Pain & Gain Reviews

An outrageously entertaining and wickedly hilarious movie that's big, fun, stylish, original and wonderfully unpredictable. An absurdly twisted, fast, furious and insanely enjoyable action-comedy. A total blast of non-stop fun from start to finish. A true story that brings comedy out of tragedy and dose not have you laughing with the characters but at them for their foolishness, stupidity and antics that eventually led them to their tragic but deserved finish. Ed Harris character, Ed Du Bois describes them perfectly when he says " The only thing they weren't charged for and really should of, is being dumb F#@%$*& idiots". It's probably one of 2013's best movies. Director, Michael Bay crafts his best movie ever. An instant classic. It's two hours of ridiculously explosive laughs, dark edge and sharp fun. It's loaded with terrific energy and style that gets you pumped. A muscular, well-character drawn and intense movie that has a lot more than you would expect it to have. The cast is absolutely brilliant. Johnson, Mackie and Wahlberg are hilarious and truly terrific together. Mark Wahlberg is excellent. Dwayne Johnson is fantastic, he shows great dedication to his role with a great amount of muscle mass to his physique and gives great energy to the comedy and is great to watch. Ed Harris is terrific. Rob Corddry is hilarious as usual. Tony Shalhoub is marvelous. A hard-boiled mix of a buddy-comedy and a heist film that make for a truly exhilarating and exciting mixture. An adrenaline-pumping good-time. It's a hard-boiled and pumped-up knockout.

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. But obviously things go horribly wrong, or else there would be no movie. OK, so even though the premise probably doesn't grab you, the satirical nature of this Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely script should have been the catalyst which pushed "Pain & Gain" from a wait for DVD recommendation to a worth the price of admission recommendation. But, as you can probably tell from my rating, though there is some entertainment value here, Bay does such a horrid job of riding the line between dark-comedy and action, which results in audiences spending so much of the first act attempting to become tonally acclimated to what is on screen, that when "Pain & Gain" transitions into the meat of the story, this action/comedy will surprisingly become rather dull.

Side Note: Usually popular Hollywood comedies nowadays go down one of two roads: The Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson comedic road, where two middle aged best buddies spend the film hanging out with teenagers, in order to emphasize how out of touch they are. Or the more action-comedy road, which still uses that same comedic buddy element, but puts a stronger emphasis on many sequences of action; i.e. "Bad Boys" or "Rush Hour". Now while, in my opinion, it doesn't take a director with any unique visual aesthetic to direct these types of films, it takes a director with a special tonal understanding to direct a dark-comedy. "Pain & Gain" is a dark comedy above all else. And therein lies the problem, since Bay has never been known as a director with a tonal understanding. If you don't believe me, just watch "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" again.

But just when I was about to totally give up on this film (much like I did with "Oblivion") after a very hit and miss initial 90 minutes Bay wakes up, allowing the final 40 minutes to be more hit than miss. Furthermore, there is a sequence within this final act where Bay moves the camera effortlessly back and forth between two rooms of one house, contrasting a comedic atmosphere in one and rather violent action atmosphere in the other. This may not only be his best camera work ever, but also the only point in "Pain & Gain" where he truly captures the balance necessary for a film like this to succeed. Bay isn't a bad director, as much as the arthouse crowds will argue otherwise, but by the time sequences such as these come into play, it is a definite example of too little too late.

Final Thought: If "Pain & Gain" would have been directed by someone like Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Eleven, Magic Mike) or even Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths) then I believe it's potential would have not only been reached, but exceeded. But alas, it was directed by Michael Bay, and thus underperforms, truly ending up as one of those movies that audiences should only see if there is nothing else showing.

Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland

Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus

I think the audience for Pain and Gain is going to know exactly who they are, and I count myself amongst that number. The latest from director Michael Bay, often treated tantamount to Satan in many critical circles, has the based-on-a-true-story hook but really it's the big stars, stylish violence, peculiar criminal antics, and overall overflowing machismo of the picture that will draw its audience. I knew after one watch of the trailer that I wanted to see it, though I was somewhat ashamed of the level of my interest (don't want to taint your critical credentials with too much sympathy for the devil, after all). Pain and Gain is a trashy and entertaining jaunt, just as I hoped it would be, but it overstays its welcome and may leave you fatigued and possibly dejected (so... a typical Michael Bay movie? Still got it).

In 1995, three Miami, Florida goons enacted one of the most bizarre and sordid criminal schemes, a story that could supply a tabloid with enough juicy exposes for a year. Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) and his co-worker Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) are personal trainers at Sun Gym. Their days consist of pumping iron and hitting on ladies. One of Lugo's clients is Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub), a wealthy businessman with a nasty temper. Lugo and Doorbal, with the help of an ex-con and ex-junkie (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), kidnap Kershaw, hold him hostage for weeks, torture him, and eventually get him to sign over his assets to them. Afterwards they try to stage his "accidental" death, though like most things, it does not go according to plan. Penniless and broken, Kershaw seeks out help from a retired private eye (Ed Harris) to provide validation for his case. The Miami police are laughing off his claims. Kershaw is concerned that the Sun Gym gang will strike again when their lavish lifestyle dips, and he's right. Lugo and company get into even more trouble and the body count rises.

The results on screen are often entertaining in an over-the-top fashion, sustaining a rubbernecking captivation much like a horrendous car wreck. You just have to see how much crazier this thing gets, all the while muttering to yourself, "This was a true story?" It even gets to the point where the movie will remind you, via onscreen text as a man barbecues a batch of severed hands, that yes this is still a true story. Naturally there have been fictional inventions, character composites, and some details have been dropped to fit into the confines of a film narrative, but online research shows me that most of the larger plot beats are accurate, thus making the film even more compelling and disturbing. When the film is on, it feels manically alive with intrigue and absurdity. The problem is that it cannot keep this manic tone alive forever especially when actual innocent bodies start piling up (more on that later). There's a certain uncomfortable tonal incongruity as the film develops and the comedy picks up a distasteful resonance. I love a well-executed dark comedy but just because something is macabre or unexpected does not automatically make it funny. Still, the movie has enough high-energy antisocial antics to keep you planted in your seat, laughing through bafflement.

Pain and Gain isn't subtle in the slightest and yet it's easily the most nuanced film of Bay's career. Of course there are still the sleek cars, sexy babes, emphasis on style, and wanton destruction that are hallmarks of the man's career, but the perspective is given a satirical prism, dropping us into the deluded, sub-American Psycho perspective of Lugo, a man with a very cracked view of the American Dream. The moral message reminds me of Marge Gunderson's concluding musing in Fargo, telling a captured criminal, "There's more to life than a little money, you know." There's some slight social commentary on wealth and the dirty tricks of capitalism, but really it's the narcissistic delusions of a jacked-up criminal who believes he can succeed because he's "seen a lot of movies." You may even find yourself sympathizing with some of these knuckleheads, that is, until things get way out of hand. The screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (Captain America: The First Avenger) is briskly paced and packed with bizarre details and even jumps into six different characters for voice over (Wahlberg, Johnson, Mackie, Shalhoub, Harris, and Bar Paly). For some characters it works as a great insight into their twisted logic but for others it's just an easy set up for ridicule. The juvenile humor (did we really need a visual pubic hair joke?), candy-coated film palate, and sugar-rush, roid-rage plotting feel like a suitable match for the talents of the bombastic Bay.

The last thirty minutes of the movie will test your sensibilities of good taste. I'm all for having unlikable central characters just as long as the writer makes them interesting (what good is likeable but boring, the "friend zone" of characterization?). Some of movie history's most fascinating characters have been scumbags and psychos. However, with that being said, I need my unlikeable characters to at least progress. When I'm stuck with a bad dude who keeps making the same bad mistakes, it can grow tiresome, and that's where Pain and Gain ultimately lost me. Bay can't quite keep up the charade of ironic bemusement forever, and a saggy second half starts to tread water, forcing the characters to act even more outlandish and inept. Did we need The Rock losing his big toe and then inexplicably giving it to a dog? It feels like the movie is filling time until the accidental murders come into being, raising the stakes. For a movie that's 130 minutes, there should not be any need to fill time. During that long sad stretch, you start to feel disquiet, like the movie has lost its sense of perspective and the jokes have gotten too mean, too ugly, too outlandish. It doesn't feel funny any more, and maybe that's ultimately the point, but by the end Pain and Gain has soured. It overstays its welcome and then some.

Its tone and connection to the real world raises an interesting and thorny question over whether something like this is appropriate. Should a story that involved the murders of innocent people end up becoming an over-the-top, stylized, lavishly glamorized Hollywood crime comedy? It has been over 15 years since the events of the Sun Gym gang, but is there a statue of limitations on good taste? Are we eventually destined for a vulgar film tackling the poor lives of the victims of 9/11? The answer is almost certain. What is off limits, or more pressingly, should anything be off limits to a comedic narrative? Is anyone really furious with Trey Parker and Matt Stone over their first film, Cannibal the Musical, transforming nineteenth century murder into song and dance? I doubt it, and yet there was something very off-putting about 2011's 30 Minutes or Less, an unfunny comedy based around the true story of a pizza guy strapped with a bomb and ordered to rob a bank. The guy was blown to bits in real life (ha ha?). I guess I, as well as audiences, would have been more forgiving if the movie had been funny. I'm sure there would be fewer objections if Bay's film had been more of a sober, contemplative drama on the sad acts of a bunch of desperate criminals, but with all the hyperbolic elements, machismo, and so-crazy-it-must-be-true plot turns, how could you turn this story into a serious drama? Not from the perspective of the nitwit criminals, at least. I don't think the movie is ever positioning these guys as anti-heroes or excuses their excess.

Wahlberg (Ted) broke out as an actor thanks to a similar role as a wannabe star whose ambitions exceeded his grasp, and the man does dumb as good as just about anyone in Hollywood. It's a specific kind of dumb, the angry, arrogant, pissy, self-involved kind of dumb that makes it acceptable to ridicule his character to no end. Johnson (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) gets to explore some interesting range as an actor, pacing around the demons of his character before just going hog-wild with the excess. Mackie (Gangster Squad) is arguable the most sympathetic of the group but also with the most to lose. Compared to his peers, he's practically mild-mannered even though he takes injections into his penis. Shalhoub (TV's Monk) is amusingly apoplectic and just enough of a jerk that you excuse his misfortune, at least for a little while. Ken Jeong (The Hangover) and Israeli model-turned-actor Bar Paly give the exact performances you would expect them to deliver. The best actor in the whole movie, though truth be told there isn't a stinker in the bunch, is Emily Rutherford (Elizabethtown, TV's The New Adventures of Old Christine) who plays Dubois' wife. She has this calming, down-to-earth presence that seems to bring a small sense of peace to the madcap antics. She doesn't have a lot of screen time but you'll wish she had lots more.

Perhaps I'm being unfair to a movie that clearly isn't intending to be anything but naughty, tacky, and gleefully excessive. In a way Pain and Gain reminds me of Tony Scott's Domino, loosely based upon a true story but crushed to death by narrative kabuki and Scott's characteristic excess. If I wanted to defend the much maligned Michael Bay, I'd argue what the real difference is between his excess and the excess of the more critically lauded Scott? Bay doesn't have a slate of movies to his credit the likes of Top Gun, Crimson Tide, or True Romance. But isn't flashy, artistic excess all the same when in the name of empty storytelling? Domino is also an apt comparison because it's ultimately tiresome and far overstays its welcome, losing its audience with an endless array of odd sidesteps and moronic, deviant characters. While Pain and Gain has enough quirk and style to justify consideration, you may not respect yourself once it's over.

Nate's Grade: C+

This is one of the best films I've seen in some time. Pain & Gain is based off the brutal true story of a few idiots who do incredibly stupid things to make a lot of money. Michael Bay offers us something different than what we're used to and it works very well. This is entertainment at its finest.

It's important to note that the main characters in this film are not people we can root for. Instead we think they are losers and we want to see them fail, or at least I did. The private investigator played by Ed Harris is really the only character I liked. Well, Dwayne Johnson (who has the best acting in this film, surprising eh?) plays Paul Doyle. I actually somewhat cared about him even though he too makes bad decisions. But the other two guys? Not a fan at all.

Michael Bay, the man of explosions and ridiculous action scenes. You don't get much of that here. But the film isn't by any means boring. There are still scenes of tension as well as some entertaining dialogue between characters. The pacing is quick and there's never really a dull moment. Instead of constant over the top action scenes we get something more grounded in character and story.

Now let's talk about the humor. This film is damn funny. It has a lot of dark humor, similar to that of Burn After Reading. We laugh at the stupidity of the characters. Seriously, how could you be that dumb? It was fun after watching this film talking with my brother about how stupid these guys were. But there are still scenes with a serious tone; the balance between the humor and dark nature of what happened works perfectly.

Time to bring up some problems. I didn't like most of the slow motion. Also, while I did say this film is funny, there are a couple gross out gags that are not. And the voice-over work sometimes feels extensive and I think it could have been left out in certain areas.

I feel I should mention more positives. The camera work is something I liked; there are some unique shots and movements. The score is also nice and Steve Jablonsky did a great job capturing the mood of the film. Honestly, there are more things to like about this film than dislike. It really doesn't get much wrong and succeeds in what it was set out to do.

That about sums it up. Pain & Gain is definitely a film I enjoyed. It does a fine job establishing the characters, telling the story, and creating its own style. Say what you want about Michael Bay, but the man knows how to entertain.

Pain & Gain doesn't work, and that's not in the least because of its starring cast. Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, and Anthony Mackie really try hard to make this movie as entertaining as possible. The problem is that they're let down by a weak script and director Michael Bay.
This film marks Bay's first departure from large scale action pictures, and it shows. In the past, he has frequently been able to make up for ill conceived jokes and poor storytelling with eye popping visuals and fast paced action scenes. Not so in the case of this crime drama. He has no handle on setting the tone for the film. It sometimes tries to be lighthearted, while other times it's overly serious. Bay also frequently resorts to his "action film" tactics that feel out of place.
In the hands of more capable filmmakers like the Coen Brothers or Wes Anderson, this would have been a great film with a story that proves truth is stranger than fiction. But under Michael Bay's helm, the film is a misguided attempt at a caper that exists for the audience to ridicule the protagonists rather than sympathize with them.

"Pain and Gain" as my buddy Billy called it, is "one of the craziest, most f***ed up movies I've ever seen". While it's probably not the craziest movie ever, it's certainly up there, especially when you consider it is a true story. It's the story of three bodybuilders(Mark Wahlberg, The Rock, and Anthony Mackie) who plot to kidnap a rich restaurant owner(Tony Shaloub). They want to take everything from him. From his money to his house to basically his whole life. The torture him and leave him for dead. But things don't go as they had hoped. Drugs, steroids, murder, erectile dysfunction, you name it, this movie has it. The cast all do a fantastic job, and this may be the Rock's best role yet. He is absolutely hilarious, and has the funniest scenes. At just around 2 hours the movie never overstays it's welcome, and when it's done you'll want to know more about the actual events that happened. Michael Bay is the director and his "visual flair" is very much there, but this is by far the most toned down movie he has done with effects and explosions. One of his best by far. If you have a squeamish stomach or just don't like crazy R rated dumb criminal movies, then you should pass. But if you want something insane, funny, and very memorable, then check it out!

Coming clean off of the "Transformers" trilogy, Michael Bay proves that he doesn't been fiery pyrotechnics or a big explosive budget to make a good movie, because that is exactly what he has done here, with a 25 million dollar budget and actors who take their roles "Seriously?", "Pain & Gain" is some of the most fun I've had at the movies this year. The story is preposterous, even though it's true, and they make fun of that throughout the film, which was a very interesting way to tell this story. The fact that these characters were dumb, and the situations they got themselves into are hilarious when reflecting on them, makes this film that much more enjoyable, because the actors portray them in the coolest way, making this a dark comedy that will really stick in your mind for a while. It is very dark for the story it is trying to tell, but the comedy, mixed with solid emotions throughout the picture, make up for that in the long run.

I must say, the camerawork was unique, and unlike Michael Bay in many ways, which I give him props for. The writing is probably the weakest part, but the dialogue is much more reasonable than most of his outings. Michael Bay's "Pain & Gain," to me is his finest work to date, but that's not saying much. He has put himself back on track for his career in storytelling, and not giant robot beating the crap out of each other. In the end, it's the comedy that makes this film work so well and the violence that will make you queasy. It's not the best film ever, but it's a damn entertaining one, and the true story element is carried out perfectly. For what it was, I really enjoyed my viewing of this film, and I recommend it to everyone, especially people who think Bay has run out of steam, because this film may just savour his long-lost fans. "Pain & Gain" is a very good comeback!

Take off the "MICHAEL BAY IS THE WORST DIRECTOR EVER" beer goggles for just a sec and try to see the bizarre, creative, brutal, sort of satirical, mostly excessively self-indulgent and enchanting display of pure testosterone and style. This is different. And I like it lots. If you remove the Anti-Baybias and still don't like it, then whatevz.

Pain & Gain has many flaws keeping it from greatness, but considering it was a Michael Bay film I must say I left this film pleasantly surprised. Let's review Bay's track record, his last decent film was the first "Transformers" film and then he followed it up with two awful sequels, but with this film he has proven that he is actually capable of telling a story that makes some actual sense. As you can probably tell I haven't always been the biggest Michael Bay supporter, but even if this film is flawed it still is his best film in a very long time and gave me an actual good time at the film. But he does not deserve all the credit, as his cast was also great and has two very nice performances from Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson. The film has style, a fun story, and very interesting characters as Bay actually makes a story about the bad guys for once. It's true, our trio of protagonists are not good guys at all in this film and actually are based on a real life gang of bodybuilders in Miami back in 1999 who kidnapped, tortured and executed several people. Bay tweaks the story a bit, but he still was able to show us a group of flawed men who believe their crimes are actually helping the community. It has its problems for sure, like how the narration is taken a bit too far and gets annoying at times, how the humor in the film doesn't quite mix at times, and even how Bay still has his usual compulsive need for strange big action, in the end it all actually feels like a real movie and proves that Bay has some actual talent as a director which we knew exists but he rarely shows. I was pulled into the story and the film executes its layers very well, and I can honestly say that this new film is worth a watch and had me happy I spent my money. Hopefully this is the beginning of something very good for this successful and infamous director.

The story follows Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg), a con man who is a bodybuilder at a gym who dreams of being something great. He plans to steal the money from a local crook (Tony Shalhaub) by recruiting his steroid abusing friend Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) and recently released convict Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson). This starts a life of crime that these three men never intended.

The plot was written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely who have taken a new turn with their writing style and give us something dark, funny, and cool. Daniel Lugo is a very flawed human being, he is able to manipulate people into listening to him and he uses this to get what he wants, and this makes him believe he has earned a life of greatness. Paul Doyle is a conflicted man, trying to keep both his faith in God and while also trying to become rich in Lugo's plan, and it has visibly taken a toll on his mind. Adrian Doorbal lives a life of pain as his steroid addiction has made it so he cannot perform sexually and it leaves him feeling like an empty shell. These three men drive a story that is one of the most intriguing and slick experiences of the year, and now sets new standard for Bay who proves that he can actually tell a story. I think what the story's best aspect are the characters themselves, because the way they turn them into actual people instead of characters really fascinated me. These men weren't people reading a script; they were flawed human being with goals, problems, and desires just like everyone else. Bay's usual characters are worthless and unmemorable, but I found with this film myself enjoying the characters and wanting to watch them to the end. This story really emphasizes how crime comes back to bite you, and how some people believe you must take violent action to get what you want in life. This is a story about dangerous men who work out, and it's a crazy thrill ride that actually had me entertained and having a good time.

The cast is what really surprised me with their great performances and has proven once and for all that Dwayne Johnson is a great actor. Mark Wahlberg has always been one of the coolest actors since I first saw him in Boogie Nights, and once again he delivers a memorable and intense performance that kept me invested in his character and really kept the film flowing. Wahlberg has this natural talent for just being great to watch on the big screen, I mean whatever he is doing or saying we are invested and interested in who he is. I am glad he tried something new with this film, and it worked very well. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a brilliant actor clouded behind a series of terrible films, but luckily this movie reveals his full potential and shows that he can be an effective dramatic actor while also keeping what makes him cool. I have never seen Johnson do a role like this before, where he is actually a very flawed, sympathetic and conflicted human being. He shows issue with every crime he commits and as the film goes on longer we see his darker side taking form and it really affects his mind. He deserves recognition for this great performance and out of his dozen roles these past few months this is by far his best. Anthony Mackie delivers a solid performance, but when he has to be compared to Wahlberg and Johnson he just doesn't live up to the challenge. Maybe it's just because he isn't a well-known actor yet, but when I walked out of this film he was the last person I thought about. Ed Harris gave a very compelling performance and as soon as the film felt like it was going to be boring, his character showed up and made the story even better. Tony Shalhaub gave a dirty and cruel performance in this film and the writers really just wanted us to hate this guy and not make us sympathize with him, which is what I believe the message of the film tells. There are many hilarious performances from Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong, Rob Corddry, and Brian Stepanek, that all remind us that this film is a dark comedy, a very dark comedy indeed. Overall I enjoyed the ensemble and found that they all contributed to Bay's redemption.

Pain & Gain was a film I expected to be a complete waste of time due to the track record of the record, but by the prayers of millions of movie goers we were actually delivered a "good" Michael Bay film. Of course the film still has some major problems keeping it from being the film it could've been, and that is just due to the problems that Bay has with most of his films and I didn't expect to change here. Michael Bay has been known for his big and expensive action sequences that make all his films feel ridiculous at times, and here he continues that trend with no exception. This film is a biography about a gang of bodybuilders, but when Bay begins to focus on the action he loses the films message and characters in a sea of explosions and chase scenes. It doesn't ruin the film, but I believe if the film could've been much more effective if Bay had stuck to his guns and left out his urge to see things blow up. What also made me feel uncomfortable was the film's very strange sense of humor, as at some points i think we are supposed to be laughing at a man being tortured and executed by having a car go over his head, but I only watched in horror. The film has a lot of violence, which was a positive thing seeing as these men were very violent in real life and I am glad Bay was given permission to show off his love for violence in a positive way. This film may lose a bit of its message in the third act, but nevertheless it stands as possibly Michael Bay's best film since the start of his career with "The Rock." I have always dreamed of a day when this man would use his skills positively and I believe he has done it here, even if it does stumble at moments. If you need a film that will get your heart pumping and make you want to visit you nearest gym, than I recommend you see this charming surprise.

The last time Michael Bay adapted anything based on actual events he took too many liberties insulting history (at least in my view he did with Pearl Harbor). Bay does the same here at a smaller scale, though is more mature about it. He goes out of his comfort zone avoiding the usual tricks he relies on, but was clearly not the right man who should have told this true story.

Pain and Gain is a dark comedy based on the true story of a trio of bodybuilders in Florida who get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that go terribly wrong. There lies the main problem. You'll always be thinking that these events did happen and some victims did die from it carrying the base on a true story label. The story itself is interesting, but the execution of it is not. Just the lone fact this story hasn't been told before and where is goes keeps you watching. The way structure is sloppy. Only one protagonist goes through any actual breakdown about his action as oppose to the rest of team that lack any dimension. Also missing is a sense of progression in time. We never know long it's been between each event. The final act feel the need to remind us that the protagonists are not likable giving the audience mixed messages. Do the filmmakers want us to or not laugh at this true story the filmmakers chose to make a dark comedy? I know the writers wanted to pay some respect to the victims, but doing so in the final act is a bit late seeing there is joke how the protagonist having a malfunctioning chainsaw while planning to chop up bodies. The story it tells is interesting, but the way it told from the criminal point view instead of the survivor is a consistently uneven experience. Constantly battling what it wants to be and never being sure how the audience should react to it.

Among the ensemble cast who Bay spends no expense on showing us their muscles is show stealer Dwayne Johnson. He plays a shady character who walks between the line of wanting to be good, but falling back into old bad habits. It's completely unlike himself to play such vulnerable and dramatically dynamic role. Johnson shows off more dramatic chops here as oppose to star Mark Wahlberg. Mark Wahlberg is decent at best. His line delivery is rock solid given each line has the proper emotion. Just by hearing him he's convincing. Facial expressions never sells it for me and his take on the makes him engaging to the viewer at the cost of being likable. Michael Bay proves he doesn't need pyrotechnics to make a movie. Unlike his previous and likely future efforts he relies on something he recently discovered called a plot. He still sticks the camera too close to the screen, but is light on explosions and massice spectacles. Kudos for him moving out of his comfort zone. His take on the true story is not anything I can get behind. The editing is what you would expect. Fast and kinetic even in the slow parts.

Pain and Gain is an alright film that should have been inspired by the true events to create an original piece that would be easier to experiment with instead of trying to portray them. The actor are the only saving grace since the story being told is not sure in how to deliver it with a final muddle message. As a viewing experience is an alright film. It's not something you should avoid since it could lead to some interesting discussion, but also something I can't recommend on the basis its execution is misguided both for the audience in the film itself.

Film's Accuracy:

Dwayne Johnson character is loosely fictionalized and created to replace third real life member Jorge Delgado. There is similarities that both took part of the kidnappings, but personality wise are entirely different. Dwayne Johnson character is more violent which is the opposite real life counterpart Jorge Delgado who despite his tall size was described as someone who couldn't hurt a fly.

The Sun Gym gang did disguise themselves as ninjas in one of their half-dozen attempts. The real life gang were also huge screw ups. On many occasions their cars wouldn't start, a chainsaw failing to worked, and even injected one victim with horse tranquilizer. This could explain Michael Bay questionable decision for turning the incident into a dark comedy.

The character Victor Kershaw played by Tony Shalhoub is not an accurate representation of survivor Marc Schiller (which the film does portrays accurately even if comedic). Schiller in real life never smoked cigars and he wasn't surrounded by women in scanty bikinis. According to reports he was a humble family person as oppose to the sleazy criminal on screen. Victor Kershaw character is however inspired by Frank Griga played by Michael Risopli in the film.

Rebel Wilson character is once again loosely based on a real person. The real life counterpart was a nurse and did marry one of the criminals, but the way the she actually met them is inaccurate. The real life counterpart was also much thinner. So from my research the film does not stick to the facts even the basics of the story it is portraying. If you're interested in the what actually happened I recommend the novel Pain and Gain: The Untold True Story by the survival of the incident himself Marc Schiller.

With symbolism racked heavier than Hercules's weight bench, this over directed pumped up kick definitely equal more Pain than Gain for moviegoers. Yes, the real events presented here totally deserve a big screen treatment that realizes the tragicomedy involved in lunkheaded weight lifters blundering their way through grand theft blotto. Instead, as presented, the unnecessarily juiced up execution proves so pompously inflated that any irony quickly gets sweated out. It's not a complete dead-lift, however, with a cast that sees the potential in the source material even if they're being directed into an artistic corner.

In this PG-13-rated action comedy based on an unbelievable true crime story, three personal trainers in 1990s Miami (Wahlberg, Johnson, Anthony Mackie) hatch a get-rich-quick plan of extortion and robbery involving their wealthy clients (Tony Shalhoub) that goes horribly wrong.

Bay understands the comic irony of a filmmaker known for blockbuster musclebound actioners making an actioner out of a true story involving musclebound blockbusting. He just can't help but turn it into the SAME type of unsubtle blockbuster musclebound actioner of cartoonish proportions that he's known for, however. Shiny and overblown, it showboats as much as Bad Boys and The Rock or even Hot Fuzz, which astutely parodies all of these seemingly steroid-enabled shoot-'em-ups. Sadly, Pain & Gain just doesn't have the humorous ironic sensibility of the latter even if the willing and able chops of Wahlberg, Johnson, and Mackie seemed game for a sometimes funny gun show. With an exhibition this ripped and heavy-handed, however, not a shred of irony remains.

Bottom line: Dumping Iron.

The film was so so. I kind of had a similar reaction to when I watched Alpha Dog. It's kind of hard to watch a film like this cause it is a true story and there is no one to root for. It's a little disturbing. I give Michael Bay a lot of credit of doing a film like this. I could easily see Quintin Tarantino doing this film. The film didn't really feel like a Michael Bay film, although there are a bunch of moments in the film, that you would expect in a Bay film. The one thing that bothered me, is the voice overs by a bunch of the characters. I found the voice overs too much and distracting. Bay could have made the film in the same style as films like Jackie Brown, 11:14, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and Vantage Point. However, he didn't. I didn't like that he used the Jon Bon Jovi song, Blaze of Glory in the film.

On the positive, the performances make the film worth watching. Wahlberg does an incredible job here. His charm does work for a character that is despicable. Him, Anthony Mackie and the Rock have a great on screen chemistry here. The Rock is great here. He reminded me of his character from Southland Tales. I like when he plays these crazy guy characters. Ed Harris and Tony Shalhoub are great in their roles. Ken Jeong and Rebel Wilson are hilarious in the film.

Michael Bay's latest film is certainly his strangest, and perhaps most 'dramatically' effective film since Armageddon (not tongue in cheek). Pain & Gain is in many ways a self aware comedy, a satire, an action film, and, at least in stretches, a drama. The words used to describe it continually appear as "crass" "ludicrous" "loud", and simply over-the-top. This is true. It's a bizarre film in many ways. That it ultimately works, at least at its most basic levels, however, seem to suggest that the film oddly benefits from Bay's 'style'. Its detachment from the personal storyline, far more concerned with the spectacle of itself, essentially mirrors the inherent story, and hence, worked well.

The script, based on actual events, never takes itself too seriously. It certainly has some shallow characterizations, especially of Dwayne Johnson's character, but does enough with Mark Wahlberg's character that we are able to, at the very least, understand his wrapped view of events. It accomplishes this whilst having humorous dialogue, and weaving together a dramatic through-line that keeps the story grounded, no doubt anchored by Ed Harris. We never stop thinking, "this is a strange movie", and we know we aren't taking it as serious as it should otherwise be treated, but we're also never confused by the film's motivations or style. We get that it's commentary, certainly low level commentary, but satire nonetheless (Michael Bay style).

The acting in Pain & Gain is like the film itself; it works, oddly so, but it works. Ed Harris is the only one that's good in the traditional sense of the term, bringing the film a much needed sense of reality. Wahlberg, for his part, certainly puts himself into his role, and does a good job bringing a lot of earnestness to his portrayal. His supporting cast of Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie struggle with any dramatic nuance, such is the script, but strike just the right comedic tone. Dwayne Johnson especially continues to show, if nothing else, a strong awareness of what's expected from him. Tony Shalhoub, however, was mostly annoying, having perhaps the most overrated comedic presence in Hollywood, and being more obnoxious in his performance than endearing.

The story never ceases to be engaging. The events that it's based on are tragic, and certainly deserving of a serious treatment. But they are also absurd. Pain & Gain is an exercise in illustrating the absurd by being absurd. In that way, it's effective. We see the insanity of the situation, the bizarre dynamics of the situation involved, and are left to wonder how such thought processes occur.

Not for everyone, but certainly one of the more interesting films of the year.

3.5/5 Stars

Entertaining yet never quite exceptional, Michael Bay's foray into the comical and violent true story of three Miami bodybuilders turned criminals starts off strong but fizzles off into a stylized and indulgent farce of an action film. Mark Wahlberg does his best to keep the momentum going, but with the macho, dimwitted dialogue burdening the entire film, there's little he can do to save it from itself. Dwayne Johnson continues to break his typecast, delivering a sincere and childlike performance that is often the source of the film's humor, basically allowing him to steal the show. Ed Harris is looking good and proves too well trained for a whimsical film such as this. I look forward to his future detective work in a film that actually deserves him. The biggest problem coming out of "Pain & Gain" is that by the end of the film, none of the characters are likeable, with Tony Shalhoub becoming the victim, even though you hate him most of the film. That, and the story gets so unbelievable that Bay has to remind you that this is "still a true story". Though I am glad Michael Bay was allowed to make his passion project, I look forward to his return to big budget blockbusters like "Transformers 4".

Going into a Michael Bay film can be a tough thing when the first thing you expect is explosions in every other screen shot...and then after 2 hours of Pain & Gain you only see like two! The star of the movie is Dwayne Johnson, and as much as I continue to say that about every movie he's been in recently, it holds true. Mark Wahlberg comes in second best with Anthony Mackie the third of the trio. The toughest part of the whole movie I had digesting was whether or not it was a comedy/action film with violence about a raucous true story or an action film with some comedy to offset how violent the film really is. Bay seems to be trying to walk a thin line of turning what really is a terrible true story into a film production for Hollywood while still making it enjoyable for audiences to relate to and want to go see.
It feels like a satirical film the entire time while still trying to be honest about an event that actually happened.

INSUFFERABLE!!!!!!!!!! The most convoluted, offensive, degrading movie I've probably ever seen. There were 4 uses of the word homo in the first 15 minutes, this is what were dealing with. If the women weren't strippers they were over weight and made to look and act gross. I mean i know these guys are suppose to be stupid and shallow but come on. All the things that happen to these guys are so stupid and implausible its crazy. i know that happens in action movies but they tell us more than once that this all true and actually happened. What a shit-fest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Say this for "Pain & Gain" -- Michael Bay has finally met a story so crazy it exceeds even his sexist, racist, homophobic grasp. Oh, the flourishes are there -- how can they not be? -- and it's what makes the first half of "Pain" so gorgeously inappropriate and the second so misogynist, repetitive and unwieldy. Satire is a fine line to walk. (See: the fucked-up American dreams of "Spring Breakers" or "Killing Them Softly".) Though at least with "P&G" Bay -- as well as screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely -- TRY. That's the ultimate goal here. "Pain & Gain" is a movie that acts shamelessly in the face of recent firearm-related tragedies, cries for equality in marriage and numerous reports of school bullying. I can't blame anyone who calls "Pain" a shot better left in the dark, especially when finding meaning to its big, dumb-guy action movie sensibilities is pretty much equivalent to fighting an uphill battle.

Awesome film. The Rock, Whalberg, and Mackie are excellent in it. They had a great on screen chemistry. I am surprised that Michael Bay directed this film.