Did someone say explosions? Michael Bay is a film director best known for not making movies that explore themes, feature compelling characters or even have a plot that is somewhat easy to follow or comprehend. Nevertheless, he’s a director who knows how to make action look amazing, if not the most practical, and make his characters look cool while doing so. After his latest debacle that is 6 Underground, let’s take a look at the five movies that are a lot of fun to watch and if you can believe it, somewhat enjoyable. The Five Movies from Michael Bay that are actually pretty good.
Best Michael Bay Movies – Armageddon
The plot makes absolutely no sense but features a tremendous cast which includes Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Billy Bob Thornton, Liv Tyler and the late Michael Clarke Duncan. A Texas-sized asteroid is headed for Earth and the only way to save the planet is to send a group of oil drillers to dig holes on the giant space rock, load it up with nuclear weapons and blow the sucker up. You get it? Yes, the plot is ludicrous and the movie is loaded with non-stop action but the ensemble cast makes up for it.
I’m not a fan of the film myself but I do somewhat admire the audacity at which it was put together. It’s like watching a “coming attractions” trailer for two and a half hours where you’re assaulted by moving objects and characters screaming their lines all while trying to save the planet from extinction. It’s enjoyable for just that reason alone. Prepare to hold onto your seats!
Best Michael Bay Movies – 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
Inspired by the real-life attacks, this film is a more mature and restrained effort from the director to tell the story of the soldiers who risked their lives to defend their Embassy in Benghazi without assistance from the United States Government. Featuring good acting from its cast and some impressive action sequences, the film’s factual accuracy has been questioned but the story is well-told and in the end we are moved by the actions of the men involved in this attack. It’s Bay’s lowest grossing film to date, but with that, this is still an impressive film that does show the director at his restrained best.
Best Michael Bay Movies – The Island
Cloning is not an old idea in the realm of movies, most notably was The 6th Day but this movie is quite interesting. It tells the story of a group of people who win a trip to “The Island” a destination unlike any other and one of the few places on Earth that wasn’t destroyed. Turns out this is all a lie and is part of a cloning program where the clones are killed while their counterparts live freely in the outside world. It’s an imaginative piece of storytelling and while most people will criticize it for all the action and typical “Bayisms” don’t be turned away. It’s a clever premise that does have a good amount of action and does showcases the talents of Scarlett Johnansson and Ewen McGregor. Seriously, don’t look past this movie, it’s a lot of fun.
Transformers
The sequels have never matched the immense fun of the first live-action movie where the Autobots and Decepticons duke it out on planet Earth. With a fun and witty story, enjoyable characters and seeing those robots cause all the havoc was a fantastic experience to sit through. The movie was funny, action-packed and used the special effects to good measure. It enhanced the storytelling without relying on it, something which the sequels relied heavily on. We won’t forget about Witwicky and his first adventure with the Autobots!
The Rock
What could be a better time than this film? You have Nicholas Cage, Sean Connery, and Ed Harris all in the same movie kicking ass! When a vengeful General gets hold of some lethal weapons that could wipe out an entire city, the Government responds with a raid in the one place he’s hiding- Alcatraz Island! Sure, the plot may not be the most exciting of action pictures, but The Rock is an exciting film that briskly moves along and features Nick Cage in his prime years and we love every moment he’s on the screen. The chemistry between him and Connery is the highlight of the film and even seeing the VX pearls are really cool too. Look no further, The Rock is where Michael Bay was at his best and I hope that one he can return to doing just that!