Listen, the guy gets a lot of crap – deservedly so for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – but I'm like you, Brad. I really dug Armageddon, I enjoyed The Rock, I liked the first Transformers film, and I am one of the few people who will actually defend The Island.

So yeah, I'd like the guy to keep 'em coming. I would just prefer that he didn't do a third film for either the Transformers series or the Bad Boys series. Unfortunately, both are guaranteed moneymakers for him, so I'll have to wait five or six years until he gets all that out of his system before I get my wish, but I think it's worth the wait.

I didn't even bother to see Transformers 2 so I would say at this point, for me, his name is something that is looked down towards. He doesn't seem to be a filmmaker of taste and the things he takes most seriously about his films are sitting at a computer to make toy robots come to life — not admirable characteristics…But if his movie can make all that money, I don't necessarily blame him, I just wish he would try to more for the fans, like have a story.

I thoroughly enjoyed all his films except Pearl Harbor (too melodramatic) and TF 2 (overloaded with action, dumb jokes and so many plotholes it becomes impossible not to care. The Rock is one of the best action movies ever (and it actually has some substance, I mean, the scene with Michael Biehn and Ed Harris before the shootout gets me every time, plus Harris's character is great), the first Transformers, Bad Boys 1-2 and Armageddon are some of the best mindless popcorn films ever. The Island is also very good action movie with some brains, despite flopping at the BO it's his second best film in my opinion.

I also don't understand the negative reaction to him as the producer. I mean, his name is just thrown in the credits to take more asses in seats, that's all. I don't believe he's involved in the production much, if it all. I just watched the teaser for Nightmare on Elm Street – it looks quite dark, disturbing and atmospheric, and JEH seems to be great in the role – so, what does Bay have to do with any of this? Nothing, and yet people hate him.

In a whole, I personally don't hate the guy the least bit. He's always the best at shooting action, and when he is given a decent script and some good actors, I believe he can actually make something more than just a great action. I like him, I like 6 out of 8 films he directed, and I'm always willing to give a guy the benefit of the doubt. The death of cinema? I think it's f#cking laughable.

It's not the death of cinema, rather it's the amalgam of testosterone driven action flicks with cutting edge CGI. As with most action flicks, the plot gets sidelined. I am a huge action movie fan and love going to the theater for Bay's films, but I don't expect an oscar performance in any of them, or even an mtv movie award-winning performance.

His movies have are jet-fuel injected, 1000-ton C4 rigged, sex-bomb laced, big budget, action-tastrophies. How could anyone expect anything else from the man? He knows his 13-y/o male and under audience well and he caters to them. I don't see his movies as degrading film, but rather, the constant critics of his movies feeling worthless because no matter how much noise they make about plot line this, or bad acting that, his movies always, and will continue to, extremely well and satisfy the audience's craving for pure action. I applaud him and those who have the balls to pursue his likeness because god knows we need more good action movies instead of movies like tetro…

I don't hate Bay at all. I just hate "Transformers: The Revenge of the Fallen." But I liked "Transformers," and I liked both Bad Boys films. I have no interest in seeing Armageddon or Pearl Harbor, though. However, I've always been the slightest bit interested in seeing "The Island."

I'll give Michael Bay more chances. But I won't give TF2 another chance. Ever. Horrible film.

Mindless, exploding cinema = Michael Bay!

The guy knows how to direct, and thats a fact. Its not that he films action better than anyone else out there, although he very easily could be the best in todays cinema, in that regard.

Ugh, I just drank some gone off beer! because I was typing and not paying attention.

Anyway, I think Bay's problem is, he doersn't know how to expand a little on the material he uses. I dont think he knows how to add more depth to story or character and fails with many audience members for that reason. He gets the script and thats it, why bother improveing something you already paid the writers to do. I think if someone gave him a well written action script with a lot of depth, he could make the material shine a light.

There is always the flip sid of the coin, and Bay simply doesn't care, he may just disregard the depth or character and say "we need a bigger explosion in this scene" I dont know.

I have enjoyed his movies. I loved BadBoys and the Rock growing up, Armageddon and Pearl Harbour not so much, but I saw Bad Boys 2 recently and it was pretty good. Transformers reminded me what it was like to be a kid again, but the second one I just hated made me feel like an old man becaus i was complaining so much.

Interesting that his production company only seems to produce horror movies, maybe he should direct an original horror, with the company… and you never know he could scare shit out of us all.

Ugh. The man's name could not have a more negative connotation for me. "The Rock" is the only movie of his I've ever been able to stomach, which to me says a lot more about the talents of Don Simpson in developing quality action films, and how much Bruckheimer and especially Bay have gone off the rails without his guiding influence.

I love a good action film, but there's no reason they need to be so aggressively stupid as the ones Bay churns out. No matter how loud and explosion-filled they get, I'm unable to turn my brain off long enough to make it through "Armageddon" or "Transformers" without being truly annoyed at them.

I do feel like the success of each Michael Bay movie is another message to Hollywood that story isn't necessary to a blockbuster, so there's no reason to wait to get the script right before proceeding. So, yeah… I do think Bay and his defenders are pushing cinema closer to death. Or at least pushing the industry closer to hollow stupidity… but apparently with epic box office receipts.

I don't hate him, but I don't like him either. Some of his movies are okay–The Rock, and Armageddon–but when he pulls out crap like Transformers 2, I just get frustrated. He is just going for the money, which makes him seem mercenary. Instead of trying to make good movies, he's trying to create money-making machines, even if they are insulting, lewd, and ridiculous. But what to do? As long as he keeps featuring these things in his films, they'll keep sucking people in, and the money will keep coming, and he'll keep making 'em. Maybe he should try a Jerry Maguire-esque film–then we can see if he actually has talent or if he's just using explosives, half-naked women, and stupid jokes to cover up a lack of talent.

I absolutely despise the man and the films he's made, but then again, I can't really divide my hatred for him, or Hollywood films in general. While I don't consider myself a cinema snob, I do need a bit more with my films than explosions and computer effects, which are about the only things Hollywood offers anymore in their action flicks.

So I can't really say Michael Bay himself is the death of cinema, but the machine that he's working for certainly is.

Bay was capable of making a decent popcorn-fun movie in is earlier days but when he touches serious subject matter you get Pearl harbor and to a lesser extent (of stupidity) The Island.
With all this talk of the fleeting creativity and originality in today's films most people will agree that Bay is dealing the fatal blows (TROFL highest grossing film of 2009). With more Bay like productions and movies whose sole purpose is to milk every last penny from the mindless viewers it would only lead to people forgetting how to differentiate between the truly good and bad films and of course 100's more remakes and sequels.

More and more Independent film studios and financiers are disappearing while Bay will will most probably end up making another transformers movie and the shinning will be De-throned from the title of scariest movie of all time when the truly horrifying Barbie movie comes out.
The death of cinema? only time will tell.

PS: Truly awesome that Brad actually wrote an article based on a comment i made. Being a huge and long time fan of the site it really is an honor :)

stupid story + explosions= Michael Bay

simply put….yes.

No he's not ruining cinema. He is just making studios even more separated now. One day there will be studios for every type of movie now. Independent, Drama, Comedy,action, etc. Studios will become like high school, completely separated into clicks and it started with spielberg and lucas and was completed by Die Hard and Michael Bay.

That leaves original material without a specific market or whatever hanging.

One piece of advise, DON'T team Bay with Jerry Bruckheimer AGAIN!

After Armageddon, Bay's films went downhill from there. I hate Pearl Harbor and I had a traumatic experience with Bad Boys II (Which I agree with Richard Roeper, is the WORST film of 2003, if not the WORST sequel ever!)

Bay PARTLY redeem himself with Transformers, though Transformers seemed too much overall, (but not as much a MEGA-overkill as Bad Boys II). I think it will be more better if Bay tone down the explosions and gunfire in his next few movies (Lots of luck.)

A sequel's box office is only as strong as the film before it. Movies like Spider-Man 3 might do awesomely well, but I bet Spider-Man 4 and Transformers 3 suffer some from their fore-bearers.

I'd be really interested in a movie where Bay ISN'T allowed to "rape the frame". I think film makers work best with SOME kind of constraint, and Bay exists in a state where I'm sure no one is allowed to tell him no. Transformers 2 bears that mark of being utter "i want it all" wish fulfillment.

To have Bay direct a quiet drama could be a very interesting beast…

I have found one interesting similarity in almost all of these comments… Bad Boys, Transformers, and the Rock are almost always talked about as his best films. And most people will agree that he is a visual director and not necessarily a story director. Yet all three of those movies are the ones with the least amount of plot holes. (Also the only three movies from Bay than I can stand myself.)
Story is the most important part of film. It is that simple. If there is no story then there is no reason to watch it. Peal Harbor, TF2 those were bad stories straight up. Even Armageddon was bad, but I blame Affleck as much as Bruck or Bay.
But in terms of him as a Producer, some one here put that it’s only a name on the credits list…. Not with someone like Michael Bay. Do you think Spielberg just let Bay run wild with TF 1?? No. Big time directors make themselves producers because they want to direct with out directing, if that makes any sense. George Lucas was there everyday on the sets of ESB and ROTJ even though he was only Exec Prod. No director truly just produces from an office in LA. They are always around.
I don’t really believe that Bay is really the DEATH of cinema, I think there are more factors to it. His movies usually get the most attention because of the amount of $$ thrown into the marketing. His films get their own private weekends to debut, so he can capture the 1 on the BO. However, ironically enough, the only movie of his I have seen in theaters was TF 2, so I was really pissed about.

Bay is the only answer to actually making money off a movie that costs over 130 million. If he doesn't direct it, it probably won't happen most of the time. And clearly nobody cares about everyone's hatred for him or a Bad Boys 3 would've have been ignited nor would Transformers 2 be making so much freakin money.

This guy's holy war on the art of Cinema goes on unabated.

Bay is the type of person who only looks at the positive aspects of his productions and never listens to the negative criticism.

I don't think he is the death of cinema.
He's too much of a irrelevant director to actually harm the art in any way.

Sure, he makes a lot of bucks, so he IS important to the industry.
But in 10 years following his retirement, no one will remember him.
No one will fear a remake of Bad Boys because no one would care to remake that!

We're not talking about Billy Wilder here, a great Hollywood director that made a lot of blockbusters. He's not even close to a Steven Spielberg type of director.
He's just… Successfull. Good for him!
But that's it.

Michael Bay is a fogettable director that makes forgettable movies.
So, why bother?

michael bay , mcg, zac snyder there are many directors that the visuals are great but telling a story with touch of clint eastwood are scorsese they don't have that skill and may never get it , fan boys and fan girls don't get it they are easily impressed with the bang for your buck than sitting in a theater for 4 hours to watch citizen kane a masterpeice , there is alot of crap out there it's a sad gereration

"Death of Cinema"? Have I been in a coma and woken up to a time when people are frog marched into theatres to watch whatever is mandated?

The only bone I have to pick with Bay and many others is that they are creating an audience that has no time or patience for thoughtful emotion driven story lines and well crafted production techniques. But is it the chicken or the egg? Does he just cater to the ADHD portion of the population rather than encouraging it?

I feel that Michael Bay is more focused on the visual of the movie and how it appeals to audiences rather than a decent story and the movie making sense nowadays. In the past yes he's had some decent work but now all he cares about is appealling to audiences with visual effects. But thats not all his fault because thats all poeple like to see nowdays especially poeple my age (14). Dont get me wrong I like to see a nice dislay of effects but i care about quality of the movie. I love classical movies because i have a deep passion and devotion for film and it irritates me that poeple wpuld rather see a crap movie in Transformers 2 rather than see a worthy movie in Hurt Locker. So you cant blame it all on himm because we paid money out our pockets to support it.

But I dont think Bay is the death of cinema, but the death of good cinema.

5 years i will be a hollywood star, winning an oscar. lol =)