I've been paying close attention to scores that numerous films have received on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes (RT), and it amazes me how reactions can vary between both parties, especially when the reception is divisive, to say the least. Director Michael Bay is no exception.
Known for his bombastic action extravaganzas, practically all of Bay's filmography is audience-driven, even while critics are generally not in his favor (which is more often the case). With his newest film, Ambulence, out this weekend, the following list represents the highest audience scores for his films (as director and/or producer) on RT. WRITER'S NOTE: you may need safety gear and some Tylenol for this one, just in case.
10. Bumblebee (2018, producer)
Audience Score: 74%
(Critical Score: 90%)
Since the first live-action movie debut of Hasbro's ever-popular line of 80s robot toys back in 2007, a bigger question was, How come it took so long to make a Transformers movie that was actually good? (More on the former in a bit.) After directing five (yes, five) movies, Bay stepped aside for producing duties, leaving room for veteran stop-motion animator Travis Knight to helm a surprisingly good standalone origin story centered around fan-favorite Autobot Bumblebee. The presence of the multi-talented Hailee Steinfeld and an impeccable 1980s setting helps sell this much-needed boost of fun and thrills in a franchise that's long been criticized for being anything less.
8. Bad Boys (1995, director)
Audience Score: 78%
(Critical Score: 42%)
9. Bad Boys II (2003, director)
Audience Score: 78%
(Critical Score: 23%)
We know, it's hard bringing up Will Smith at the moment, what with the recent fiasco that happened at last month's Oscars telecast. But back in the day, Bay was arguably the first director to make the former "Fresh Prince" a global superstar (and huge box-office draw), along with a daring team-up with comedian Martin Lawrence for one of the quintessential buddy-cop movies of the 1990s.
The first film was not only Bay's feature directorial debut (he had made a name for himself directing hundreds of commercials and music videos before that). It was also the beginning of several collaborations between him and producer Jerry Bruckheimer (subsequent releases included 1998's blockbuster Armageddon and 2001's period war drama Pearl Harbor). Critics weren't kind to the 2003 sequel, although it has its fans; even director Edgar Wright paid homage to it with his 2007 buddy-cop send-up Hot Fuzz.
7. The Forever Purge (2021, producer)
Audience Score: 78%
(Critical Score: 49%)
When The Purge was first released in 2013, it was a provocative and nihilistic horror-thriller, what with its plot involving a 12-hour period where any and all crime is legal. While poorly-reviewed, it was a box-office success that spawned a short-lived T.V. series (2018-2019) and four theatrically-released sequels (2014's The Purge: Anarchy, 2016's The Purge: Election Year, the 2018 prequel The First Purge), including this fifth installment from last year.
WRITER'S NOTE: I've not seen these deeply problematic movies, nor do I plan to anytime soon.
6. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016, director/producer)
Audience Score: 82%
(Critical Score: 51%)
Bay is no stranger to stories that showcase the U.S. military. (See how many American flags and battle sequences you can count in all of his movies.) This 2016 war thriller is a case in point. Based on the true story of the 2012 attack on a U.S. compound in Libya and the security team who willingly go in to save countless lives, the film was criticized by some for having a political agenda. Bay has denied this, stating his intention was to portray and honor the titular fighting squad and what they regularly go through, including their harrowing experiences from this significant event.
WRITER'S NOTE: One of the few Bay films still on my watchlist.
5. A Quiet Place (2018, producer)
Audience Score: 83%
(Critical Score: 96%)
It could be argued that some of Bay's best work in recent years was as producer. His production company Platinum Dunes (co-founded with Andrew Form and Brad Fuller in 2001) started out by remaking various horror movies. So it seems only fitting that arguably their best screen effort to date was this original fright-fest drama about a family surviving in a post-apocalyptic world filled with monstrous, deadly aliens, prone to sound. The result is a brilliant and evocative suspense-thriller about the fears involved with parenthood and surviving in an unpredictable world. John Krasinski (who worked with Bay on 13 Hours) steps behind the camera and brilliantly translates Bryan Woods and Scott Beck's terrific screenplay, while Emily Blunt (Krasinski's real-life wife) delivers a powerhouse performance--especially in the now-iconic image of her hiding in a bathtub, pregnant and terrified.
4. Transformers (2007, director/executive producer)
Audience Score: 85%
(Critical Score: 58%)
When Hasbro's ever-popular toy line was first announced as a live-action feature in the mid-2000s, many people scratched their heads, especially when news got out that Bay would be helming the much-anticipated summer blockbuster. Film critic Teo Bugbee perhaps summed up the unexpectedly massive results best: "The first Transformers film was a bit vulgar and a bit sexist and a bit dumb, but it wore its Spielbergian influences on its sleeve." (Steven Spielberg has been a co-executive producer of the franchise thus far.) What followed were four (yes, four) sequels directed by Bay (who recently admitted that he should've stopped after 2011's third installment, Dark of the Moon, and agreeably so), before a surprisingly good prequel/standalone film in 2018, Bumblebee (directed by stop-motion animation veteran Travis Knight, with Bay co-producing). A better question by this point was, Why did it take so long for Hollywood to make a live-action Transformers movie that was actually worthwhile? The 2007 movie, for all its flaws and faults, still has its merits: groundbreaking visual effects, among them.
3. The Rock (1996, director)
Audience Score: 85%
(Critical Score: 68%)
Up until recently, this 1996 action epic was the exceptional entry directed by Bay to score highest with critics. Largely built on the central team up of screen legends Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage, The Rock follows an Alcatrez prisoner/ex-con and a neurotic biochemist as they face off against a renegade general (Ed Harris) to stop a nerve gas attack from Alcatraz prison on San Francisco.
WRITER'S NOTE: I remember watching clips from this iconic film growing up and have yet to see it in its entirety. Another watchlist entry here.
2. Ambulence (2022, director/producer)
Audience Score: 87%
(Critical Score: 69%)
Yes, this just hit theaters, but as of this writing, Ambulance is already generated some of the best reviews and praise in Bay's career as a director. Centered on two adoptive brothers (Jake Gyllenhaal as a veteran criminal, and Yayha Abdul-Mateen II as a war veteran in a desperate familial situation) whose "simple" bank heist immediately goes south, especially when they intercept a responding ambulance with an EMT medic (a fully-dimensional Eiza Gonzalez) and a wounded cop, the film is an edge-of-your-seat, profane, and bloody thriller from start to finish. Bay's trademark explosions, unpredictable action, and occasional (unnecessary) ridiculous banter are on full display. Even more, this film marks something of a turning point for the auteur, not only in partnering with Universal (one of the few studios to advocate exclusive theatrical engagements) but also in more grounded stakes and emotional investment. Proceed with extreme caution, if you dare.
1. A Quiet Place, Part II (2021, producer)
Audience Score: 92%
(Critical Score: 91%)
One of several 2020 theatrical releases postponed due to the global coronavirus pandemic, this anticipated sequel strangely became a case of art imitating life when it was released in spring of last year. Even so, it's a rare sequel that progresses and raises the stakes of its predecessor. Following the Abbot family as they collectively (and individually) seek other survivors in a post-apocalyptic world, what the film may lack in imagination makes up for it in genuine suspense and terror, as well as terrific performances from returning cast members Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds (deaf in real life), Noah Jupe, and newcomers Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou. Krasinski returned behind the camera, in addition to writing the sequel's screenplay. Proves this may be one of the rare horror franchises that's actually worthwhile, what with a third installment already in pre-production.
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