Is Michael Bay underrated?

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I always always always wanted to talk about Michael Bay with someone.

Is he underrated ?

Because in my opinion ,he is.

Okey don't get me wrong . I don't like his films ,but I know tons of people who does . Transformers for instance . Amazing CGI , explosions ,action and just lots of fun . The script might be not so great and not so original , but really it is a popcorn film and your kids will enjoy it and teenagers probably will and overall people will enjoy it.

I see a lot of people talk shit about him ,but really if I could make films that I love and get paid enough so I can make living out of it ..really I would be the happiest person on earth .

SO why when there are so many directors putting terrible films that are barely watchable people are hating so much on Michael Bay?
 
He's basically the opposite of Indie. Indie tends to survive on character pieces done well. I cannot say that I've seen Michael Bay do character development. Though, what he does he does extremely well: Big budget action and special effects. There is a big demand for this so my hat is off to him.
 
it's not that he's bad. & i somewhat respect him for having his own style. But with all the money he's putting into his movies he could be making films that actually have a purpose and story to them. He's just "blow everything up" His scripts are always way over the top, and just annoying. I dont like him at all.
 
I love Michael Bay films! They're mindless fun, popcorn film. I would love to have his career. Is he under or overrated, I don't know. He does what he does. Him, Roland Emmerich (2012, Day After Tomorrow, Independance Day), I love those big budget, action packed popcorn flicks. Are they going to win academy awards, probably not, but its fun. I'm not an artsy movie kind of guy, I enjoy a lot of genres of movies, but I can't wait for May, and the summer blockbusters.
 
I don't dislike Michael Bay. Yep, he's Hollywood through and through. He's a business man. The only purpose of his existance is to make money. But, can you blame him, especially when he makes so much of it?

What I do dislike is Platinum Dunes and their blatant disregard for anything that even remotely resembles a shred of common sense in any of their movies. How they can turn some of the greatest horror films ever made into the absolute turds they did is beyond me.

But Michael's not to blame for that... not entirely.
 
Nothing succeeds like success. Michael Bay is just like PT Barnum and Rush Limbaugh, a savvy businessman who knows exactly who his audience is and exactly how to cater to them, and has become fabulously wealthy as a result. If your goal as a filmmaker is strictly to become fabulously wealthy, you've no better example to follow.

Personally, I find his films the intellectual equivalent of a reacharound, and hopefully will never have to sit through another one.
 
He's overrated, whenever a new transformers is released everyone suddenly goes on a Michael Bay craze. They eventually forget but he's definitely not underrated, just irrelevant unless you like crappy movies (Which sometimes I do :D )
 
we're obviously forgetting the even better films like Armageddon, and Pearl Harbor.
On my book, he's pretty amazing. anybody that is good friends with Steven Speilberg are on the right side of the cinema world.
I would kill to be on a production with either one of them. Even as just a grip and no pay.
 
rogypro said:
we're obviously forgetting the even better films like Armageddon, and Pearl Harbor.
On my book, he's pretty amazing. anybody that is good friends with Steven Speilberg are on the right side of the cinema world.
I would kill to be on a production with either one of them. Even as just a grip and no pay.
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I should make a thread about Spielberg being overrated, he's great but just because he's the most well known director doesn't mean everyone has to lick his butt.
 
Michael Bay is totally underrated. If, by "underrated", you mean to say that he is one of the most highly sought-after and bankable directors in the history of cinema!

Yeah, I get it. You don't like his films. You're not alone. But guess what? You're in the minority. Lots of people like his movies, and that's why he's practically able to print his own money.

And you know what? I think his next movie looks awesome! :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As9nYDFchdQ
 
Is Michael Bay underrated?

Short answer: :no:

Long answer: Michael Bay does a good job of capturing action and getting exciting footage. He also knows how to direct his edits to great effect. But the story lines and character development are almost non-existent in his films. I've seen great thriller/action/adventure movies with great story and character, so I know it can be done.

Die Hard, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Casino Royale, T2, etc... all are incredibly good films that do just that.

If the man would just put half the effort he puts into actions scenes into story and character, I'd find him much more enjoyable to watch.
 
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I have a degree in film studies. The program I attended is a 4 year degree focusing on academic critique of film -- with a production component if you chose to take it (which I did). I've had exposure to tons of American and foreign cinema. I've studied the cinema of cultures emerging from stringent dictatorships. I've studied the Nouvelle Vague and the Cinema Novo... I prefer to watch Michael Bay films... I'm an escapist... I tend to dislike oscar worthy films, I want to disconnect when I go to the cinema. Michael Bay gives ME exactly what I want in a film.

I love other types of movies as well... but his movies are what I want to go to the cinema to see. No sarcasm, straight up statement of truth, I'd give anything to make movies like he does.
 
i guess i'm in the minority then lol. I'd much rather spend my time watching something I can get out of a movie, then just to numb my brain cells. I understand sometimes mind-numbing movies are better, but i'd much rather go for the movie that I can take something back 90% of the time. Aside from the financial aspect of it.
 
i think the opinion of him is spot on... he doesn't put much thought into the movies... Simple storylines sometimes it works, most times it doesnt. I certainly haven't liked anything he's made recently.

This sums him up perfectly:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeSUuj98Rx0
 
The guy is great at what he does. I've always backed him on here in the bash threads. You can't say "he doesn't put a lot of thought into his movies" - that's not true of anyone making any feature. Anybody who's shot anything can understand how much it takes out of you produce something from scratch, especially when all the problems we run into as independents hollywood runs into except they have a lot more zero's at the end.

Transformers 1 is a great movie. Watching behind the scenes on that, there was a ton work going into even the concept. They had to walk a line between alienating existing fans of the franchise and attracting new fans at the same time. In coming up with the basic plot, there was a lot of thought in that too. They couldn't make it all about giant space robots, nobody can relate to that. Instead, they made it an incredibly relatable story: A boy, his first car, his first girlfriend. Giant space robots just happened to show up and throw a wrench in the works haha.

Bay is a master at what he does. Even with all the bad press he gets, I'd love to be on one of his sets or work in post on one of his films. Looks like a blast.
 
Thought Armageddon and The Rock were enjoyable big flicks, Transformers though I just can't watch it's just sooo bad!

"good at what he does" ha yup, I'm not a fan though!

He seems to be the goto man for that style of film... so really wouldn't say he's underrated.
 
I like The Rock, The Island, and saw the first Transformers and liked it. It was good classic dumb fun. I think he needs to pic better scripts though. I like his action sequences, he is a master of those. But he over does other scenes, with too much cutting, over coloring, etc. He should work with a director who knows how to tell a story, but is not so good at action scenes, like Christopher Nolan, Paul Greengrass, etc.
 
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