Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

The first must-see film of the year.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Pain and gain.Michael Bay is a joke and should not be allowed behind a camera; and this film proves why. He was given a relatively decent cast of actors, an original script which was not only based on a.. whatever. This film doesn't even deserve me spending anymore time on it.

Watching this movie I had a sudden insight, hitting me like a van driven by Dwayne Johnson: the Transformers are not bad movies because Michael Bay is a bad director. They are the way they are because that's what people pay to see and Michael Bay can make that kind of movie better than anyone else.Pain and Gain is a movie that Michael Bay wanted to make, and it's a great movie because he didn't need to make it a blockbuster and he didn't have to go for a lowest common denominator audience. Left to make a fun, small scale movie, he demonstrates just how good he can be.The story of Daniel Lugo and co. is horrifying and lurid, but also entertaining and fascinating. For the movie to work the protagonists can be portrayed as neither sympathetic nor repulsive. It's a demonstration of just how good Bay is that he nails this perfectly from start to finish.The events are not so much based on a true story, so much as it is a faithful re-telling of the actual events. They are already so crazy that there was no need to add anything - the main changes are some compression for dramatic tightness.Cast is game, very game. Ed Harris is particularly good in the role of Ed DuBois, the private detective who is our sole window of sanity in the film. Tony Shalhoub also hits just the right mix of abrasive jerk and sympathetic victim as Victor Kershaw.The camera work is lush, Miami Vice style, full of saturated and warm tones. Editing is tight. Soundtrack well chosen.All-in-all I can't knock a point off. It perfectly succeeds what it set out to do. The subject matter may not be to everyone's taste, the combination of fascination and horror, but no one should deny the skillful execution of the telling of it.

I liked this movie.Another masterpiece from Micheal Bay.Nolan fans say that it's not a real story but it is so Nolan fans gonna cry and said 'It can't be real'.I think this movie is better than inception and dark knight.My favorite character is the black man with steroids. Because he shows us that life can be hard sometimes but you need to be harder so use steroids to be harder.It may be his most thought-provoking film to date, but Michael Bay's Pain & Gain ultimately loses its satirical edge in a stylized flurry of violent spectacle.There's something inspired about putting Michael Bay in charge of a brazen action-comedy about gym-pumped knuckleheads who screw up their own criminal master plan most royally.

I must admit that initially I didn't have much interest in this movie, given its synopsis. But after having seen it, I have to say that this movie was surprisingly entertaining, fun and fast paced.The movie kicks into gear right from the very start and doesn't really slow down before the end credits started rolling. And there wasn't really a dull moment throughout the entire movie.The story in "Pain & Gain" was rather entertaining to watch, and the fact that in all its absurdity that it was an actual real story just added to the enjoyment. Some of the things that were taking place was so out there it was just hilarious.But more importantly, I was rather surprised with the cast. Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie were great in their roles as the criminal bodybuilders. But it should also be said that Tony Shalhoub and Ed Harris were amazing in their roles. Just a shame that Ed Harris wasn't given more on-screen time."Pain & Gain" is an entertaining movie that is well-worth watching. Good storyline, good acting, good entertainment.