Pain & Gain
Tags: comedy, murder, flashback, humor, satire, revenge, entertaining

Plot synopsis:
In 1995, schemer Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) is a recently released convict who had served time for Medicare fraud. Sun Gym owner John Mese (Rob Corddry) hires him to increase membership and make the gym more fitness-based. Lugo increases the gym's membership by 75% within six weeks and befriends trainer Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie), a bodybuilder rendered impotent due to his steroid use. Lugo soon lusts after the earnings and lifestyle achieved by Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub), a sleazy new member he begins to train, who Lugo believes is a crook. Inspired by motivational speaker Jonny Wu (Ken Jeong), Lugo decides to be a "do-er" and hatches a plan to extort Kershaw for his assets by kidnapping and torturing him.
Lugo recruits accomplices Doorbal and Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson), a recently released, cocaine-addicted convict who has turned to Christianity. Though Doyle is reluctant to join the team, he soon acquiesces after a violent altercation with his priest. This "Sun Gym gang" unsuccessfully attempts to kidnap Kershaw at home, and a second time in public, but later incapacitates him with a taser outside his deli and takes him to a small warehouse he owns (which is stocked with sex toys). The kidnappers wear masks and Lugo disguises his voice, but Kershaw identifies Lugo from his distinctive cologne. The scheme goes as planned otherwise: Kershaw makes calls, under duress, to provide false explanations for his disappearance, gets his family to move out of state, and signs the documents that transfer his assets to Lugo. Lugo even bribes John Mese to notarize documents in Kershaw's absence, by presenting documents signed by Kershaw and using Kershaw's money to sponsor the Sun Gym.
The Sun Gym gang is able to collect Kershaw's money and assets, but they realize releasing him is a bad idea. Therefore, Lugo concocts a plan to kill Kershaw by forcing him to drink liquor and crash his BMW, making it appear like a drunk driving accident. When Kershaw survives the crash, the gang burns the car with Kershaw in it. Kershaw escapes the blazing vehicle, so the gang runs over his body, twice, and leave him for dead. Unbeknownst to them, Kershaw survives and is hospitalized. The Sun Gym gang members spoil themselves with Kershaw's riches. Lugo takes over Kershaw's car and his home in a ritzy Miami suburb; Doorbal marries the nurse who has been treating his impotence, Robin (Rebel Wilson), and uses his cut to purchase penile erection treatments; and Doyle abandons his restraints of religion and sobriety, and blows away his money on cocaine and his new stripper girlfriend.
Kershaw reports what happened to the police, but they are turned off by his unpleasant manner and do not believe his bizarre story even when he gives them Daniel Lugo's name, particularly because of Kershaw's blood alcohol level, and the fact that Kershaw was born in a South American country well known for its involvement in the drug trade. He then contacts Ed Du Bois, III (Ed Harris), a retired private investigator - who declines to take the case but warns Kershaw to quickly leave the hospital before the gang returns to kill him. Kershaw takes his advice and hides in a cheap motel. Upon reflection, Du Bois takes Kershaw's case and tails the Sun Gym gang. He visits the Sun Gym and meets with Lugo, who becomes suspicious after Du Bois mentions Kershaw's name.
When Kershaw furiously calls Mese about his stolen money, Lugo, Doyle, and Doorbal *69 the call, thereby identifying where it originated, and go to the motel to kill Kershaw; however, they arrive too late, as he has checked himself out and is hiding at an abandoned baseball stadium. When Lugo and Doorbal discover that Du Bois is paying for Kershaw's room using his own credit card, they plan to kidnap Du Bois at his home. They arrive at the house, but the plot is thwarted when the police stop by to drop off Du Bois. In order to evade arrest, Lugo and Doorbal run and jump off Du Bois' dock into the water.
Du Bois gets a message from Kershaw and goes to the stadium to take him home. Meanwhile, Doyle (who has wasted all of his share of the spoils) attempts to rob an armored car. However, dye packs planted in the money bag explode, and he narrowly escapes the police, getting his toe shot off in the process. He and Doorbal (who depleted his share on payments for treatments, his and Robin's wedding, and a new home) explain to Lugo they need more money, and the gang plans another kidnapping.
They target the wealthy Frank Griga (Michael Rispoli), who owns a phone sex operation. After a promising discussion at Griga's mansion, the gang invites Griga and his wife Krisztina Furton (Keili Lefkowitz) to Doorbal's home to propose an investment scheme. Griga insists on meeting with someone more senior and questions Lugo's amateurish business savvy. This angers Lugo, who attacks Griga and accidentally kills him. Krisztina discovers this and tries to shoot Lugo, but Doorbal injects her with a potent horse tranquilizer. Lugo and Doyle try to use the combination obtained from a heavily sedated Krisztina to open a safe at her and Griga's home, but the combination does not work. When Krisztina rouses and tries to escape, Doorbal gives her a second injection, accidentally causing her to fatally overdose.
Lugo and Doorbal purchase equipment to dismember and dispose of the bodies and dump the parts in oil drums (which they sink in a secluded swamp outside Miami), while Doyle incinerates their hands on a barbecue grill to eliminate their fingerprints. Doyle, perturbed by the violence he committed, leaves the gang and returns to the priest's church. The police learn of Griga and Krisztina's disappearances, and with evidence from Du Bois, they set a plan to arrest the Sun Gym gang.
The film returns to June 17: the police arrest Doyle at the church, Doorbal at home, and Mese at the Sun Gym. Lugo, also at the gym, spots the approaching police force and flees. Although struck by a police cruiser, he escapes and heads out by sea in Kershaw's speedboat. Kershaw and Du Bois deduce Lugo is going after the former's hidden bank account in Nassau, Bahamas and accompany the police to capture him. Lugo's pursuers catch up with him, and he attempts to escape. Du Bois shoots Lugo, Kershaw chases him in a car and incapacitates him, and the authorities arrest him.
Lugo is brought back to the United States and stands trial with Doyle, Doorbal, and Mese. At the trial, Doyle rolls over on Doorbal and Lugo with a full confession, and meanwhile Robin has divorced Doorbal the night before and testifies against him. Ultimately, the four are convicted.
The end credits reveal the fates of the main characters:
Daniel Lugo was sentenced to death, plus 30 days for "being an asshole" to a guard.
Adrian Doorbal was sentenced to death.
Paul Doyle, for his full confession, was sentenced to 15 years, served seven years, was released, tried to apologize, and converted back to Christianity.
John Mese was sentenced to 15 years and died in prison.
Victor Kershaw's name was changed in the film to protect the survivor.
Sorina Luminita's name was changed in the film to protect the survivor. She's currently not a movie star.
The movie ends with Lugo's saying: "That's the American dream".

Review: Michael Bay's "Pain and Gain" is a very bleak, very dark comedy about three knucklehead bodybuilders in pursuit of their own American dream, even if the road there is paved with sex, drugs, torture, humiliation, and even murder.Bay is shamelessly reputed for huge explosions, choppy editing, excessively flashy/glitzy cinematography, sexy women, fancy cars and (recently) giant robots.
Although Bay cuts back on the explosions and robots (mercifully), everything else has Bay written all over it, and considering how morbidly ridiculous the film's subject matter is, Bay tackles it in such a head-on and energetic manner that the audience is whisked off for the insane ride ahead.For this movie, he has assembled together Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie as the three bumble-heads who have their hearts set in the right goal but clearly lack the intellect to do so.
He's the only sane person in the whole movie, and his presence helps bring balance and clarity to what was a ludicrous first half.Comic relief is key in Bay's action films, but here he's going all out at comedy, and he sure does pull of the stops.
The fact that it was indeed a true story makes it all the more hilarious to watch, who honestly can think of some story like this and pull if off straight?I am aware that since this is a film, some liberties had to be made to the story and characters.
I don't quite know how accurate they were in comparison to the real criminals but as standalone characters they were pitch perfect (even the Rock, who may have actually stolen the show for me).Tony Shaloub is no actor to be laughed at, he played such an interesting 3 dimensional yet despicable character that forced me to try to come to terms with how I felt with him being the victim.And what really made the movie for me was the phenomenal writing and directing combination, there were intensely serious moments surrounded by the blackest of black comedy, something that shouldn't have worked, but it did!My only problem with the flick is that it IS a true story.
It's nice to see Michael Bay take a little break from explosion-fueled action movies, and do a dark comedy based on events that took place during the fall of 1994 to summer of 1995, in Miami.
In this film, Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, and Anthony Mackie play a trio of bodybuilders of a Miami fitness center, who kidnap a millionaire named Victor Kershaw, and extort him for money.
A crime comedy doesn't get better than this..PAIN & GAIN is your textbook Michael Bay, there are beautiful girls, fast cars, that 360-degree spinning shot where the camera circles the actors, plus it's back in Miami too, the land of all kinds of colors and sunshine!
PAIN & GAIN looks, feels, breaths, and benches like a Michael Bay movie, alright!
PAIN & GAIN may have some commentary about American Dream, on whether or not those who do achieve it actually earned it, but in the end, it's just a laugh out loud cautionary tale told through the style of Michael Bay.-- www.ramascreen.com --.
Pain & Gain is a great movie with a very well developed storyline and an outstanding cast that have the ability both serious and funny which made them great casting for a movie I like this.Although it is very hard to believe,this is actually based on a true story,and as the movie continues it becomes more and more unbelievable,but are robed every now and again that it is actually a true story,which was clever because they obviously knew people would be thinking that throughout.This movie has different characters narrating throughout,which is something I have complained about in past reviews,I just think we should only be following one character,and when we learn about a different characters past it should still be the main character telling their story,I think it should have just been Mark Wahlberg's character telling the story instead of switching around to Dwayne Johnson,to Bar Paly and later on Ed Harris,they gave so much characters the chance to narrate which just really irritates me.The movie really is a breath of fresh air considering it is directed by Michael Bay,who's never done a movie like this before,and the characters are nothing like Mark Wahlberg,Dwayne Johnson or Anthony Mackie have played before.
Pain & Gain is a very enjoyable movie that I would recommend to anyone looking for a good action or comedy.Based on a true story about three bodybuilders who get involved in burglary and kidnapping in order to get all the money and wealthy lifestyle they desire,but to fact that none of them are particularity brainy dosen't help them.
That this preposterous story was actually based on a crime that happened in real life was an incredible aspect of the film.The movie is really about very serious heinous crimes, but the writers make it black comedy material by focusing on the stupid planning and bumbling actions of the three muscle-bound perpetrators of these crimes.
Michael Bay, the director of the 'Transformers' movies directed this: A comedy/action movie based on a true story of which in the 90's three guys decided to kidnap and torture a rich guy until all of his assets were sent over them in a month's time.
I had no idea if it was poor directing, or if Michael Bay thought it needed to go that way.The acting in this movie was good, because two of the main characters are played by Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson, which are good actors.
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.
Another thing is that if you're afraid the film was going to make them anti-heroes based on the trailers then worried no more because the movie shows that these are bad guys that did terrible stuff but they're so dumb that it's funny.
Now I do need to talk about Bay's directing and in my opinion his over the top and excessive film making work in this movie because it needs an over the top director to tell an far-fetched but true story and the excessive film making works because the movie is about American excess and I can think of no one else to directed this movie then Bay, this is a movie that's so good that it's a career defining moment for him, but knowing what his next project is it's not going to last long.
After the three weeks, once Lugo and his gang had everything they wanted from Schiller, they tried to murder him.This shocking and horrific true story is brought to life by producer/director Michael Bay as a colorful black comedy.
This does not excuse the filmmakers for manipulating a true story about kidnapping, torture and robbery into a comedy, it just shows they don't have the talent to be handling such material.Looking at the film separate from the factual events being portrayed, it seems the writers were trying to play comedy out of the stupidity and foolishness of the criminals but Michael Bay has to make everything look and sound as exciting and cool as possible.
This creates a great unbalance and delivers a mixed message.Mark Wahlberg plays Daniel Lugo and Tony Shalhoub plays Victor Kershaw, a fictional version of Marc Schiller, which makes him seem more like a villain than a victim as a way to justify trying to make us laugh at the scenes of him being tortured.
Surprisingly, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's performance as Paul Doyle, an ex-convict turned Christian, is the one decent part of the entire film.Pain and Gain is a shameful, irresponsible, disrespectful mess that will leave those who don't realize they are watching a story based on real events feeling disgusted once they find out the true story.
However the plan goes wrong since the clumsy amateurish trio is stupid and make a series of mistakes."Pain & Gain" is a movie with a story with great potential that is unfortunately wasted by Michael Bay that directs with heavy-hand and loses the humor in the violent scenes.
Yes it's a crazy story, so crazy even the police didn't believe it, but this is something that shouldn't be sensationalized, it basically shouldn't have been a Michael Bay movie, or at least he should have had the guts to not fall back on all his seemingly trade mark shots and approach the film in an original and mature manner.
And there wasn't really a dull moment throughout the entire movie.The story in "Pain & Gain" was rather entertaining to watch, and the fact that in all its absurdity that it was an actual real story just added to the enjoyment.
Just a shame that Ed Harris wasn't given more on-screen time."Pain & Gain" is an entertaining movie that is well-worth watching.
Pain&Gain(2013)Starring:Mark Wahlberg,Dwayne"The Rock" Johnson,Anthony Mackie,Tony Shalhoub,and Ed HarrisReviewSO what we have here is a movie based on a true story about kidnapping,theft,torture and murder that Michael Bay has so tastelessly made into a comedy.
I got the pain part from this movie but I want to know if there is someone who has gained something from this garbage.The movie stars Mark Wahlberg as Daniel Luigo, a whiny bodybuilder who spends most of the time monologing about how much he hates his life.Dwayne Johnson plays Paul Doale a born again Christian bodybuilder who spends most of his time monologuing about how much he hates his life, Anthony Mackie plays Adriane Durbal a steroid using bodybuilder who monologues about how much he hates his life.
He is in a cast beaten,hanging for dear life and no cop believes him into giving up everything he had.He eventually hires a private detective.But after the three main characters rob this man they get greedy and decide to do it to some more people.You won't and shouldn't waste your time on this film cause it's not funny at all.
Mark Walhberg is not funny, Dwayne Johnson is not funny, Anthony Mackie is not funny and Tony Shahloub is not funny, oh they try but the jokes are so stale that you won't even chuckle.This movie should not have been a comedy especially when representing this story.
Take Dwayne Johnson's character for example as I stated he plays a born again Christian this film which I heard is not what his real life counterpart was but hey it's Michael Bay. He goes around praising Jesus in this film and saying how Jesus will guide him down the right path and forgive him for his sins,which leads to some very unfunny religious gags But in spite of him doing this he gets addicted to cocaine,punches a priest,runs a man over, beats up a cop and feeds his toe to a dog.
The movie ties to make you like them but it ends up being impossible which I guess is a good thing because well you shouldn't like these people anyway.There is more pain instead of gain in Pain & Gain which is what makes this Michael Bay's worst movie and what give this despicable,stupid,unfunny piece of garbage a half a star rating out of five..
This is based upon a true story in Florida around 1995.Bodybuilder and Exercise Trainer, Danny Lugo (Donnie Walberg) wants the good life (he wants lots of money and to live like a millionaire) and believes he has found a way to get it: Kidnap gym customer and millionaire Victor Kershaw (Tony Shaloub, hey, it's Monk) and have him (Kershaw) sign all his assets and cash to Danny.
I often rate movies on here but never feel compelled to actually write a review.After watching this film however I feel the need to let others know what a complete waste of time this is.
I like both Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson as actors, I can even turn my brain off and enjoy most Michael Bay movies.
Bay Really Kills This One. Pain & Gain (2013) * 1/2 (out of 4) Michael Bay film based on the true story of three body builders (Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie) who decide to live the high life by kidnapping rich people and taking their money.
Again, I didn't hear about the real case until after the movie but while watching this thing I kept wondering why Bay was making all of this sound so cool and making these three guys seem like heroes.
Even as the film went along and their plot got darker, for some reason Bay kept everything going like it was just some funny little story about the American dream.
such an entertaining and fun movie!!The actors play incredibly well, specially mark wahlberg and the rock, mark wahlberg being so motivated and so serious about everything all the time and the rock playing the former inmate which found god both were so funny and acted extremely well.All the time the misunderstandings between characters was so hilarious, the satire, irony and dark humor are absolutely on spot.Quite some people criticized the movie because it is a true story, however there are tons of movies about true story with serial killers or dramatic events so i think it doesn't affect the movie.9/10 , don't hesitate to watch it you wont regret it..
His interactions with Kershaw during his confinement are great but his best moments come later in the move after he's rediscovered his true love (hint: it's cocaine).It sort of feels wrong to have this much fun with the movie with such a horrifying reality behind it, but I figure it's all right since the criminals from the film got what was coming to them.
PAIN & GAIN will having you cringing between laughs and it works as one of Michael Bay's best movies in a good while.
Pain & Gain was directed by Michael Bay, which you may categorise him as someone who makes bad movies such as Transformers which contained an overhaul of explosions and special effects, who changes his stance on films completely with a crime comedy, with little special effects and explosions.
While Pain and Gain certainly delivers a quality cast and starts off with an interesting set up, it ultimately fails to deliver a king hit.The movie, based on a true story and events, starts well, and each character paints the picture as to how they came into knowing one another and their personal background.
With the potential of being a satirically brilliant comedy and with the help of great performances and a script that is undoubtedly the funniest of the year, "Pain & Gain" struggles to find its footing behind a big budget director (Michael Bay) who doesn't seem to know how to make a film which isn't predicated on orgies of mindless explosions.
In what must be seen as the roles The Rock and Marky Mark were born to play, "Pain & Gain" is the "true story" of three halfwit body builders, Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) and Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) who hatch a scheme to extort a wealthy gym member, in order to move up in the financial world.
The movie's story is about three bodybuilders, Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg), Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson), and Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) who want to achieve the American dream by taking it from someone else who doesn't deserve it.
But on the whole, most roles are genuinely funny and work in their own way; maybe the Rock isn't exactly helping the "true story" angle in his performance, but comically it works.Still, there's plenty of Michael Bay here to deter the real haters.
What has started as a very promising cynical satire on the negative side of the "American Dream", in which a trio of painfully dumb bodybuilders try to "reach for more than they can actually grab" by all sorts of criminal activities, ultimately takes a very rash turn for the worse as Michael Bay willingly flushes it down the toilet in a tasteless attempt to exploit a real murder case for the purpose of zero-quality entertainment disgorging a voyeuristic-ally morbid, overblown finale on the audience that is hard to swallow - I even considered leaving the movie theater 20 minutes before the end.Cinematically similar to Bay's "Bad Boys 2" (or all other movies he's made so far) offering some cool camera shots (especially of backsides of some sexy bikini girls which seems to be his trade mark) and some stylish slow motions, "Pain & Gain" is not only not as funny as the trailer made us believe (I would say it wasn't funny at all), it's also overlong and therefore partly tiresome, and in addition to that, even morally highly objectionable and quite simply utterly stupid.Set in the beautiful suburbs of Miami, it tells the (allegedly) true story of Daniel Lugo who works as a fitness coach in a fitness center where he meets a lot of people he envies for their wealth; so he decides to kidnap the restaurant owner Victor Kershaw (convincingly impersonated by T.
The Rock, Wahlberg, and Michael Bay, seems like a good combination for some entertainment.
But while Bay (and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely) is obviously going for the glamorous Hollywood dramatization, he doesn't shy away from showing just how senseless and stupid these characters are.The bodybuilders are Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) and Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie), with the third bodybuilder/ex-con being Paul Doyle (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson).
I do not normally enjoy the films of Michael Bay, but I thought the preview for this film looked promising and I had heard that he had turned over a new leaf with PAIN & GAIN, based on a true story.It was false hope.