Skip to main content

Review: Pain & Gain (2013)

Pain & Gain (2013)

Even imperfect as it is, Pain & Gain is definitely one of Michael Bay's more successful recent endeavours. To be fair, he has really only had one other non-Transformers film that he has directed since 2007 so there's that to consider... Pain & Gain with its effective mix of action and dark humour takes Bay back to the ilk of Bad Boys, one of his more beloved franchises.
This film, remarkably based on a true story, is a classic tale of the quest for the American Dream. Well, in a way, at least. This iteration of the classic fable centres on three incompetent and rather repellent gym rats who attempt a kidnapping of a rich client of the gym that they work at. The job is less than a success though, causing the thugs to use their combined intellect and scheming to save the job and their own selves. If not for the darkly black humour underlying the film, this would be quite the despicable and violent story. However, Bay wisely banks in on the inept and outlandish character of these three wannabe criminal masterminds in order to keep us invested in the tale.

Partly, the film works due to the energy that the three leads put into the roles. Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Mackie and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson star here, along with Tony Shalhoub as the targeted client and Ed Harris as the eventual detective trying to foil the trio. Not since Boogie Nights has Wahlberg thrown himself into what some may perceive to be a very-exaggerated characterization of himself - the tough, muscley total-airhead. The Rock is also fantastic here as the (maybe) born again Christian. He is a large part of the comedic bits and, in my opinion, this action/comedy role was quite pivotal in leading the Rock to become the massive star he is today. Lastly, Shalhoub also is great here as the equally-despicable Victor Kershaw, wholly embracing the victim role to great effect. Notably, this film was written by the team of Christopher Markus/Stephen McFeely who, after this film, went on to join the MCU and have written four of the most successful recent entries in the franchise - Winter Soldier, Civil War, Infinity War and Endgame. One of the main drawbacks to this film is that, at over two hours, it does run itself dry around the 2/3 mark. Shaving off a solid 20-30 minutes may have made the film enjoyable and entertaining through its entirety, however, regadless, it is a fun and pretty ridiculous romp for an evening viewing. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Palm Springs (2020)

Palm Springs (2020) TLDR: An entertaining story of a man and woman stuck in a same-day loop, an entertaining story of a man and woman stuck in a same-day loop, an entertaining sto -- While not the first and definitely not the last take on the 'time loop' story, Palm Springs succeeds as a contemporary rom-com due to the strength of the two leads, the film's consistent laughs and shocks, and an underlying and compelling depth at the heart of the story.  Palm Springs is yet another highly-recommended indie film that gives new life into a well worn genre and premise. The time loop setup has been attached to pretty much every type of story at this point from action to horror, drama to rom-com. Of course, one of the originals, Groundhog Day, may be the most similar to Palm Springs in its somewhat kitschy romantic comedy. However, Palm Springs has contemporary stylings in its honest and flawed characters, its edge and bouts of crudeness/violence, and its tendency to ve...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: How to With John Wilson (Season 1)

How to With John Wilson (Season 1) TLDR: It's hard to describe exactly what How To is or why exactly it works, but there's a certain point in every episode when the comedy begins to click and then the human element - the surprising poignancy and the everyman/woman relatability - comes out in spades. This documentary series is unlike anything else out there and absolutely worth your time. Who exactly is John Wilson? That's the first question that comes to mind when HBO's new documentary series is recommended to a new viewer. The name is in the show's title, and yet John Wilson is rather a nobody in the grand scheme of things as well as in the entertainment industry (at least he was prior to the becoming a bonafide hit). However, not long ago, contemporary comedy icon Nathan Fielder discovered Wilson and, after seeing his work and style, decided to jump on board as a producer for a new series made by Wilson.  So, again, what exactly is this show? Well, each episode of...
Post a Comment
Read more

Discussion: Parasite's Big Oscar Win

Parasite: Ushering In A New Era For The Oscars? Last night's Best Picture win by Parasite was a major milestone for the Academy Awards. It marked the first time in history that a foreign-language film won the Oscars' highest accolade. As many voices are currently discussing, this may be the precursor to a new era of internationalism for the Academy Awards, as well as, for Hollywood and Western cinema.  Firstly, let's just say with certainty that Bong Joon-Ho's Parasite deserved the myriad of awards it received last night: Best International Feature, Original Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture. Notably, making the wins even more special was the fact that it was the first time a South Korean had been nominated for either Best Picture or International Feature. Parasite really is a marvelous film though, and one that should be seen by all. The film is about a 'parasitic' lower-class family who slowly infiltrate an upper-class family through various i...
Post a Comment
Read more