“I’ve watched a lot of movies, Paul…I know what I’m doing.” — Mark Wahlberg‘s Daniel Lugo to Dwayne Johnson‘s Paul Doyle in Michael’s Bay‘s Pain and Gain (4.26.13). Based on a 1999 series of Miami New Times articles by Pete Collins about “a couple of steroid-abusing knucklehead bodybuilders who become criminals involved in an extortion ring and a kidnapping plot that goes horribly awry.”
Bay quote: “I’m extremely excited to simplify my film career this spring with a great character piece.”
The Wiki page says that two members of the Sun Gym Gang, Daniel Lugo and Adrian Doorbal” — played by Hurt Locker‘s Anthony Mackie in the film — “received death sentences in Florida and sit on Florida’s death row.” If I know Bay….well, maybe I don’t know Bay. I was going to speculate that the Michael Bay I’ve known all these years is too commercial-minded to end the film with Wahlberg’s character awaiting execution. But maybe.