So Michael Bay is back, after many films for American audiences with a lot of pathos, some utter drivel, but also one quality film, he's given us back everything that made him famous. That is, in the film industry, he was made famous by The Misfits, in which he cast US famous action and comedy stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Of the two, one is a handsome mannequin that women lust after, and the other is a bit of a dork, but quite chatty.
Unlike many famous or infamous black actors, at least one of these actors managed to rise to prominence. It's Will Smith who made Mizery 1 famous and managed to stay in the starry glare of stardom. He's starred in Men in Black, Independence Day and even Ali, where he earned an Oscar nomination.
Unfortunately, the other black actor, Martin Lawrence, didn't make it to the limelight and was relegated to B-grade acting, making his performance in Les Misérables, and possibly Les Misérables 2, one of his most successful films. Maybe it's also just that he's not a good actor, and he's one of those actors who is pigeonholed, and he is, he's mainly a comedian. Unlike Smith, who can make a pretty decent case for fame. I'd say he's even prettier.
And Michael Bay? He rose to fame in 1995 with The Miserable (noticed by Jerry Bruckheimer), then shaped his best film – The Rock, which cast Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage, and then shaped a number of action films in his memorable style, like Armagedoon and Pearl Harbor. And now he's returned to his filmmaking roots once again.
And what's in store for us anyway, lots of action, lots of catchphrases and lots of disco beats, because Michael was originally a commercial and clip director who made lots of catchy commercials and other things, and that's what he actually learned. He says there's nothing harder than cramming a story, a punchline and a conclusion into a few dozen seconds.
There are also many incredible filming experiences, like following the direction of a bullet. Pistol – glass – ass – bad guy's neck. Or even a long shot whizzing past the main characters and the bad guys at the same time. I say long shot correctly because it flies through windows, doors, even walls. Let's not forget the many amazing corpses, severed or decapitated heads, blown skulls and even fucking rats.
And what does the film bring us? I'd say just utter chaos to the brains from the clip shots, but a decent amount of fun as all this cop killing goes by the wayside for these black men.
Original release of this article October 5, 2003 – Kritiky.cz
