PAIN & GAIN is a comedy by Michael Bay with a premise so outrageous that it has to be based on a true story. It's about a trio of muscle-bound freaks who get involved in petty crime and kidnapping, a path which quickly spirals out of control with murder and mayhem following. As a film it's really a mixed bag, one that suffers somewhat from having such a trio of unlikeable characters as leads. Wahlberg, Mackie and Johnson all work hard and are effective in the roles - much more than just slabs of meat, Johnson in particular - but the characters are at best moronic and at worst completely unpleasant. Still, at times it's quite witty and amusing, and there's enough outrageous to keep you mildly entertained, even if there's no depth at all.