Pain & Gain (2013)

A trio of bodybuilders in Florida get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.

Director:

Michael Bay

Writers:

Christopher Markus (screenplay), Stephen McFeely (screenplay),

Stars:

Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Wahlberg	...	Daniel Lugo
Dwayne Johnson	...	Paul Doyle
Anthony Mackie	...	Adrian Doorbal
Tony Shalhoub	...	Victor Kershaw
Ed Harris	...	Ed DuBois
Rob Corddry	...	John Mese
Bar Paly	...	Sorina Luminita
Rebel Wilson	...	Robin Peck
Ken Jeong	...	Johnny Wu
Michael Rispoli	...	Frank Griga
Keili Lefkovitz	...	Krisztina Furton
Emily Rutherfurd	...	Carolyn 'Cissy' DuBois
Larry Hankin	...	Pastor Randy
Tony Plana	...	Captain Lopez
Peter Stormare	...	Dr. Bjornson

Storyline

Based on the true story of Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) a Miami bodybuilder who wants to live the American dream. He would like to have the money that other people have. So he enlists the help of fellow bodybuilder Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) and ex-convict, Christian bodybuilder Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson). Their kidnapping and extortion scheme goes terribly wrong since they have muscles for brains and they're left to haphazardly try to hold onto the elusive American dream.

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Plot Keywords:

kidnapping | bodybuilder | extortion | arrest | sex doll | 

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Taglines:

Their American Dream Is Bigger Than Yours

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for bloody violence, crude sexual content, nudity, language throughout and drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 April 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dolor y dinero

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$26,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$20,244,505 (USA) (26 April 2013)

Gross:

$47,113,198 (USA) (20 May 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, De Line Pictures, Platinum Dunes

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rebel Wilson, an avid nunchucks user, brought her own for the sex scene to "spice things up."

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Goofs

The Crown Victoria models used in the movie are second generation that were produced from 1998 to 2011, since the movie takes place in 1995, they should be first generation 1995 1998, or Chevrolet Caprice Classic 2nd generation

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Quotes

[from trailer]
Paul Doyle: We go through with this, nobody gets hurt right?
Daniel Lugo: No, man! We snatch him, we grab him, signs a few signature, we give him a protein shake! He dunnit even know what happened! I watched a lot of movies Paul, I know what I'm doing!

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Connections

References Scarface (1983)

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Soundtracks

"Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)"
By C+C Music Factory

User Reviews

Not much action, but there is comedy as muscleheads set off to achieve the American dream

Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) and Adrien Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) are the very definition of muscleheads – more muscles than brains. Paul Doyle (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is a Christian musclehead who has accepted Jesus Christ as his personal saviour. They believe in the American dream. If other people have what they want, then, therefore, they should get it. That is the full extent of logic that they could exercise. The premise is funny and the film manages to follow through on that promise.

Lugo is the ring-leader, a top-tier body-builder in Miami, and his get rich quick schemes haven't really panned out all that well in the past, but this time, he's going to follow the advice a TV commercial life coach: "Do be a do-er, don't be a don't-er." The film starts off rather slowly, apparently letting the writing speak for itself, but the jokes seem a little off-balance. A little low-key (relatively low-key) and are based on dichotomies between what they're observing and what they're deciding to do.

For a Michael Bay film, there's not much action – only one explosion! But the film picks up speed as the muscleheads get further along in their ludicrous plan, and the comedy keeps on coming. They really do say and do the dumbest things, but it's entertaining to laugh at them because they whole-heartedly believe in what they're doing. Or at least Lugo believes in what they're doing; Adrien just doesn't know any better, and Doyle believes in both God and doing more coke – whichever gives him the better high in the moment.

"Pain & Gain" is set in the '90s in Miami and although they had a few fluorescent colours and jean shorts, they didn't give us quite as much topical humour as I was expecting. But the film still suits the times – with a sort of choppy but glamorous look. Rumour has it that Michael Bay used more longer takes than any of his previous films. I haven't seen any of his recent movies, so I wouldn't know, but this one is way more geared towards the crime-riddled plot and the comedic writing than any action that the director is known for.

There is a strange obsession with male genitalia – jokes about real ones, and many shots of fake ones to go along with a few characters' denial of and hatred of homosexuality. I'm not sure what the point of that was. Perhaps that was part of what really happened. Unfortunately, as the narrator says, this is a true story. These muscleheads really are trying to get their piece of the American pie, the stupidest way they know how. It's also too long – a straight forward crime comedy has no need to be over two hours long.

The appearance of Ed Harris lends the film some credibility – some much needed credibility, and Rebel Wilson adds an extra touch of comedy. Overall, "Pain & Gain" does a decent job of telling a ridiculously true story comedically, and violently, and a little self-indulgently.