MovieChat Forums > Pain & Gain (2013) Discussion > Not Very Comedic to Me and Insult to the...

Not Very Comedic to Me and Insult to the Victims

posted 10 years ago by broadsword2004
8 replies | jump to latest

This film didn't seem much like a comedy to me. I thought it was going to be some light-hearted movie about a group of goofy bodybuilders who decide to start kidnapping people and be a comedy about it (like no cold-blooded murder or anything). Also, to make a film about murderers into a comedy and to portray some of the murderers in such a way as to try to engender sympathy for them when the portrayal was not even accurate per se (for example, the black guy was actually sadistic and violent in real life), was really wrong. I don't know why they couldn't just make up a fictional story so that it could be a comedy.

The only parts of it that I'd say were truly funny were when Mark Wahlberg says, "I've watched a lot of movies. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." There was also another very stupid but funny thing said, but I forget what it was.

[–] rabbitmoon 9 years ago

There was also another very stupid but funny thing said, but I forget what it was.

I will be saying the same thing about your comment in an hour or so.

Honestly, this film went completely over your head. It doesn't try to engender sympathy for the murderers - if you feel sympathetic towards them then you're being completely stupid. Its a satire - it consistently mocking their shallow values and twisted version of the american dream.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rabbitmoon 9 years ago

Yes, I enjoyed it very much.

[–] Smith25 9 years ago

It's a dark comedy because the stupidity of the criminals were just so unbelievable and yet 90% of this film is accurate to what really happened. You're not Laughing WITH them, You're laughing AT Them. Even the real life judge who sentenced them to death said "This story would be funny, if it weren't so tragic."

[–] knighty74 9 years ago

I enjoyed it and had zero sympathy for anyone.

If you empathise with any of the characters then you need professional help.

[–] Jared-Fogle-Sucks 9 years ago

I've always said, it's always funny until someone gets hurt.

Then it gets hilarious.

[–] parkerone 9 years ago

It was just too silly really but each to their own

[–] Darwinskid 9 years ago

The events this movie was based on, while tragic, were quite ridiculous. So much so that the articles written by Pete Collins had a very darkly comedic tone to them.

The Sun Gym Gang is not made out to be likeable people who you're supposed to root for, their portrayal is very unlikeable and their actions are so nasty and pathetic and absurd you know they're going to fail in the end. In other words, when its trying to be funny you're supposed to laugh at them and when its trying to be dark you're supposed to be appalled by them.

That said, I do agree that they downplayed Doorbal in this, in real life he was a very nasty customer and in the film he's less vicious though still selfish, arrogant, and ignorant so there's that I guess. I still don't know why they couldn't have given Mackie a wig and have him shave off his beard for the movie though. It shouldn't take that long to have made him resemble the actual Doorbal but oh well.