Why are people attracted to movies made by Michael Bay

[Bisz]

The Island is one of my favorite movies... not a fan of Transformers 2 though. The Rock and Armageddon were both enjoyable enough.

I guess I don't decide if I like a movie or not based on who the director is but based on watching the movie... and deciding if I like it or not. Strange, I know.

 

[Kegg]

^
I recall liking Armageddon. At any rate I saw it more than once. I was around 12, though. Whether I'd still like it if I saw it now I'd have no idea.

I like the Bayformers movies not so much because of Bay, but I just appreciate how unambiguous they are. Heroes and villains are clearly defined - you know who is good and who is evil.

IOW, any generic summer blockbuster.

And is also quite typical of Saturday morning cartoons, such as the ones these films are based on.

 

[RoJoHen]

^
I recall liking Armageddon. At any rate I saw it more than once. I was around 12, though. Whether I'd still like it if I saw it now I'd have no idea.

I've never met anyone who didn't like Armageddon. As long as you accept going in that it's a terrible movie, you will love it forever. It's just so much fun.

 

[BDJ]

You know what? I loved Inception. It was a deep thought movie. I loved Transformers. It was a carnival ride movie.

I do not go to the movies to get a "life lesson" or look for some "deep meaning of life". I go to church for that.

I mostly go to the movies to Have Fun! Micheal Bay knows how to make fun movies. Like it or not, he does.

I find it absolutely laughable at how all these pretentious wanna-be movie reviewers have to keep trashing Bay all the time. Trying to jump on the "movie elitist" bandwagon I guess.

They're so goshawfully jealous of the man it really hurts!

I remember back in the 80's there was another hugely successfull director who couldn't get a sniff from the "Academy" and had reviewers running him down all the time.

Speilberg seemed to do all right for himself and I think Bay will too.

If you don't like his films then just don't go see them. Quit trying to insult my intelligence in your own sad little "elitist" way. It only wastes our time.

Well guess what guys.....
Transformers 3 will be hugely successful (it's even getting decent reviews believe it or not) and Bay will continue to have hits and misses. Just like every other director that has ever lived!

Ed Wood made some very entertaining films too!! He also looked very nice in a skirt and angora sweater! Something I hope Micheal Bay does not emulate!!

 

[Goji]

I hated Armageddon. I was 11 when it came out, I saw it with my friends, and we all thought it was painful.

I can't stand Michael Bay movies. The Rock was decent, but each one since has been a chaotic mess that is actually physically unpleasant, for me, to watch due to aggressively awful editing and camera work. I can handle the sheer stupidity, which frequently comes with the territory of summer blockbusters. But when I can't even tell what the hell is happening on screen, that right there is a deal breaker.

To top it off, the Transformers movie series features what may be the single least likable cast I've ever seen assembled for a professionally made feature film. Outside of John Turturro, I don't believe I've seen any of them in a good movie, so I don't know if the problem is just poor acting ability, poor screenwriting or direction or what... though since John Turturro is certainly capable of being likable, I'm definitely leaning toward bad direction or screenwriting, probably both. But I can't stand any of the characters in the Transformers series. Not the jerkass kid Sam whatever, who is the focus of the series for reasons I will never understand, not his equally vapid girlfriend, and especially not his terminally insufferable parents. I spent every minute of the first two films hoping they would die horribly.

I mean yeah, Armageddon was a wretched wreck of CGI explosions, but at least it had Bruce Willis. That... helped... kind of. Maybe. A little bit.

Fortunately, as I mentioned in another thread, the group of my friends that has in the past succeeded in guilting me into seeing the first two Transformers movies with them has only been able to muster up a collective "meh" for this third one.

 

[God Magnus]

This probably belongs in the "Dark of the Moon" thread, but I'm going to say that after seeing the film tonight, I was shocked at how relatively steady he held the camera. Not just that, but for almost every battle scene I could actually *gasp* tell who was WHO! Seriously, I'm still kind of shocked by it all.

As to the original question, he has a very particular formula (the aforementioned violence, chicks etc.) and a style of film making that clearly appeals to the masses. His films may not bring great value to the world of cinema or society, but they DO make money and there's value in that. Not just for the studio, but for all the jobs it creates and the people it entertains. Like him or not, he does deserve credit for that much.

 

[RoJoHen]

Indeed. He is very good at making a very specific kind of movie. No, they're probably not going to win any awards for storytelling or acting, but they are fun. They fit the very definition of "summer blockbuster." Lots of action, humor, sex, and things going BOOM!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

We also know where America stands in Bay's movies.

Someone's yearning to get back to their sweetheart and little baby boy or girl and eat lots of apple pie on their farm.

Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Samurai8472]

This probably belongs in the "Dark of the Moon" thread, but I'm going to say that after seeing the film tonight, I was shocked at how relatively steady he held the camera. Not just that, but for almost every battle scene I could actually *gasp* tell who was WHO! Seriously, I'm still kind of shocked by it all.

Maybe because of the Imax/3D scenes?

The camera's are huge. I believe they require a decent amount of prep time/handling to get the picture just right.

 

[Jono]

BTW feel free to comment on what it saids about humanity that the Global market likes Bay's stuff.

Come to think of it, the Global Financial Crisis hit its straps in 2008...the year after Transformers came out...coincidence? At least that's what the Bayians want you to believe!

 

[Klaus]

As usual, The Onion is on target:

http://www.theonion.com/video/nation-somehow-failed-to-predict-attack-by-michael,20888/

 

[lurok]

BTW
Shut Up And Eat Your Awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTWZhu3BugQ

lulz Like the idea of Bay as the Mozart of mayhem...

Bay's movies are all grungy flash and no substance.

Yep, but he ain't tryin' to make Star Trek. I can live with it.

(could you imagine his fast-moving camera and quick cut style in a Jane Austen movie?),

That'd be the only way I could bring myself to watch a Jane Austen movie...

FIXED. Though maybe more Woo than Bay?...and I'm pretty sure one of our sketch shows did a similar send-up...

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d241EsL7mw[/yt]

Don't mind Bay's films for what they are and was fun to see McDormand in TF3...

 

[Turd Ferguson]

As usual, The Onion is on target:

http://www.theonion.com/video/nation-somehow-failed-to-predict-attack-by-michael,20888/

Speaking of The Onion and Michael Bay, this article always cracks me up:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/what-has-our-society-come-to-when-march-of-the-pen,11158/

 

[Captaindemotion]

His movies look fantastic but the action scenes are often directed too fast for you to know what's going on. Transformers are the obvious examples but the car chase in The Rock and the asteroid scenes in Armaggedon are others.

You don't go into a Bay movie for character, script or great insight but they can be enjoyable enough. I've watched The Rock umpteen times, ditto Armaggedon. I enjoyed Pearl Harbour for what it was, though I wouldn't be in a hurry to see it again.

I think he's only as good as the script he's given, which is why Armaggedon, with its numerous writers and The Rock, with input by UK comedy legends Clement and LeFrenais are his best efforts. When he starts writing himself - Transformers 2 - the results are not pretty. And he definitely needs to stop with the ADHD-style editing. But say this for him, his style is distinctive.

 

[Kegg]

As usual, The Onion is on target:

http://www.theonion.com/video/nation-somehow-failed-to-predict-attack-by-michael,20888/

Yeah, but what do you think of it?

We could probably be here all day throwing around Onion links that are relevant to Michael Bay, so I'll do the double-whammy of throwing out a link that's a specific jab at his Transformers franchise:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/michael-bay-signs-50m-deal-to-fuck-up-thundercats,2702/

 

[FordSVT]

^
Aye, it's a great trailer and in-your-facedly unapologetic, which suits Bay well.

I thought the action was plenty fun to watch, at least in the first movie. Yeah you couldn't follow every little thing that was happening, but I think that was kind of the point.

Oh I don't doubt it's not an accident the action sequences are so disorienting. But an action sequence where I'm confused and not entirely clear which one is which and who's fighting who isn't one I'm enjoying. There's no suspense and even less involvement. Hell, one of the Autobots died and I can't even remember when it happens, just that Optimus Prime held up his body at the end of the movie (I think he's gutted in that Megatron fight or something).

It's the long, slow, wide panning shot of Megatron on the top of the building, Jazz says a few words, Megatron says a few words then rips him in half. You missed that? No wonder you have a problem following some of the faster action scenes.

 

[T'Baio]

I think the greatest thing The Onion ever did that's partially related to Michael Bay was that article they posted within two weeks of September 11th...

http://www.theonion.com/articles/american-life-turns-into-bad-jerry-bruckheimer-mov,220/

That's the day I fell in love with The Onion.

 

[Admiral2]

(could you imagine his fast-moving camera and quick cut style in a Jane Austen movie?),

That'd be the only way I could bring myself to watch a Jane Austen movie...

FIXED. Though maybe more Woo than Bay?...and I'm pretty sure one of our sketch shows did a similar send-up...

That ruled! And I loved how they paid enough attention to the technology that they weren't firing six or seven bullets out of one-shot muskets!

Don't mind Bay's films for what they are and was fun to see McDormand in TF3...

She did do pretty well as the officious official, didn't she?

 

[Kegg]

It's the long, slow, wide panning shot of Megatron on the top of the building, Jazz says a few words, Megatron says a few words then rips him in half. You missed that? No wonder you have a problem following some of the faster action scenes.

Been a while since I saw the film, but no, I had no idea Jazz was dead until I saw Optimus hold up his corpse and call him by name.

I do recall a robot ripping apart another robot, but hadn't a clue who was torn in two there.

 

[KB24]

I have to get the link from my husband, but he was watching a video that showed side by side comparisons of scenes from The Island reused in Transformers 3. While he didn't see a big deal as they are both Bay's work, I found it assuming that his wam bam well is so try, that he is ripping himself off.

Okay, he shared the link with me! IGN is 'his' site, so he claims.

http://movies.ign.com/articles/118/1180411p1.html


Supposedly it is reused because a serious injury to a crewman made a filmed scene unusable? Is that true or is it just a cop out?