A Complete Review of Michael Bay’s work

Unfortunately, I haven't seen this one yet...

Cast : Ryan Reynolds, Mélanie Laurent, Dave Franco

What was it about?
Meet a new kind of action hero. Six untraceable agents, totally off the grid. They've buried their pasts so they can change the future.

My two cents:
At least, it was refreshing to see Michael Bay finally making an action flick with no Transformers involved. On top of that, the car chase at the beginning, which lasted a whopping 20 mins, was just amazing. Seriously, it was hands down one of the best chases I have ever seen. Unfortunately, while the rest of the movie was not bad, it turned out to be too generic though. There was also too much use of flashbacks and voice-overs obviously to make the whole thing look more fancy than it actually was. Furthermore, concerning this group of lethal agents, except for Ryan Reynolds, it was pretty much a bunch of B actors. I mean, they were not bad but I wish they came up with a slightly more charismatic group. To conclude, in spite of its flaws, it still turned to be a decent effort from Michael Bay, even if it is completely forgettable.

My rating: 6/10

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Cast : Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel, Stanley Tucci, John Turturro, John Goodman, Ken Watanabe, Steve Buscemi, Omar Sy

What was it about?
Autobots and Decepticons are at war, with humans on the sidelines. Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth.

My two cents:
Since I have never been a fan of the Transformers franchise, I wasn’t expecting from this last instalment, especially since it was the lowest grossing film of this franchise (it still made $600 million worldwide though). Well, the whole thing turned out to be indeed pretty weak and it was easily the weakest instalment in this already seriously underwhelming franchise. In fact, I have to admit that there was some potential about showing that the Transformers have always been there in fact in the past but this idea was just so poorly developed. Basically, the whole thing was some kind of mix of ‘Prometheus’ with ‘Armageddon’ but it never worked. Seriously, it was just a overlong mess and it was in fact so convoluted that at times it barely made sense. Eventually, the whole thing was just so idiotic but also sometimes rather pretentious. Anyway, the main issue was that it was again so boring and even the special effects which used to be quite amazing 10 years ago with the first instalment didn’t really impress me anymore. To conclude, this movie is basically the poster child for major franchise saturation.

My rating: 5/10

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Cast : John Krasinski

What was it about?
During an attack on a U.S. compound in Libya, a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.

My two cents:
Well, even though it was rather well received (according to IMDb, it is his best movie after 'The Rock'), it was pretty much a box-office flop and it is so far Michael Bay's lowest grossing movie so far. Basically, that's how it works, if they guy makes a really dumb movie about some gigantic robots, it will make billions, but if he tries to make something slightly smarter, nobody will care apparently. Anyway, how was the damned thing anyway? Well, I have to admit that it was probably one of the better movies directed by Bay and I thought it was a decent watch but, to be honest, it was still nothing really great in my opinion. First of all, even though it was some interesting stunt casting to have John Krasinski to play in an action movie like this one, he never really convinced me. I mean, physically, he looked fine but I never had the feeling that I was watching a seasoned soldier, something he even kept repeating throughout the damned thing. Then, even though they took a realistic approach, I thought it was still rather murky. What was the GRS? Feb 17? What were they doing there? Indeed, even though it was fairly long, too long, Bay spent a lot of time trying to set up the mood between these soldiers which wasn't necessarily a bad idea but I actually had a hard time to get a real grip on this story. Anyway, in spite of its flaws, I think it was actually a decent effort from this director.

My rating: 6/10

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Cast : Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz, Sophia Myles, John Goodman, Ken Watanabe

What was it about?
A mechanic and his family join the Autobots as they are targeted by a bounty hunter from another world.

My two cents:
At least, I’ll give this to Michael Bay, it was slightly better than the 2 previous installments but it was still nothing amazing though. It was actually pretty smart, they made us believe once again, by getting rid off the cast and bringing some new faces, that it would be something really different but the formula was still basically the same. On top of that, there was one detail that bothered me, it was the casting of Nicola Peltz who was basically there to replace Rosie Huntington-Whiteley who already replaced Megan Fox. The issue with Peltz is that, in fact pointed out by T.J. Miller, she is a ‘hot teen’ which was some rather misguided eye candy but, on the other hand, it shows what kind of audience they were aiming for. The other thing is that even though it is a rather dumb blockbuster with some barely developed characters, the whole thing was actually rather hard to follow and lasted like forever (almost 3 hours).

My rating: 5/10

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Cast : Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Tony Shalhoub, Ed Harris, Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong, Peter Stormare, Yolanthe Sneijder-Cabau

What was it about?
A trio of bodybuilders in Florida get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.

My two cents:
Well, after directing some of the biggest and dumbest blockbusters ever, Michael Bay decided to take a break and, this time, he went for something cheaper but still pretty dumb but guess what? I thought it was not bad at all. Indeed, basically, it was dealing with a really ridiculous story and I thought that Bay managed to get the right tone in his very first comedy. I mean, when you think about it, it was actually a pretty smart move to go for such a preposterous tale because, let's face it, he would never have been able to direct a subtle comedy like 'Groundhog Day' for example. Concerning the cast, Mark Wahlberg managed to make his character the most entertaining one. So, I thought it was a fairly entertaining story but eventually, since those characters were all so stupid or rather unlikable, you never really care much about them or what they are going through. Anyway, even if it was nothing really amazing, it must be one of the best movies delivered by Michael Bay in quite some years which isn't much, I'll admit it.

My rating: 6/10

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Cast : Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Tyrese Gibson, Patrick Dempsey, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich

What was it about?
The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets.

My two cents:
Honestly, I wasn't really optimistic about this 3rd installment but Michael Bay and Shia LaBeouf both promised that this new movie would be better than its predecessor. Eventually, I failed to see how messing up with the moon was an improvement on messing up the pyramids... In my opinion, it wasn't worse than the previous movie but it wasn't better either, that's for sure. It is like replacing Megan Fox by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Indeed, what is the best choice to replace the biggest bimbo in Hollywood nowadays? A lingerie model, of course... To be honest, it wasn't actually an awful movie. Indeed, I went to see this with my step-son, the theater was packed and the mood was actually pretty good. Obviously, nobody cared much about what was going on the screen but it didn't seem to bother anyone since we all knew what to expect. Since it made a chuck load of money (thanks pricey 3D tickets!), they will come up with another installment and it might go on forever...

My rating: 5/10

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Cast : Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Isabel Lucas

What was it about?
Sam Witwicky leaves the Autobots behind for a normal life. But when his mind is filled with cryptic symbols, the Decepticons target him and he is dragged back into the Transformers' war.

My two cents:
Before watching the first transformers flick, I had some rather low expectations but I was eventually pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately, this sequel turned out to be a big disappointment. I have to admit it though, there were still some awesome action scenes but I didn't care at all about what was going on the screen and the end was just way too preposterous. In my opinion, the biggest mistake they made was to bring back Michael Bay as director. I mean, he actually did a decent job on the first installment but he seriously lacked any ambition to make something else out of this material the second time around. 'Let's bring more giant robots and blew even more stuff!! And when we are it, why not blow up the pyramids?!?'... Another director could have brought another vision, a fresh look, and it could have been more interesting than this tedious stuff. To conclude, I didn't really like it much and all the installments that followed turned out to be just as underwhelming.

My rating: 5/10

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Cast : Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight, John Turturro, Bernie Mac

What was it about?
An ancient struggle between two extraterrestrial clans, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, comes to Earth, with a clue to the ultimate power held by a young teenager.

My two cents:
It seems to be rather difficult to judge this movie so many years after its release, especially considering the fact that the 4 sequels were really disappointing. But what about this first installment? Honestly, I thought it was not bad at all, especially since I didn’t have some really high expectations. Indeed, you have to give that to Michael Bay, those robots looked really awesome and the action scenes were really neat. One thing that was great with this movie is that you really had the feeling you were watching something new and quite thrilling, whereas with the sequels, there was a terrible sense of ‘déjà vu’ and the whole gimmick was getting rather tiresome. Furthermore, the first time around, I thought that Shia LaBeouf was rather charismatic and really funny in this. So, it was a really fun movie and I enjoyed most of it. The major weak point was that they put the focus way too much on the human characters and the robots were just some supporting characters when they should be central to the story. Anyway, even though the sequels were terribly weak, this first installment was actually a really decent, fun and entertaining blockbuster.

My rating: 6/10

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Cast : Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson, Djimon Hounsou, Sean Bean, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan

What was it about?
A man goes on the run after he discovers that he is actually a "harvestable being", and is being kept as a source of replacement parts, along with others, in a Utopian facility.

My two cents:
This movie was actually a flop, compared to his other blockbusters but it is, in fact, the best movie Michael Bay has directed so far, at least, that's my opinion. As usual, you had the big special effects and stunts extravaganza but I never minded those and Michael Bay knows how to blow things up, you have to give him that. Above all, what I liked this time, is that the story was rather intriguing. I mean, it is a rather standard plot about cloning, and, honestly, they didn't give much new insights about the subject but it was definitely entertaining and more interesting than you average Bay flick. Of course, the casting of Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson as leads for an action flick was an interesting move, even though Johansson didn't have much to do expect showing off her pretty face. I thought that Ewan McGregor was, as usual, really good and gave a decent performance. So, even though, Michael Bay wasn't rewarded by the box office, I think it is actually his most interesting and entertaining flick.

My rating: 7/10

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Cast : Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Gabrielle Union, Peter Stormare, Theresa Randle, Joe Pantoliano, Michael Shannon

What was it about?
Two loose-cannon narcotics cops investigate the flow of Ecstacy into Florida.

My two cents:
Even though you might think by now that my least favorite movies on this list are the transformers sequels, it is actually not the case. No, the top worst spot belongs to the other sequel made by Michael Bay... Indeed, even though my rating is already pretty low, I think I'm being actually quite generous here. The point is that all the movies directed by Michael Bay always managed somehow to have more or less some redeeming features. With this flick, you have to dig really deep to find something more or less valuable and the only thing I could come up with is that the action scenes (not even all of them) were pretty neat. That's it. For the rest, it is a just a very long, completely preposterous and actually rather boring action flick which is too bad since the 1st installment was actually pretty decent. On a side note, it is interesting to note that it was the last time Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer worked together and since it was their lousiest effort so far, it seemed appropriate that they decided to end this work relationship.

My rating: 5/10

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Cast : Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Ewen Bremner, Alec Baldwin, Jaime King, Jennifer Garner, Jon Voight, Cuba Gooding Jr., Michael Shannon

What was it about?
Pearl Harbor follows the story of two best friends, Rafe and Danny, and their love lives as they go off to join the war.

My two cents:
It is probably the most hated movie directed by Michael Bay. I mean, it is pretty obvious that Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer went way over their head with this historical flick which was their most ambitious project. Indeed, even though it was financially rather successful, it was critically destroyed and despised by a good chunk of its audience. Surprisingly, I don't think it was that bad though. Indeed, I ended up watching it with my wife (who likes it very much) and since I had the lowest expectations, I was eventually positively surprised. Basically, it follows exactly the same template given by 'Titanic'. Indeed, for 3/4 of the running time, you have a rather underwhelming love story and in the last 1/4 quarter, you have a really impressive depiction of one of the most famous American tragedies. Honestly, even though I could agree that 'Titanic' is a better movie, I really fail to see how one of them is supposed to be great while the other one is supposed to be total garbage.

My rating: 6/10

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Cast : Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Steve Buscemi, Billy Bob Thornton, William Fichtner, Owen Wilson, Michael Clarke Duncan, Peter Stormare, Jason Isaacs

What was it about?
After discovering that an asteroid the size of Texas is going to impact Earth in less than a month, NASA recruits a misfit team of deep core drillers to save humanity.

My two cents:
Honestly, I used to seriously despise this movie. Indeed, the first time I watched it, I wasn't really keen on all these huge brainless blockbusters and I didn't care at all for the whole thing. However, 10 years later, I have become more generous towards such commercial features, I saw it again with my step-son and, I have to admit it, it was actually not as bad as I remembered. First of all, there was an impressive cast and some rather awesome action scenes. Of course, the story was completely preposterous and the dialogs were sometimes pretty embarrassing and corny so I still can't say it is actually a good movie but it is not the worst action movie I have ever seen. Still, even though I couldn't possibly recommend this flick, if you like summer blockbusters, you might end up enjoying this one after all.

My rating: 5/10

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Cast : Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris, David Morse, William Forsythe, Michael Biehn

What was it about?
A renegade general and his group of U.S. Marines take over Alcatraz and threaten San Francisco Bay with biological weapons. A chemical weapons specialist and the only man to have ever escaped from the Rock attempt to prevent chaos.

My two cents:
To this day, it is still the most popular movie directed by Michael Bay. I mean, the transformers flicks have been highly successful financially but they are also despised by many movie viewers (including myself) whereas this movie has always been genuinely respected. Indeed, even though I'm not exactly a die-hard action movie fan, I certainly enjoyed this one and it is a definite milestone for many players involved. For Bay and Bruckheimer, it was a step forward following their previous effort but it was not yet as preposterous as what they would do next like 'Armageddon' for example. For Sean Connery, it would be the last time we would see him play such a bad-ass character, some kind of awesome older version of James Bond, his most iconic part. For Nicolas Cage, for good or bad, it was the start of his action movie career. Even though his recent action flicks were pretty terrible, his first outing was actually pretty cool. At the end of the day, it is nothing mind-blowing and rather preposterous but it remains a very well made and terribly entertaining action flick, definitely.

My rating: 7/10

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Cast : Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Tchéky Karyo, Téa Leoni, Theresa Randle

What was it about?
Two hip detectives protect a murder witness while investigating a case of stolen heroin.

My two cents:
Even though it is definitely nothing amazing, I always had a weak spot for this flick. If I recall correctly, I even saw it in the theater when it was released. Basically, it is a solid action flick with two really charismatic actors, no more, no less. Back then, Michael Bay didn't have a virtually unlimited budget so there was still more or less a raw feeling to the proceedings. This movie was also a milestone for many people involved. It was Bay's directing debut and the start of his collaboration with Jerry Bruckheimer which would last 8 years and 4 more movies. For Will Smith, it was his first genuine starring role, his first opportunity to break his 'Fresh Prince' image. Not only was it a personal success for him but nobody was expecting that he would become the King of the box-office for the next 13 following years. Anyway, to conclude, I thought it was actually a pretty good action flick, better than many movies Michael Bay has made afterwards.

My rating: 7/10

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