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    Brawn But No Brains

    Pain & Gain shows that Michael Bay isn't so bad after all

    Alex Bentley
    Apr 26, 2013 | 12:00 am
    Pain & Gain shows that Michael Bay isn't so bad after all
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    Director Michael Bay has long represented much that is wrong with the Hollywood system. Despite churning out craptacular films like Armageddon, The Island and, of course, the Transformers trilogy, the success of most of those films at the box office has ensured that Bay keeps getting chances to make more movies.

    The good news with Bay’s latest, Pain & Gain, is that the director has finally seemed to embrace how laughable his films can be.

    The film opens with Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg), a trainer/bodybuilder on the run from police for unknown reasons. Bay focuses on Wahlberg’s grimacing, spittle-spewing face, making his leading man look ridiculous instead of cool.

    In Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain, the loathed director finally seems to embrace how laughable his films can be.

    In the process, Bay spoofs his tendency toward over-the-top, slow-motion sequences, an indication that this film may not be the same as his others.

    Bay continues that theme for most of the film as we find out that Lugo has delusions of grandeur, wanting to move up in the world from his relatively lowly position at his gym. Deciding the only way to do so is to rob one of the gym’s rich clients, he recruits Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) and Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) to help him achieve his goal.

    The film goes back and forth between out-and-out comedy and action, but unlike some of Bay’s previous films, it never takes itself too seriously. Even when things inevitably start going wrong for the trio, the inanity of their scheme and personalities keeps the tone light.

    The story doesn’t quite hold up all the way through, though. The criminal arc depicted in the film has been done many times before — and better. Ironically, this is more noticeable because Bay reins in some of his more annoying flourishes, like ultra-quick edits. The fact that it’s disappointing the story doesn’t hold up is a testament to Bay’s other improvements.

    Wahlberg, Johnson and Mackie fully embrace their characters’ flaws, especially Wahlberg and Johnson. They both take what normally would be one-note macho characters and turn them into interesting, often hilarious roles. In so doing, they keep the film on track longer than it deserves to go.

    The characters in Pain & Gain don’t have much going on in the brains department, but for once that’s by design. By showing that he’s in on the joke and crafting a film around that idea, Bay shows that he just might be worthy of his status after all.

    Anthony Mackie, Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson in Pain & Gain.

    Pain & Gain
      
    Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures
    Anthony Mackie, Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson in Pain & Gain.
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    Movie Review

    Dark comedy Friendship covers male bonding with copious cringing

    Alex Bentley
    May 16, 2025 | 4:16 pm
    Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship
    Photo courtesy of A24
    Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship.

    Comedian Tim Robinson has gained a cult following thanks to series like Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, in which his brand of cringe comedy is on full display. The former Saturday Night Live writer/performer has had a few small movie roles over the years, but he’s now getting his first starring role in the off-kilter Friendship.

    Robinson plays Craig, a mild-mannered suburbanite with a wife, Tami (Kate Mara) and son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Craig has a boring life that involves little more than going to his middle manager job while wearing the same clothes day after day, anticipating the next Marvel movie, and helping Tami out with her at-home floral business.

    He gets a jolt of energy when Austin (Paul Rudd) moves into the neighborhood. The two men seem to hit it off, with Austin - a weatherman at a local TV channel - even taking Craig on a couple of impromptu adventures. But when Craig commits a couple of faux pas at a group gathering at Austin’s house, their bond starts to fracture.

    Even though the film is written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, it’s clear that Robinson had a big influence on the style of comedy it features. There are no big set pieces with a slew of jokes coming one after another. Instead, the film forces the audience to try to vibe with the very particular type of wavelength it’s giving off, one that could almost be called anti-comedy for the way the laughs come out of left field.

    The 100-minute film is full of random comedic moments, like Steven kissing Tami on the lips, Craig being obsessed with his plain brown clothes, a group sing-along, and more. More often than not, it’s the way Craig reacts to both normal and abnormal situations that gets the laughs. The character is needy and oblivious, two traits that combine to make many of his actions cringeworthy.

    Perhaps most importantly for this type of movie, there are many things in the story that go unexplained or don’t make sense. Seemingly crucial elements are brought up only to fade away just as quickly, while other parts that appeared to be throwaway sections get callbacks later in the film. DeYoung and Robinson are determined to keep the audience on their toes the entire time, never knowing what to expect next.

    Robinson has the perfect face for a story like this, one that’s bland enough to blend into the background but memorable enough to sell the jokes. His demeanor is also excellent, never becoming too expressive, even when he gets angry. With long hair, a mustache, and a certain swagger, Rudd is a great complement to Robinson. Only in a film like this would an everyman like Rudd be considered the suave and cool one.

    There will be some that will see Friendship and come away wondering what the hell they just watched. But anyone who goes in knowing that they’re about to witness a comedy that challenges their sensibilities will likely have a great time.

    ---

    Friendship is now playing in select theaters.

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