Pain and Gain

There's really only one thing you need to know about this movie.  It's directed by Michael Bay. If that doesn't mean anything to you, then you probably are not going to like this film. However, if movies like Bad Boys, Armageddon, The Island, and the entire Transformers franchise are in your wheelhouse, then this is just what you're looking for!

"Pain and Gain" is the story of a group of musclehead ex-cons who hatch a plan to kidnap wealthy Miami residents and force them to sign over all their assets. What could possibly go wrong?! Well, it doesn't take long for their well-laid plans to go spinning out of control. Oh, and did I mention this is a true story that took place in Miami in 1994.

The story unfolds in true Bay fashion, with Wahlberg and Johnson leading the way. Caution: This dark comedy action donnybrook unapologetically steamrolls toward its inevitable conclusion with a healthy diet of rippling muscles, witty dialogue, bikini-clad models, and copious violence.

Sleek and stylish, "Pain and Gain" features Bay's typical layering of sharp humor with no-holds-barred action.  Wahlberg is always solid in this type of role and "The Rock" is perfectly cast as a sensitive, soft-spoken ex-con struggling with his faith and exactly how Jesus fits into his latest criminal endeavors. If it sounds ridiculous, it is. And Bay never lets us forget it's supposed to be.

It's been crushed by the "snobby, self-important" critics, but I thought it was fun. I gave it a strong B.