Directed by:
Michael BayCinematography:
Ben SeresinComposer:
Steve JablonskyCast:
Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Ed Harris, Rebel Wilson, Tony Shalhoub, Anthony Mackie, Rob Corddry, Tony Plana, Bar Paly, Jeff Chase, Ken Jeong, Kurt Angle (more)VOD (2)
Plots(1)
From acclaimed director Michael Bay comes Pain & Gain, a new action comedy starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson. Based on the unbelievable true story of three personal trainers in 1990s Miami who, in pursuit of the American Dream, get caught up in a criminal enterprise that goes horribly wrong. The film is based on magazine articles by Pete Collins. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (15)
Very likely the worst Michael Bay. A film that has an amazing soundtrack, likeable Wahlberg and Johnson and great actors (Wahlberg/Johnson and Harris, respectively), over-the-top visuals, and a crazy story that can't be taken seriously and thankfully doesn't take itself too seriously either. But at the same time, it’s a routine and tedious ride without a shred of creative innovation and Bay's previous passion, filmed apparently just to kill time before the next Transformers and to cement the collaboration between director and lead actor. I finished it okay, but I wouldn’t want to see it a second time for anything in the world. 60%
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Bay in his best form. A twisted story about how a bunch of bodybuilders decided to take a path to riches and glory. And God heard their pleads. Pain and Gain are down to earth Bad Boys 2, where reality (the plot is based on a true story) is often more incredible than even the worst Hollywood kitsch. Uncle Mike still shoots popcorn entertainment, this time cheaper, but, well… more entertaining. Mockery of the American dream was never this cruel and satirical. The actors handled their characters excellently, the Rock rules in his role of a dumb religious junkie (it’s a shame that we didn’t see him ride on that skateboard) and Marky Mark as a slick “man with a plan" of the gang definitely gets him some recognition. Ed Harris “merely" enjoys his role of a detective past his prime. The multi-angled storytelling, at some moments giving the viewer insight into the world behind the main characters’ brain curtains, all the way into their muddled thought processes, offers an opportunity to sympathize with each of them, because all of them have valid and very justifiable reason for their actions (hands on the grill).
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In the context of sweat and blood, there is often talk of black humor and crazy fun. But I didn't notice anything like that, and please, I like black humor, and I was quite curious to see how Michael Bay would make a story about people who empowered everything but their brains, a story made for the Coen brothers. He filmed it well, it has his style and flair, but I didn't like a single character in it, the humor was still one-note, the only bright spot of the more than two-hour spectacle was Ed Harris who didn't get much space... I just felt quite out of place when something was happening on the screen that I was supposed to be laughing at, but I wasn't. Michael Bay's worst movie.
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A similarly absurd spectacle to the Coen brothers' legendary Fargo. It's so bizarre, cynical and aptly ironic, so politically incorrect, so dehumanisingly testoste-packed, that in a perverse sort of way it's impossible not to like it. Moreover, it brutally kicks the ass of the notorious idea of the American dream of a land of unlimited possibilities, where everything can be achieved with diligence and ambition. The tragicomic figures with a dumbbell and a dollar sign for a brain, accurately portrayed by Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson, were a delight to watch. I’ve never been and I am not a fan of Michael Bay, he’s never known, and still doesn't know, moderation in his films, but here he actually turned this unfortunate trait into something unexpected: his best film.
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If you take an hour of untethered action from Bad Boys II and replace it with an even larger portion of infantile entertainment aimed at gut reaction, so typical of Bay, this time presented as “nerds overflowing with clever plans". And although I would prefer to see this story in the hands of the Coen brothers, I can’t deny that in his own guilty pleasure way, Bay shows that he can also be, although not actually funny, at least entertaining. And this is in spite of its length and Marky Mark’s return to Calvin Klein underpants.
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