Michael Bay

[bassman]

I've searched and found a few threads similar to this subject, but I'm looking for the definitive HPotD opinion. I've seen this asked on multiple boards and the results are always fun. The question is simple enough: Michael Bay films. What do you think of them? IMO...they're fun. Not every film has to be "deep" or meaningful. It's okay to go to the cinema and be entertained on a simple level. He's had his up's and down's, but it's usually entertaining in that sense. The guy knows action like few others and often the comedy fits the situation perfectly. My favorites would be the Bad Boys films and The Rock.

[JDFP]

The only thing Michael Bay ever did that I really love is the video to Meat Loaf's "I'll Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" -- yep, that was Michael Bay who did that video. And it's a fun as hell video and really gives great bombastic voice to the great bombastic presence that the truly legendary Meat Loaf is. Bay was perfect for that video to give a special quality to Meat Loaf for the "Larger than Life" presence that Meat is (one of my most favorite singers of all time, actually). The video has all the Michael Bay markings -- helicopters, motorcycles, a hot chick, and over the top acting (it IS Meat Loaf after all!). I have to admit... "Armageddon" is a guilty pleasure of mine. I don't think it's anywhere near as good as "Deep Impact" which came out that same year and attempted to look at the similar issue in a more serious fashion (of course, "Deep Impact" is another guilty pleasure -- it's not exactly an Academy Award winning film by any measure) but it's just a truly fun as hell flick. I never grow tired of watching it. And Liv Tyler is great eye-candy in the flick too. Man, I remember wishing how badly I could hit that when I was back in high school and "Armageddon" first came out and I saw it in the theater like three times. "Pearl Harbor" would have been better without Josh Hartnett. I despise Josh Hartnett, he's a hack actor who just ruins any film for me. I'm sorry, I just can't take anything he does seriously. He's in the same category as Ashton Kutcher to me. The only time I want to see either actor on screen is being tortured. If the casting of "Pearl Harbor" had been better I think it would have been another "guilty pleasure" film for me. As it stands, I can't watch it without getting annoyed. "The Island" is another guilty pleasure film for me. Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johanson, Steve Buscemi, and Neelix make it worth watching for me though. It's another one of those turn your brain off films and just enjoy the thrill of it. It was good to see Neelix play non-Neelix too. Even if he'll always be Neelix to me. Steve Buscemi is just a fine actor. Any role he does is golden. I could care less about the rest of his films. I won't go so far as to call "Transformers" as the raping of my childhood as some people do (I was never that much into the cartoon, but like others I, as a child,   cried when Optimus Prime died ). I'll reserve disdain for the "G.I. Joe" movie and just say "Transformers" is meh to me. I could really care less about it. Even if Megan Fox is about as yummy looking running around half-naked as Liv Tyler from "Armageddon". Overall, I'd have to say Bay's films are fun entertainment if you are willing to shut your brain and ANY critical thinking skills completely off. If you just want to spend an evening "watching shit blow up" and for the fun of it, he's a perfect choice. God knows he's no Hitchcock (or Shyamalan for that matter) but the man does what he does very well, I'll give him kudos for that. j.p.

[acealive1]

he had a hell of a lot of great films. if anyone else woulda done transformers, they wouldnt have made one sequel

[Mitchified]

To me, Michael Bay has always been able to do absolutely fantastic scenes but has a strangely difficult time stringing those scenes together into a good movie. Take Transformers, for example. The scene where the rest of the Autobots reach Earth is amazing. The music and the visuals blend together perfectly to make it seem like something truly epic is going down. The entire theater began to cheer when the leader stood up and said, "I am Optimus Prime." Then you have the really strong fight scene on the highway that was pretty awesome to watch. But everything between those scenes was just meh, and I'll be the first to admit that during the final fight sequence I started losing track of which robot was which the first time I saw it. Armageddon was the same way. There were a few great scenes, a really strong dramatic performance from Bruce Willis, and two more hours of movie where I was hoping for the asteroid to just strike the damn planet and get it over with. It took less time for the entire moon to reach the planet in Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and that was happening via magic. Pearl Harbor was painful to sit through. I don't know if it was the awful overacting or the Frodo-like staring into the distance every six seconds or what, but I couldn't stand it. I sat through it to please my wife. Then after it was over she told me she thought the movie sucked. Ah, irony. G.I. Joe can be summed up by two phrases I uttered to my wife while we were watching, both of which came within fifteen seconds of each other: "Oh my God, SNAKE EYES!!!" and "Oh my God, what the FUCK did they do to Snake Eyes?!?" The Island was watchable. It's one of those movies like Paycheck where I didn't necessarily like it, but I'll watch it for a bit if I'm scanning channels on a lazy Saturday afternoon during the college football offseason and come across it. The only good moment in Bad Boys is when it was mentioned in Shaun of the Dead. I enjoyed The Rock, but to this day I'm not exactly sure why. I dust it off every so often and feel the same way. And Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen...what an abomination. People tend to forget that he's been listed as a producer on more terrible movies than he's actually directed. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, The Hitcher, The Unborn, the Friday the 13th remake, etc.

[Mr. Clean]

he had a hell of a lot of great films. if anyone else woulda done transformers, they wouldn't have made one sequel Not saying that your wrong when you say alot of great films but IMO, those transformer movies blew ass. Sure, they had great CGI but Shia Labeouf's character & family turned them into one hell of a mess. The comic relief was pretty damn annoying too. What I don't get is why Hollywood always feels that it is necessary to change shit when it comes to comic book stories? The Spidermans sucked ass too. I will however give them props on Iron Man 1 and 2.

[bassman]

Sure, they had great CGI but Shia Labeouf's character & family turned them into one hell of a mess. The comic relief was pretty damn annoying too. What I don't get is why Hollywood always feels that it is necessary to change shit when it comes to comic book stories? I really enjoyed Shia's character and his parents. Sam is the audience's window into the world. Without him there would be no connection. The parents were funny, imo. Are you saying Sam was a change from the cartoon? I'm no Transformers fan, but I'm pretty sure Bumble Bee had a boy owner in the cartoon, as well...

[acealive1]

I really enjoyed Shia's character and his parents. Sam is the audience's window into the world. Without him there would be no connection. The parents were funny, imo. Are you saying Sam was a change from the cartoon? I'm no Transformers fan, but I'm pretty sure Bumble Bee had a boy owner in the cartoon, as well... agreed. people give him flack for the series of movies. but he really basically had to build another side of the transformers universe. something the cartoon couldnt do because they really didnt need to at the time. he had to give back stories ,etc etc. how did sam get the car? how did.......etc etc. i give him an A plus grade for leeping both stories running throughout both movies.

[Mr. Clean]

No, the format in general is completely different. For example, humans weren't even involved in the transformer universe when Prime died I believe. I don't recall how much the cartoon differ'd from the comics because it's been so long ago that I went through my brothers comic collection so I could be mixing up the comic storyline with the cartoon storyline. I just couldn't connect with the humans. Both movies annoyed me enough not to watch a second time. Shia almost screwed up Indiana Jones too! I swear I'd been super pissed if they'd let him put Indy's hat on in the end. Eagle Eye was a really good movie though so I don't totally hate the guy

[BillyRay]

I've heard Bay keeps a packet of firecrackers next to his desk for inspiration. He does nice 'splosions, but plot & characterization? Not so much.

[AcesandEights]

Good to see some nice middle ground opinions on this poll, actually. Shia almost screwed up Indiana Jones too! Oh, Shia came up with that script, eh?

[bassman]

I thought it would be a "Burn in Hell, Bay" landslide. Which I think is a hilarious option. People must REALLY hate his films to wish him an eternity of pain.

[SymphonicX]

Bay just makes 2 hour music videos with some talking every now and then. I seriously can't think of anything of his that I've liked....The Rock? Nope. I just can't deal with these big budget, braindead action movies like Transformers. They are so boring I can't even bring myself to express the true amount of disdain and contempt that I feel for the sheer amount of time and money spent on sterilising our creative thinking ability. He's almost as bad as that Paul "Resident Evil 10" Anderson fella...or Uwe Boll.

[shootemindehead]

I thought it would be a "Burn in Hell, Bay" landslide. Which I think is a hilarious option. People must REALLY hate his films to wish him an eternity of pain. Michael Bay should burn in hell for the atrocity that was 'Pearl Harbour' alone. That thing is just wrong on so many levels. It's so bad...I..can't...even bring myself to britch and moan about it.

[bassman]

I agree about Pearl Harbor. Wasn't a big fan of that one. The attack was visually impressive, but the rest of the film was bad. Wish I would've thought of that one before voting..... And Kate Beckinsale....there was that. So the attack and Beckinsale were the reasons I watched that movie. Haven't seen it since...

[acealive1]

No, the format in general is completely different. For example, humans weren't even involved in the transformer universe when Prime died I believe. I don't recall how much the cartoon differ'd from the comics because it's been so long ago that I went through my brothers comic collection so I could be mixing up the comic storyline with the cartoon storyline. I just couldn't connect with the humans. Both movies annoyed me enough not to watch a second time. Shia almost screwed up Indiana Jones too! I swear I'd been super pissed if they'd let him put Indy's hat on in the end. Eagle Eye was a really good movie though so I don't totally hate the guy ok, dont get all super technical nerd on me,man. john leguizamo made fun of u guys when he made spawn. hes like "i gotta hunch down more to play the character, otherwise im gonna have 40 fan boys outside my trailer crying im too tall" films are not meant to be factual, hell even "True stories" are half made up for "drama". like remember the titans and pearl harbor. it was half made up for drama effect and not historically accurate by a long shot. they have to start somewhere with transformers,bro. they cant do a whole backstory, it'd take forever. and without the human interaction.......it turns into robot jox.... and i quite liked eagle eye. saw it in theaters.....had to have it on dvd. ---------- Post added at 09:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:55 PM ---------- Good to see some nice middle ground opinions on this poll, actually. Oh, Shia came up with that script, eh? blame it on frank darabont......seriously. 2 years to write a script that wasnt used......