Pain & Gain

Pain and Gain is a 2013 comedy action film directed by Michael Bay. The film is based on the true story of The Sun Gym Gang. The film follows the attempts to kidnap, blackmail and extort a Florida businessman, which of course goes horribly wrong. The films leads star as bodybuilders who get bored of the life their living, and who attempt to cut the corners in their pursuit of the American dream, the film was partially based on a 1999 Miami Times article, and may be viewed as a moralistic satire

The film stars Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg as members of The Sun Gym Gang, Johnson stars as Paul Doyle, a bodybuilder and cocaine addict who has had run-ins with the law and who is now a born again christian. Mark Wahlberg plays Daniel Lugo, who has also had incidents with the police and who tries to constantly better himself. Anthony Mackie stars as the third member of the gang, Adrian Doorbal, a man who uses steroids to try to gain weight fast, which have rendered him impotent.


Tonally Pain and Gain is a light moral comedy, the film uses a bright and, slightly pulpy visual style, using bright colors. Much of the film is about the american dream, all of the characters have attempted to cut the corners on the way to achieving their goals, Adrian takes steroids in an attempt to gain weight, and it renders him impotent. Daniel Lugo is a schemer who has recently served time for medicare fraud and Paul Doyle is a cocaine addict, recently turned christian and the 'weak link'. The characters kidnapping is essentially an attempt to cut off the corner, they attempt to succeed without hard work. The character of Victor Kershaw tells Lugo that there are no shortcuts to the American dream, and that most of his failures stem from the fact that he expects life to be easy. What i really like about this film is that the message behind this film is not the obvious one. The message isn't that kidnapping is bad or that violence is evil; it is that one should be happy with what one has. It is this kind of intelligent film-making that makes this film good.

When you strip it down, Michael Bay, although often slayed by the critics, is actually a good film-maker. Pain & Gain reminds one of Bad Boys, Michael Bay's directorial debut. The film features fantastic chemistry between its lead actors, and a great supporting cast. The film however does have some pacing issues, it is about 20 minutes too long and seems to drag a little as it goes into its second act. The film seems to be gearing up to go into it's final climax when it's only in fact halfway through. Despite this issue the rest of the film is overall fast paced and fun, and features smart use of slow motion and traditional quick editing, also known as 'Bayhem'. The film is also noteworthy for its use of narrative voice, the film uses multiple voice overs, and never attempts to explain this. I loathe films which attempt to explain their narration in the style of The Great Gatsby or Life of Pi, as if the characters are litterally telling a story of giving an interview, Pain & Gain is interesting because the film instead gives us an insight into the characters minds and thoughts.

Overall i really like this film, when you strip down the robots and the drama, Michael Bay is actually a decent filmmaker, and one who works best on a tight budget. Pain & Gain despite its flaws is funny and caustic. Despite it's issues such as occasional poor pacing, the film shows great chemistry between Wahlberg and Johnson, who knew that Johnson could really act? I really liked this film and think it shows how Bay is actually a good film-maker, and although it probably won't win an Oscar, it is fantastic fun. Rating:B+

My name is Daniel Lugo, and I believe in fitness. All this began because it was time to push myself harder, otherwise I was looking at another forty years wearing sweatpants to work...