by Sean Narborough
This past Monday, I was sent to a press screening to see the new Transformers film and I’m happy to say I was right: Michael Bay is still useless. Even though I’ve seen some of Bay’s other films, I am going to be focusing on the Transformers franchise and how he is slowly destroying a brand I once loved.
This past Monday, I was sent to a press screening to see the new Transformers film and I’m happy to say I was right: Michael Bay is still useless. Even though I’ve seen some of Bay’s other films, I am going to be focusing on the Transformers franchise and how he is slowly destroying a brand I once loved.
To be fair, I did like the first Transformers film. My hatred for the franchise, and Bay, starts at Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF). I remember watching this film and getting so annoyed at what I was seeing and just thought, “Hang on. Isn’t this just the same as the last film?” I watched this film at a time when I was getting more serious about working in the film industry, and I was starting to learn the ins and outs of making a film. For me though, ROTF was just lazy filmmaking. Every action scene looked similar to previous fights, the shaky-cam made it impossible to follow what was going on and, at times, I didn’t know who the hell was who. Little things like these are part of what we like to call "Michael Bay-isms", and no matter how much we take the piss out of him for them, he continues to use them, very badly. Throughout not just the Transformers franchise, but also nearly all his films, these "Bay-isms" are everywhere. The military, tanned sweaty people, female extras in the film just because they have boobs, slow-motion shots, low-angle shots, racial stereotyping and, of course, a shit-load of explosions. These are all things that don’t belong in the Transformers franchise. The cartoons never had any of these things and it was great. So why, Michael, do you keep putting all these things in that no real fan actually wants?! But according to the box office, most people are happy to see shit explode for no good reason, but I wouldn’t class them as real Transformers fans, like I once was.
While I have a problem with Bay’s visual style that some people love or hate, there is one thing we can all pretty much agree on: Michael Bay doesn’t know how to make human characters. The characters in his films are uninspired, stereotypical, unrealistic, unbelievable and downright stupid. I know a lot of people were hoping that because Bay got rid of Shia Ladouche that the new film would better, acting-wise. But there is no change. Megan Fox/Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has been replaced by Bradley from Bates Motel in the eye candy/running around screaming/making stupid decisions role; the nerd who turns badass role has gone, unbelievably, to Marky Mark; the pretty boy role to draw women in (because according to Bay, no actual woman would want to see a Transformers film (!)) with some guy who at times seems to struggle maintaining his Irish accent; and John Turturro’s idiotic villain who turns out to be good goes to Stanley Tucci instead. As you can see, Bay can’t think of new characters, he just takes the same stock characters from before and repackages them.
While I have a problem with Bay’s visual style that some people love or hate, there is one thing we can all pretty much agree on: Michael Bay doesn’t know how to make human characters. The characters in his films are uninspired, stereotypical, unrealistic, unbelievable and downright stupid. I know a lot of people were hoping that because Bay got rid of Shia Ladouche that the new film would better, acting-wise. But there is no change. Megan Fox/Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has been replaced by Bradley from Bates Motel in the eye candy/running around screaming/making stupid decisions role; the nerd who turns badass role has gone, unbelievably, to Marky Mark; the pretty boy role to draw women in (because according to Bay, no actual woman would want to see a Transformers film (!)) with some guy who at times seems to struggle maintaining his Irish accent; and John Turturro’s idiotic villain who turns out to be good goes to Stanley Tucci instead. As you can see, Bay can’t think of new characters, he just takes the same stock characters from before and repackages them.
Now I know what you’re thinking and yes, Michael Bay doesn’t write the scripts, but he is the creative master of the whole franchise and that is very bad. You can’t have one person in charge of the creative control of a franchise; it just doesn’t work (just look at George Lucas). They get caught up in their vision and no one must mess with their vision because their vision is pure gold, when in reality, it’s pure monkey crap. Michael Bay seems to have his fingers in all of the pies. It’s evident when you look at the characters and the story and the editing and the camera shots and the casting and the music and freaking EVERYWHERE! He has too much control. In the first film, Bay had Paramount’s producers holding his hand making sure he didn’t do anything stupid. But where Transformers went on to make over 700 million dollars, the producer let go of Michael and gave him complete creative control. While at the moment this decision has benefited Paramount (the films are a multi-billion franchise for the studio), soon or later it will come back to bit them in the arse. To me, Michael Bay has no real imagination. Nearly all of the Transformers films look the same, there’s no creativity in his characters and he has way too much creative control in his hands. For me, he is killing a part of my childhood and I’m really hoping he hasn’t messed up Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for me, too.
Of course, I could be wrong, but this is my opinion. If you have your own views, for or against Michael Bay, that’s what the comments section is for.
P.S. Michael, if you ever go anywhere near any of Gerry Anderson’s works, I will go all Liam Neeson Taken on you.
Of course, I could be wrong, but this is my opinion. If you have your own views, for or against Michael Bay, that’s what the comments section is for.
P.S. Michael, if you ever go anywhere near any of Gerry Anderson’s works, I will go all Liam Neeson Taken on you.
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