Pain and Gain
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Tony Shalhoub, Ed Harris, Rob Corddry, Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong
Directed by Michael Bay
Rated: R
Run Time: 130 mins
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Crime
Opens April 26
By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com
Truth is definitely stranger than fiction. Based on actual events, “Pain and Gain” is the story of 3 body builders and their misadventures in pulling of the perfect crime. Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) is a man with a dream. His dream is to be rich and is willing to go to any lengths to achieve that dream. From October 1994 to June 1995, Daniel and two of his body building co-worker/friends, Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) and Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) team up to kidnap one of their gym’s members Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub) steal his fortune and life because he’s an unlikeable douchebag. Kershaw is an unlikable person, treating most people he encounters like garbage, but is a shrewd businessman. Daniel wants his life, so he comes up with this harebrained scheme to kidnap Kershaw, get him to sign over all his money and possessions and then get rid of him somehow.
Unfortunately for Daniel and crew, Victor Kershaw is a very, very stubborn man. When the kidnapping finally happens, after several mis-attempts, their plans almost work. Victor was supposed to die after he signed over his possessions, but since the men aren’t the brightest people, he was left for dead, leaving a witness to the alleged crimes. The ornery man Victor is gets nowhere with the police, not only for his charming personality but for his wild kidnapping tale of ninjas, sex toys and dry cleaning torture chamber. Not knowing where to turn, he enlists the help of retired private investigator, Ed DuBois (Ed Harris), who out of pity takes his case. He takes a glance at the details but just as he’s about to drop the case, a detail red flags him and takes the case.
Meanwhile, the three stooges of kidnapping are living the high life, embracing their riches and excessive lifestyle to the fullest. It’s just a matter of time before the money runs out, and they get itchy for another job. Will the next job be their last or will they be able to continue the crime spree for the good life?
Don’t let the name of Michael Bay deter you from seeing this film as the details of this case are so outrageous and unbelievable, that it’s entertaining to watch. This film is not your typical Michal Bay film; it’s smart, entertaining and so ridiculous to see Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie as these criminals. The film is unapologetic in the amount of nudity, violence and compromising situations the men find themselves in, which is hard to believe it is all true! My only real complaint is that the roles of Rob Corddry and Rebel Wilson were rather small and would have like to see more of them on screen. Check out “Pain and Gain” when it opens in theaters starting Friday April 26, 2013.
