Pain & Gain - Truth is more entertaining than fiction

Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne `The Rock' Johnson - two actors who both have kind of hit and miss reputations regarding their film careers. However, despite being directed by Michael Bay (seriously... don't let that put you off) `Pain and Gain' is most definitely a hit.

And it's based on real life. I know what you're thinking... that the film has taken one or two facts and built a whole movie around it. However, if you do your research, you'll find that - amazingly - most of what you see actually happened. Three bodybuilders in Miami decide to steal a rich man's life, money and every asset he owns.

It sounds hard to pull off, but they did. However, despite achieving initial success, things don't always go according to plan.

This is where the film could divide audiences, as it kind of slips from one genre to another. There are plenty of `inner monologues' which feel very `Goodfellas-esque,' which makes you feel like you're watching a gangster movie. However, the three central protagonists are complete idiots sometimes, adding a black comedy (and even slapstick) element to the proceedings. Throw in Ed Harris' investigator and you have your pretty average `cops and robbers' movie and you have an end product that sort of bounces around between genres. That does seem to have bugged some people, but, baring in mind the audacity of the crime and the bumbling nature of the three robbers, making it anything other than a little light-hearted (even though there are various gory scenes) may seem impossible.

Ultimately, it's a crime/heist movie with a few nice lighter moments thrown in. So, if you like your crime with icing on it, give it a go. Also... special mention to Dwayne Johnson, who steals almost every scene.

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one