Why is it...?

[Andreas]

Why is it that every time a movie by Bay is released, we, the fans, are defending Bay from all these haters? It's like clockwork, it never fails. Is there an alliance of Bay-haters, or something? Why do people get so worked up over a Michael Bay film? It's like a war sometimes. "Oh shit, Bay's newest flick is released tomorrow... let's put on our kevlar helmets and body armor, 'cause we have a whole lot fight coming our way!"

(Yes, I just quoted RotF - so what?)

[Drake]

I'm not really a Bay fan (except for TF)... but I hate people criticizing his stuff just for the hell of it. It's annoying.

[Ed Fuego]

I think our response, as fans, are a normal human reaction. The Bay-fan community, as a community, makes us part of a group, just like a school that we attend, a sports team we cheer for, our family, our friends. And as part of this "in-group", we will always be defensive of people trying to criticize our in-group. They are part of an "out-group". And, obviously, they are part of their own in-group; the Anti-Bay community. As for what defines the two groups, I'm not sure that will ever be determined clearly, because it's obviously an emotional thing.

I don't like that I sometimes get a little caught up in the emotion of it, but as I said in another thread, that's what makes me a fan. Fans get caught up in the emotion of their in-group, many times at the expense of rational thought. Eventually, though, I realize that it's just a movie, or just a sports team, and I'm able to check myself.

Ed Fuego

[Clutch]

As a Michael Bay fan (a big one), I think a lot of the constant, illogical hate has to stem from Pearl Harbor and rampant bandwagoning.

Now, while I can't say that I've seen the movie completely through (in all honesty, I keep managing to tune in to it either during or right as the attack begins), I do know that the two big complaints about it are that it suffers from Titanic syndrome (that is, it takes entirely too long to get to the point) and that the performances are god-awful (which, given the portion of the movie that I've seen, I dispute). Now, every director has their missteps. I personally consider Bay's sole misstep thus far to be Armageddon. But where the critics have forgotten or forgave other directors for their missteps, they continue to run Bay through a meat grinder for his.

Then there's Transformers, which frankly was never fine art to begin with. Now, let's assume for a second that Michael Bay never directed either movie. Instead, let's say that Peter Jackson or J.J. Abrams had been given the reins. Jackson may have changed a couple of things. Abrams almost definitely would have left it alone. Either way, the fanboys and the people who are complaining about it now wouldn't be. Instead, we'd be hearing about how this is the best movie of the year and all that jazz. But, because it has Michael Bay's name attached to it, it sucks. Right...

I just find it really pathetic that, given all the real hacks and Z-list directors out there - and yes, that includes Bloodrayne director He Who Shall Not Be Named But Thought He Could Take On Michael Frickin' Bay and Stephen Sommers - people throw Bay under the bus and tear his movies to shreds.