shady Glen masterminded by Ralph Bentley (Patrick Stewart), a security systems expert who wants $650 million as ransom for a handful of children whose parents are very wealthy. This former member of the British Secret Service figures he has every angle covered including a show of force, negotiations with the police, and a surprise getaway. But Ozzie has his own bag of tricks to foil Bentley's plans. Director Roger Christian makes the most of this fast-paced drama's mix of clever dialogue and special effects. Best of all, Ozzie eases into being a hero by doing what he does best naturally.