August 28, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • Page 19 Inept kidnappers plan caper in ‘Pain and Gain’ Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) and Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) join forces to pull off a kid- napping in ‘Pain & Gain.’ by Dennis Seuling “Pain and Gain” (Paramount), an action flick from director Michael Bay, is based on true events concerning a kidnapping plot gone terribly, violently wrong. Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub) is a businessman and a client at the gym where Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) works as a trainer. Kershaw brags about his wealth and Lugo sees in him a fast path to the life he wants. He enlists the help of fellow body- builders Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) and Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie), whom he manages to convince that kidnapping Kershaw will be a piece of cake. Bay straddles a precarious fence, bal- ancing laughs -- derived mostly from the ineptness of the three plotters -- with some gruesome, bloody moments that transpire when poor plans go afoul. The film goes beyond the typical caper in its detail and nearly unbelievable twists as Kershaw turns out to be a far more stub- born victim than anticipated. As things go awry and Lugo and his two equally dumb cohorts have to improvise, they devise Rube Goldberg-type quick fixes that lead to greater complexity and throw them into a panicky tailspin. “Pain and Gain” thrives on incongrui- ties and coincidences. The film fascinates because of the sheer stupidity and audacity of this threesome. There are no extras on the two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. “The Walking Dead: The Complete Third Season” (Anchor Bay) is a five- disc set containing 16 episodes from the season that began on Oct. 14, 2012. Based on a series of graphic comic novels by Robert Kirkman, the show has become a huge hit on the AMC cable channel. Its graphic images, gruesome makeup, and action sequences distinguish it as one of the better zombie efforts on both big and small screens. This season is much improved over Season Two. Action in Season Three is brisker, zombie scenes more abundant, and character development richer. But it is the zombies that are the main draw here, and even with better scripting and pacing, impatience sets in when the zombies are off screen for too long. Outstanding episodes include the season premiere, “Seed;” “Killer Within,” which dispatched two main characters; and “Clear,” a road trip episode that focuses on Rick, Michonne, and Carl. As with previous “Walking Dead” DVD sets, extras are abundant. They include eight behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentaries on five episodes, and deleted scenes. “Kon Tiki” (Anchor Bay) is based on the true 1947 adventure of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl (Pal Sverre Hagen), who determines at great risk to prove a theory is possible. When the sci- entific community rejects his theory that South Americans were the first to settle in the Polynesian islands, Heyerdahl resolves to prove its validity and save his reputation by making the voyage himself. Recruiting a group of five men, he constructs a simple balsa-wood raft to original pre-Columbian specifications, insisting that only primitive materials be used, and sets off on a journey that will last 101 days across the treacher- ous Pacific Ocean. The expedition suc- ceeds in demonstrating that ancient people could have made the long, hazardous sea voyage. The sequences at sea are the film’s most memorable, but there is also an impressive re-creation of 1940s New York City as Heyerdahl seeks funding for his journey. Like “Life of Pi,” “Kon Tiki” is very much a man versus nature saga, the main differ- ence being that Heyerdahl and his small crew willingly put themselves in danger to support a theory that the scientific estab- lishment dismisses. Special features on the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack include a visual effects fea- turette and background on the actual Kon Tiki voyage. “At Any Price” (Sony Pictures) is set in Iowa, where Henry Whipple (Dennis Quaid) is fighting to have his seed-selling business survive amid increasingly tough economic circumstances. His traditional way of farming is threatened by big busi- ness interests that encroach on his cus- tomer base and squeeze him into making difficult moral decisions about how to suc- ceed in farming in 21st century America. Zac Efron (“High School Musical”) plays Henry’s son Dean, who has no inter- est in farming and aspires to a career as stock car racer. Henry’s other son, football hero Grant (Patrick W. Stevens), is sup- posed to be coming back from college, but goes backpacking through Argentina instead. Henry must act alone or lose his farm. Director Ramin Bahrani succeeds in illustrating real challenges to American (continued on Crossword page)