Can get better

[Grazer]

I want to stress before I go on that this is not meant as critisism, it is not bashing Bay, its not saying he can't do what I've commented on. I love his movies, its just my thoughts on his movies and style going forwards and would like to hear what other people think.


I think Michael Bay is a good director. His movies are solidly made, the humour is good, there's a great energy to his movies, they move at a good pace, they're very visual with lots of camera moves, they've pretty stylish and his action sequences are just amazing and frankly, huge.

His whole style is a bit in your face from his editing to the sheer size of the action and not everyone can handle that or likes that. I personally dont have a problem with it, I like the intensity it can bring. The scripts whilst not always complex, do the job and usually results being insanely fun and highly entertaining

Discussing Bay and his movies with alot of people has got me thinking about his movies and watching them from Bad Boys through to Transformers, there has been a definite evolution in his action. It has become bigger and more elaborate, insane and generally OTT. But the stories don't seem to have progressed at the same rate. The Island is probably his most ambitious in terms of story complexity and showed another side of Bay, especially the first half where it seemed another director had shot it. He has taken on a variety of storylines and the trademark humour, camera shots and action are there.

In order to become a better director though, I feel he needs to spend more time on character development and setting up an action sequence so when it arrives, there's even more intensity to it. Alot of people have said that they didn't feel anything for the characters or cared for them. Whilst I disagree with this to a point, I can kind of see what they're saying. The script in Transformers did the job it needed to regarding character. There were some fun, quirky moments that endeared the characters to me so I was rooting for them at the end. But looking at this with a view going forwards, the scripts need to do more than just enough. He has shown in The Rock that he can take on interesting and fleshed out characters that still have that quirkyness about them. I feel he needs to take a few more beats setting up the action sequence. Little suspense can do an enormous amount.

I feel Bay can achieve this without having to sacrifice in terms of his action size, the humour, his general style. Take everything that has made him successful and just make some tweaks here and there. I feel Bay is capable of doing this if he can get the right script and story. He needs to ensure he doesn't go too far the other way though, go too serious as it can take away all the fun of his movies which has been one of my arguments whilst discussing Transformers. Part of that movies appeal to me is the fact it was extremely fun. Altering parts to make it more serious by definition removes some of the fun. Its a fine balance but one I think Bay needs to start doing if he is to become a great director. Bay has said in interviews he has a project in mind that he would like to do thats very different to anything he has done.

If he continues to make the movies in the style that he is, I wont be complaining from an enjoyment angle but whilst Bay wont go down in my estimation, I don't think he can improve as a director.

[kevski]

I mostly agree with what you're saying. When people say they don't care for his characters, I have to disagree with most of them. I care for all his character apart from the Pearl Harbor ones (I like the film, but the characters were weak).

He will improve as a director in terms of technology etc. but I'd also love to see him branch out (as I've said countless times). If he doesn't want to then I'd feel that would be a shame. I'd love to see a Michael Bay comedy, a dark twisted Michael Bay film or even a Michael Bay character piece. I know for a fact he could do it because all his films have shades of it, they just get dwarf by the non-stop action.

[LadiesMan217]

He will improve as a director in terms of technology etc. but I'd also love to see him branch out (as I've said countless times). If he doesn't want to then I'd feel that would be a shame. I'd love to see a Michael Bay comedy, a dark twisted Michael Bay film or even a Michael Bay character piece. I know for a fact he could do it because all his films have shades of it, they just get dwarf by the non-stop action.

Or how about a smaller action film? or a thriller? Michael could definitely pull off a film in the lines of Heat or Training Day or something like that if he had good actors and a good script. No huge action set pieces or over-the-top car chases but still an action thriller. I hope he does something different after Transformers 2. It would be a shame if he did another over-the-top action film after that. Of course Michael can shoot dialogue - there is a scene in Transformers where one of the Sector 7 guys (not Turturro, but the more serious guy) have a conversation with Jon Voight of what happened to the Mars-mission that had a good mood to it. Some scenes with Dan Aykroyd, or Colm Feore and the other admirals and codebreakers in Pearl Harbor are excellent.

[redqueenar]

Bay is always improving. Thing is, he's got a niche as an artist and because that niche is so ENORMOUSLY profitable, there is no reason at all for him to venture outside of it right now. People rag on him for being an ace at shooting car commercials but who else would you get to helm a huge blockbuster franchise about (for the most part) Giant Sentient Cars?? Spielberg was absolutely right about who he should call.

But that's just it, I think. People know Bay, know his style, and they approach him accordingly with (often) the same kinds of work over and over again. And if it continues to be ENORMOUSLY profitable, there is no incentive for either side to change their approach.

So, I wait. This is just the Jaws-phase. It's all good.

[darthrage]

Bay is always improving. Thing is, he's got a niche as an artist and because that niche is so ENORMOUSLY profitable, there is no reason at all for him to venture outside of it right now.

I completely agree. Money talks and although he wants to direct the movies he wants made, the studios execs are the ones who have the final say and they know as long as he is directing action spectacles, they got themselves box office gold.

The only 2 movies of Michael Bay's that I felt had solid characters that I really cared for was Bad Boys and The Rock (his first 2 movies). At that time, he had smaller budgets but pumped out solid action movies. But then later on, he started casting more comedic supporting characters in his movies. You can see this happening more and more in Transformers 2 as more casting announcements are made. I think the possible successful formula for good character development would be to focus less on comedic supporting characters and focus more on the main characters.

[taybrian1]

If someone is constantly working on their craft, there is always improvement. He's just getting better with age, even if some of his movies have faltered a bit. (Sorry Mr. Bay, but that one song in "Team America: World Police" is right about "Pearl Harbor" Sorry.) I can't wait to see how much better things are going to get in the future.