For [Michael Bay], storytelling exists only to justify senselessly bashing some big shiny noisy stuff into other big noisy shiny stuff till your ears bleed for mercy.

Maybe he's trying to do 'GoodFellas'-style dark comedy (the copious voice-overs would certainly suggest it), but put as charitably as possible, Bay is no Scorsese.

While Pain & Gain often frustrates, Bay's overwhelming cinematic sense is undeniable.

Fortunately, the story is strong enough and the acting powerful enough to overlook most of its structural problems and make this a rather entertaining bit of cinema reality.