Bad Boys (1995)

Dead bodies, body kits and babes: The Work of Michael Bay Pt. 1

For director Michael Bay no explosion is too big, no CGI too expensive, no cleavage too cleavagey…he is a man of simple pleasures. Bursting onto the scene with the action comedy film “Bad Boys” in 1995, Bay made his mark with his trademark over-the-top sex and violence. Michael Bay gets an almost child like thrill out of blowing car body kits up, and there are lots of blown up cars in “Bad Boys,” a precursor to his continued car obsession with his “Transformers” franchise.

Born in Los Angeles, Bay was surrounded by film from an early age. He attended an elite school populated by film star children, prepping him for the movie business to come. With the huge success of “Bad Boys,” Bay was given carte blanche on his new project, the epic action escape film, “The Rock,” a film about the most ridiculous thing possible: breaking out of Alcatraz. With big name actor Sean Connery, and career making performances by Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris, “The Rock” was another huge budget film that managed to still make money by doing ridiculously well at the box office, being a sort of cultural phenomenon, and further making Bay a box office star and critical pariah.

As if Earth could not hold Michael Bay, his next film took place on an asteroid. “Armageddon” continued Bay’s winning formula of matching huge special effects with hammy dialogue and attractive leading characters. Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler can gredit their small appearances in “Armageddon” for making them recognizable stars. Although it was another international box office smash, critics, especially long-standing Bay hater Roger Ebert, called “Armageddon” “…an assault on the eyes, the ears, the brain, common sense and the human desire to be entertained.”

Leaving no tragedy untouched, Bay turned his lens to the historical story of Pearl Harbor for his next film. An ensemble cast reimagined the Japanese attack on the naval base with as much pathos as could possible be crammed in this gigantic, nearly 3 hour film. The film came under criticism for its inaccuracy, which I believe is the least horrendous thing about the film. How can you expect anything but over-sensationalism from Bay? The worst thing about “Pearl Harbor” was that it wasn’t necessarily a film about war, it was a film about films about war, where Bay tries to harken back to classic films like “Wings,” but he does not have the patience or talent to make a film as nuanced as the classics. He even filmed parts of the movie in Technicolor.

About the Author

Alan McGee is a freelance writer from MN.

Bad Boys [1995] – Trailer

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