How Michael Bay beat the Credit Crunch: a small opinion piece on TFDOTM
Let me start this by saying…perhaps what not many able bodied film lover is able to say without feeling like they are “selling out”… I actually have a lot of respect for Michael Bay. That’s right, you DID read that correctly. Without spending too much time on the subject, Bay has always been a master of the big budget, action blockbuster, and for the most part, his films are all rather entertaining, and I don’t even necessarily mean in a “so bad it’s good” way, or a “shut your brain off and have a good time” kind of way. After all, if you grew up in the 80s, the action hero, and the action film was a staple of every young and adult boys idea of a good time, regardless of how ridiculous the story was, or how unbelievably atrocious the plot devices, or dialogue, or acting were. You watch those movies for the action, and as long as you can follow some semblance of stringing those action set pieces together, you had a good time. Maybe it’s that i’ve gone from simple tastes, to complex tastes with a hint of elitism, to coming to terms with the fact that I once enjoyed those movies, and often still do, and that maybe i’m now going soft on films that do not follow the path of critical acclaim after a long while avoiding and bashing them without even giving them a chance. I like to think of it as maturity, the ability to as it were, look at each film on its own merits. If it turns out to be bad even within those boundaries, then that’s another story. Keeping that in mind, giant robots at war in any context, is something I would happily go and see. And I can also say that after seeing the final trailer for Dark of the Moon, i was genuinely looking forward to seeing it. Without wanting to go on too long (and believe me i could!) about Bay and how he truly is an auteur and a master at what he does with a great command of the medium in his own right despite many reports attempting to side swipe this fact, or about this certain kind of film in general (hmmm, IPoD of Bay? Think i’ll do it at some point)… Here are my thoughts on the film and it’s relation to the topic of this post: In the first 10 minutes of the film post moon landing (no surprise there, the trailer pretty much shows all that. And it IS called dark of the moon for a reason. ANYWAY!) i was given not only some not too subtle Megan Fox bashing and trademark Bay fast talking “bro” comedy schtick, but also my first glimpse into the cost cutting ingenuity of the film. You’d think a multi million dollar movie with giant robots shot in 3D wouldn’t be one to cut corners. After all, Bay isn’t exactly against blowing up real vehicles and hurling stuntmen across the screen at will. But here we are in a scene with some tiny robots, and Mr Le Beef picks one up. Simple right? Well the next shot, Mr Le Beef is clearly…and i mean CLEARLY moving his hand while carrying what has now become an invisible robot. It’s a quick cut, and it’s partly obscured by the films new love interest in her underwear with Mr Le Beef in the background of a fairly wide shot, but ultimately it is still…a guy pretend carrying an invisible robot, and no robot put in afterwards. That’s probably like $3,000 saved right there in effects costs and man hours! The big “controversy” on the films release was also the fact that a shot from the island was reused in this film. Replacing crashing car or whatever it was, with falling robot. Again, if you’ve got it, why not use it right? Another $65,000 saved! Not to mention the oddly liberal use of big military type vehicles ie tanks and such, in a Michael Bay movie, especially when an all out war on earth would likely call for those resources more than say diving miltary halo jumpers with little to no physical defense. 3D sure forced him to think differently, and was the cost really worth it? I quite admire all these cost saving techniques as an indie filmmaker, because at the end of the day, it’s making what you’ve got work for what you need. That he could take the initiative to cut costs that way in a fashion that doesnt necessarily detract so much from the film (and i mean, did so many people love ‘The Island’ so much as to recognise that shot right away and scream “plagiarism! off with his head!”) and done in a way that shows that as a director he certainly knows what he’s doing craft wise. The 3D which has been hailed as incredible, and one of the best uses so far, did nothing for me. And in fact, and it’s not often you’ll hear this, I was actually rather bored during the action scenes (much like i was in some of the scenes in fellow “bro” director Snyder’s ’suckerpunch’. But that’s a whole ‘nother story). Bored in a Bay Movie? To be fair, was still pretty tired from previous work and insomnia related issues, but you’d think all you’d need to keep you awake and watching the screen would be giant robots and explosions. The Coen regulars, Barton Fink and Mrs Coen, were perhaps unsurpisingly, the best things about the film acting and character wise, and the comedy was certainly less lewd and crude (even if the british get their own share of stereotyped autobots for good measure this time), and Nimoy was cool, star trek cameo and all.
Cut to almost 2 months later, and I’ve left the above written text sitting in my drafts, perhaps for shame of posting, perhaps for lack of energy to dedicate to a piece revolving around Michael Bay (you’ve got to give back as much as he puts out after all…wait that didn’t come out right, but you know what I mean!). Either way, my train of thought is partially lost, but THE POINT IS…well… don’t knock a guy for trying to beat the credit crunch…. I guess?
