Michael Bay: Critics don't get my movie, but audiences do

Michael Bay's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" barely missed breaking the 5-day box-office record held by "The Dark Knight," according to final figures released Monday morning. A year ago, filmmaker Chris Nolan's Batman sequel grossed $203.8 million in its first five days. Bay's "Transformers" sequel sold $200.1 million since its pre-dawn debut just past midnight early Wednesday, Paramount said. 

The movie is clearly polarizing audiences. For all the tickets the film has sold, readers reacted passionately -- and mostly negatively -- to a Monday article about Bay and his box-office track record, saying the movie was gratuitous and poorly made.

Here's the start of the story that made them so upset:

Director Michael Bay has never been a critics' favorite, but the thrashing he received for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” was the worst of his eight-film career. Reviewers ridiculed the new sequel about battling robots as "beyond bad" (Rolling Stone), "bewildering" and "sloppy" (the Village Voice) and "a great grinding garbage disposal of a movie" (the Detroit News).

The early notices were so uniformly disapproving that after Bay's traditional opening-night dinner party at Beverly Hills' Mr. Chow, the 44-year-old director wondered aloud to executives at distributor Paramount Pictures about the possible impact of the drubbing.

He needn't have worried: Rarely have critics been more disconnected from what audiences want and love.

Since it arrived early Wednesday just past midnight, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" sold more tickets in its first five days -- an estimated $201.2 million -- than any other movie in Hollywood history except one: last year's "The Dark Knight" (which grossed $203.8 million in its first five days and went on to earn $533.3 million at the domestic box office). By the end of this week, "Transformers" likely will surpass "Up" and "Star Trek" to become this summer's most-attended release.

"I think they reviewed the wrong movie. They just don't understand the movie and its audience. It's silly fun," Bay said over the weekend of the many "Transformers" critical detractors. "I am convinced that they are born with the anti-fun gene. The reviews are just so vicious. A lot of them are more personal than anything else."

To read the full story, click here

-- John Horn

Photo of Michael Bay by Ricardo DeAratanha/Los Angeles Times.

Comments

[Shawn]

Wrong! Audiences hate your movie too! Just check out the non-critic reviews at Rottentomato! And other sites too with general user comments. Transformers 2 missed the point that may the first film a good, but not perfect, film.

[JJ in LA]

WRONG! Audiences I watched with LOVED the movie! Go watch a chick flic where you belong.

[Sam]

I was looking forward this sequel. It turned out to be a HUGE disappointment! Really lame script - acting was non-existent, etc. Wide spread groaning and unrest among the audience; several audience members left during the screening. After the torture ended more were demanding a refund.

[Bill]

JJ in LA , your moronic comment is perfect reinforcement of the truism that idiot movies cater to idiots. If the only way you can defend your low IQ and poor taste is to randomly hurl invective at women, then you should go see this movie repeatedly because you're clearly not going on any dates. Defensive much about your manhood? LOL.

[JR]

Ok not the greatest movie I've ever seen, but I went into this movie knowing that it's a summer popcorn flick, based on a cartoon. Hmmm, maybe it's not meant so much for plot, but to be entertained for 2 hrs. And I have to say, I was entertained. In a dull cartoon type of way. Am I saying it's Oscar worthy NO, but it was fun to go see on a dull Sunday Afternoon.

[Adam]

I'm amazed that his movies sell so well. I was dooped into seeing the first and was bored by a two hour GM commercial. I have not and will not see the 2nd, but I've been told by three people that it is a lot worse than the first. I've seen it described with such phrases as

"I think the most disappointing part, aside from the fact it was 45 minutes too long, was how dumbed down the movie was."

and

"It was basically explosions and immature jokes for 2 and a half hours."

and best yet...

"The whole damned thing was just idiotic. All it was was a glorified 2 and half our commerical for GM, Megan Fox and blowing crap up."

That's just about what I thought of the first, but it turns out this is worse.

[Trevor]

Bill, yeah your probably right about JJ, but taking the time to talk about how low you think anothers IQ is and mocking them for liking a movie by saying they have no dates, which youve no way of knowing, says what about your own IQ ?

but on to my comment, I haven't seen the movie yet, i thought the first one was alright, it entertained you, was more action/comedy than anything and was nice to see, i'll see this one because i want to know how it turns out, i think critics are dumbasses and before i give my say on a movie i like to see it myself,
hope its good

[man1985]

Well say what you wanna say but clearly a movie that pleases both critics and audiences alike makes more money. Yes Transformers 2 made $201 million in 5 days but it's going to stop right around $405 million. The Dark Knight made $204 million in 5 days but also held strong (thanks to good critical reception and good word of mouth FROM AUDIENCES) and went on to make $533 million. Transformers made so much money out of the gate because it was HIGHLY ANTICIPATED not because audiences "get it" and critics don't.

Just watch Bay. Just watch. Last year TDK showed us what a hugely anticipated movie that is also a critical success can do and this year Harry Potter will do the same. Not only will Harry Potter open bigger than Transformers but it will also make more alot more than Tranformers' projected $400 million.

[John Madden]

I love films with plot and acting. But Sometimes I just wanna watch a movie with giant robots blowing each other up.

People bring up Batman. Whats the difference, a dude running around in a Bat suit and a machine that can hear voices from cellphones and remote controlled cars, right? Yeah thats overflowing with character development.

The original transformers cartoons was hammy as hell, what do you expect, Shakespeare ? You go into the movie knowing its action, any real man with a Pair will love it. Stop being Pansies