Overview
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.
Michael Bay + Marky Mark + The Rock…? That doesn’t bode well…
So I started watching it with some trepidation. Guess what: it is surprisingly entertaining. No spoilers so I won’t go into the story, but these guys have lost the plot. And this is supposedly not even just based on a true story, it effectively is a (Bay-ified) docudrama of the actual events. The acting is surprisingly good – The Rock is funny in his reborn stupidity; Tony Shalboub is on form as asshole/victim, and Mark Wahlberg is believable as the man-with-a-plan.
Good fun. A guilty pleasure if you will. Watch with your mates and a couple of beers.
- Does it have a hook? Sort of, but it’s not that important.
- Is it entertaining? Yes. More popcorn please!
- Should you watch it? If you like a heist-gone-wrong-dark-comedy-based-on-a-true-story: yes.
Cinematography: Well it is a Michael Bay movie – very pretty pictures and the cinematography here definitely adds to the experience.
Soundstage: Solid but sound is not a major thing for this movie.