Discuss: Is There Room for Michael Bay in the Age of Chris Nolan?
Filed under: Action, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Trailers and Clips
The cacophonous Super Bowl spot for Transformers 2 made me think -- not for the first time -- that Michael Bay is full of crap. There are plenty of directors who make stupid and expensive action blockbusters, but few who are so damned self-righteous about it. It seems that every interview with the man contains a response to his naysayers to the tune of: "I don't see anything wrong with spending a lot of money to make big action movies to entertain people. Yet somehow, I come under special scrutiny. I mean, why don't people get upset if Dow spends $300 million to invent some new chemical? Audiences like popcorn movies. What's wrong with that?" and "What we do is not brain surgery. We are entertainers, plain and simple, and we're responsible to bring that money back, to make a profit."
As a response to the criticism that his movies aren't very good, this is, of course, complete nonsense. There are people who make very commercial, very popular Hollywood films who don't have to resort to the "I'm just making popcorn movies" defense -- which, as Eric D. Snider pointed out to me, is another way of saying "I'm not making very good movies." Google Sam Raimi, and you'll get quotes about the power of great stories, and his love for his source material. Even Stephen Sommers, who has certainly made some reviled films, talks about his enthusiasm and inspiration; you can sense he's trying. From Bay, you get: "I'm an entertainer -- don't hold me to any standard."
Bay-bashing is a bit of an old practice, I realize, but I submit that it's time to bring it back in earnest. If The Dark Knight proved anything, it's that we don't need this guy. Hollywood doesn't need this guy. No one does. Dark Knight was a movie that became a gargantuan smash not despite its quality, but in large part because of it. Pixar's work is another example. There are tons of people who are as eager to make good movies as they are to rake in the profits -- and, more importantly, people who realize that the two are related.
Of course, this is begging the question -- I hated hated hated Transformers, and don't think Bay has ever made a good movie. I think his work is as boring and ugly as it is noisy. I understand there are people who feel differently. (Why? How?) But even if you liked Transformers, or The Island, or whatever the hell else Bay's churned out in the last decade, do you think Bay's I'm-just-an-entertainer schtick passes muster? Given what the likes of Sam Raimi and Christopher Nolan have shown is possible? (And given this terrifying glimpse into what a Bay-directed Dark Knight would have looked like?)
Popcorn flicks aren't "just" popcorn flicks. Making good ones is hard. Let's stop letting people foist garbage on us in the name of populist entertainment. We can demand more from our mainstream Hollywood filmmakers.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
2-02-2009 @ 12:29PM
mcafee_matthew said...
All this complaining and hating on Michael Bay...I don't know the guy so he be an actual prick - but I know what kinds of films he makes and I enjoy them for what they are!!
It seems the people still complaining about Bay, know all too well that he is not going to churn out a Scorcese, Eastwood, or even Spielberg level film and yet you all will going to watch Transformers 2 when it comes out.
Stop the hating and just enjoy the movie for what it is
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2-02-2009 @ 12:29PM
Peter Hall said...
No one can out Michael Bay Michael Bay. Rake me over the coals, but I didn't just like Transformers, I loved it. I think it flexes the muscles of the technology behind the industry better than 90% of similar fare out there. I also think it is bullshit to judge something like Transformers by its noise. A blanket statement like that appears a confusion of noise and volume. It's loud as hell, yes, but it's also remarkably nuanced when taken in the proper setting. I could listen all day to the sound design in a Michael Bay film, which gives bold sound systems a beastly workout. That mix engulfs the entire body with bass levels that penetrate the bones in every direction. It's fantastic.
Sure, the visual editing is incongruous, hectic, apeshit, but the rendering behind it is glorious. Transformers was robbed of each and every technical award out there.
I dig the man's movies, but I'm no Bay apologist. I don't think he is an abstract artist as some portend, but its silly to discredit the man because of his populist slant. I will give him enormous credit for being able to coordinate hundreds if not thousands of artisans into a mosaic of sound and imagery that taps into the entertainment desires of millions upon millions of people. Hate the man because the mosaic is more divergent than under the guide of a Nolan, but that's a talent few in the world ever master.
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2-02-2009 @ 12:34PM
Chupacabra said...
I appreciate diversity in my entertainment. The Dark Knight was absolutely my favorite movie last year, but I do not expect that sort of quality in all blockbuster films. Sometimes I want to see a movie which doesn't take itself too seriously and isn't deeply grounded in reality. The best movies strike a balance between good plot, dialog, characterization, cinematography, action, etc.
But sometimes a director may choose (or be limited by his or her own abilities) to focus on certain aspects of a film.
Bay is all about action, and I think he delivers. Sometimes a dumb action movie is all you want. Entertainment and escape through ridiculous spectacle. Explosions, giant robots, Sean Connery infiltrating Alcatraz. Brain off, eyes on. I love it.
Plus, Michael Bay's absurd personality is entertainment in itself.
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2-02-2009 @ 12:37PM
dukrous said...
Whats wrong with popcorn flicks? Sometimes I just wanna turn my brain off and clap as things explode. Hell, explosions are fun! Seeing all sorts of crap explode in slo-mo, sped up, from every angle including the overhead satellite view...that's just fun in a well-constructed movie. Say what you want about Michael Bay, the man knows how to entertain with explosions. If you don't like Bay, then don't go. But you KNOW what you're in for with a Michael Bay movie by now so don't surprise if it's just a hollow attempt at shameless entertainment. Hrm...now I wanna watch Transformers again.
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2-02-2009 @ 12:41PM
Eugene Novikov said...
Nothing's wrong with popcorn flicks -- I thought I was clear about this. I like them so much I want them to be intelligent and fun. Spider-Man. The Curse of the Black Pearl. There are plenty. Take your pick.
2-02-2009 @ 1:08PM
nz said...
Ugh. You want them to be smart and reference "Spider-Man" as your example.
No, there is some hate for Michael Bay for whatever reason, and his very single-minded approach to film is easy to rag on. He has a fascinating visual style and makes movies that are, for the most part, fun to watch.
Put another way: there is no "smart" action movie that has even half the action of Michael Bay's dumb flicks. Smart requires balance, and Bay isn't interested in letting off the gas pedal.
2-03-2009 @ 9:13AM
Kemwer said...
I agree with nz, if you don't like Michael Bay, that's fine, that's not required by law. But saying that you like Spider Man kills your entire argument.
Every single thing people criticize about Bay, Raimi did progressivelly worse on each iteration of Spiderman. See, I liked the first Spider when I first saw it, I thought Spider 2 was much better as an action flick, but like the first one the dialogue was awful. But the 3rd was just a huge pile of crap without any redeeming features. The action was lame, too fast, too noisy, the acting was so embarassing I had to close my eyes like a child watching a horror movie. And today I can see that no single one of those movies hold up for re-watching.
Dark Knight is now on my "Top 10 Best Movies of All Time" list, so yeah, I loved the movie. But Transformers was one of the absolute best action pieces of 2008, even considering how lame some lines sounded. In my brother's words "It's the best bad movie of all time". He may not be the best "character" director, but there are few people around capable of making a action sequence as breathtaking as Bay.
So yeah, Bay still has his place, and if it depends on me, he will keep it for a long time, and thank God for that; if anyone was to follow your silly logic, there would be no "just for fun" movies ever since Citizen Kaine.
2-02-2009 @ 12:41PM
Imnotgivingmynametoacomputer said...
I don't usually comment on articles but I hate Bay and his movies and I'm glad someone finally said what I was thinking. People keep trying to tell me Transformers is "the ultimate guy movie" and I shouldn't hold it to standards too high because it's "just a movie". It's this mentality that ruins the art of film.
When he isn't stealing ideas, hes slapping together expensive CG and calling it a "plot".
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2-02-2009 @ 12:48PM
LordPaul said...
"Spider-Man. The Curse of the Black Pearl."
I notice that you didn't include the sequels, which were brainless ACTION MOVIES (& not that good) THAT COST A SHEDLOAD! Add the Matrix films to that list. I think their problem is they tried to be more than they were
I dunno, if a film is good & enjoyed by people as good then it's a good film, easy!
I LOVE Transformers & I can watch it again & again, I really enjoyed TDK at the IMAX but I can't bring myself to watch my Blu Ray copy of it again because it's so darn heavy going.
Sometimes a bad director finds a good film
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2-02-2009 @ 2:13PM
stuntman-james said...
Are you insinuating that Nolan is a bad director or that Bay is a bad director? If you were saying that Nolan is a bad director, may I suggest that you go to netflix or blockbuster and rent his body of work
2-02-2009 @ 3:27PM
LordPaul said...
I am fully aware of Nolan's work, ta!
Maybe I should have put "bad director" in quotes, as I was referring to the OP's insinuation that Bay is a bad director but that Transformers is a perfectly capable & fun film.
It's a film about giant robots that come to fight each other on earth, it's kinda made for Bay. We don't really care about the feelings of the robots deeper than the surface or any depth to the human characters, we just wanna see big explosions, hot women, fast cars & the good guys winning.
2-02-2009 @ 12:51PM
AndyIII said...
I think you hit the nail right on the head. That 'hey, I entertain people' shtick is a really weak excuse for makes movies with plots and characters that can at best be called 'serviceable'...the way a popsicle stick holds up a Bomb Pop.
Remember the last time he wanted to be earnest? The execrable 'Pearl Harbor'? He walked around acting like he'd finally made his 'Titanic' (yeah yeah, save it)...and I think he was genuinely surprised when people weren't tricked. Because he genuinely doesn't understand what makes a 'real' movie that people can get invested in. The best he can do is push the buttons he thinks will get at you.
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2-02-2009 @ 1:03PM
Koby said...
While I agree Michael Bay doesn't make "great" movies, the terms "great" or "good" are relative.
I for one enjoyed Transformers, Bad Boys, and Bad Boys 2. All Michael Bay pictures. Are they great pieces of art? No, of course not. Are they entertaining and fun to watch? For me, they are. Now I like a good "art" movie that's wonderfully written, shot well, and acted well as much as the next movie lover, but occasionally you have to look at movies in the correct context.
Michael Bay makes movies that you can just suspend belief when watching them. They're outrageous and not meant to be overly realistic. You want realism, don't go to the movies. In real life, the good guys don't always win, the guy doesn't always get the girl, and the doctor doesn't always save the life.
So if you want to call me a bad movie goer because I happen to like some Michael Bay movies, I'm pretty sure that I'll survive.
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2-02-2009 @ 1:20PM
Paul Nicholson said...
As to him being an egotistical jerk - no argument from me.
But if all movies were like Christopher Nolan's movies...taking themselves that seriously...i'd shoot myself.
The world needs goofy popcorn movies. Bay has that right.
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2-02-2009 @ 1:30PM
Matthew Mac said...
Well, sometimes I DO just want an entertaining popcorn flick. Sorry.
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2-02-2009 @ 1:28PM
Keith said...
Here's my whole take on the thing. He's good for producing remakes. Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the upcoming Friday The 13th. Making movies, not so much. I was livid with the Transformers movie. It took me forever to actually get into it. He made Starscream into a wimp. Killed Jazz. And made up a bunch of Decepticons. Now, I have been keeping myself updated with the sequel just to see who is going to be in this. If Soundwave doesn't talk normally, head's are gonna roll. And he's already have Devestator come in...again...technically...I kinda wish Grimlock would just come in and destroy everything, causing a fight between him and Prime. That's just me. I'm done rambling. He just needs to stick to producing remakes of old horror movies.
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2-02-2009 @ 1:29PM
Keith said...
Shit. I forgot about Bad Boys and Bad Boys 2. Along with The Rock. I tend to quote Bad Boys on a weekly basis. Alright, he's made some good movies in the past...
My bad.
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2-02-2009 @ 1:31PM
Nick said...
The world does need goofy popcorn movies, I'll absolutely give you that. But I'd sumbit that Bay doesn't even do *that* well. Transformers is a case in point: Going in, all I wanted was giants robots fighting. That's it. But even what should have been that sheer, silly enjoyment was lost in all the bombast and flash thrown at the screen; even when the robots were going at it, so much of the action was lost to odd camera angles or ridiculous quick cuts. Going a mile a minute isn't the same thing as doing it well. Even popcorny fun requires a certain kind of skill, and Bay lacks it.
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2-03-2009 @ 1:34AM
Lee said...
Precisely. Well said. The whole point of what Eugene is saying is that something that lets you "just turn my brain off and guffaw at boomy boomy" doesn't have to be detritus. You *can* have good "popcorn flick". I'd add Die Hard as an obvious member of this action elite. The Bourne flicks. Ronin.
2-02-2009 @ 1:32PM
Cam said...
You lost all credibility when you put Sam Raimi and Spider-man in the argument...sorry, but all 3 spider-man movies were WAY worse than Transformers. They made a lot of money, sure, but I have no idea why.
As for The Dark Knight, it's a great movie, but not necessarily one I'd want to put in and watch when I want to escape. Sitting down to watch TDK is investing 2.5 hours of your time, whereas watching a brainless popcorn movie is not.
Don't get me wrong, I hate Michael Bay, but your argument doesn't seem well thought out
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