Is Michael Bay actually a bad director?

briskhound2 said:I don't know who to blame for it, but the editing in Die Hard with a Vengeance is so bad it's almost unwatchable halfway through. And Rollerball? Just a complete mess from start to finish.

I think we're talking about two different movies here. In "Die Hard with a Vengeance," you can actually tell what’s happening in every action sequence—who's going where and who's chasing whom. Compare that to "Armageddon" or "The Rock," where the action is just a blur.
Besides, I don't get what your issue is with "Die Hard with a Vengeance." It was easy enough to follow, especially considering this was McTiernan's follow-up to "Last Action Hero." 🤷

briskhound2 said:And "Rollerball" is a mess from start to finish.

As far as I know, they didn't let McTiernan handle the edit on that one. And honestly—it isn't fair to group that movie with "Predator," "The Hunt for Red October," or "Die Hard."

Just an average director—definitely overrated

McTiernan is easily the best director in the franchise 😁 It’s obvious they have more talent than Bay.

But when you watch The Rock, everything is crystal clear—you know exactly who's doing what and where. At least for me, back when I was 11 or 12 years old, it was 🤷

northerncrane4 said:I think we're talking about two different movies here. In "Die Hard with a Vengeance," you can actually tell what’s happening in every action sequence—who's going where and who's chasing whom. Compare that to "Armageddon" or "The Rock," where the action is just a blur.
Besides, I don't get what your issue is with "Die Hard with a Vengeance." It was easy enough to follow, especially considering this was McTiernan's follow-up to "Last Action Hero." 🤷

As far as I know, they didn't let McTiernan handle the edit on that one. And honestly—it isn't fair to group that movie with "Predator," "The Hunt for Red October," or "Die Hard."

Honestly? I actually struggled to follow the action in "Die Hard with a Vengeance"... specifically once the chase sequences kick in. I'm thinking of that car chase bit, with the spinning on the road and the constant shooting... it was messy, just visually cluttered, and you could barely tell who was fighting who. With "The Rock," I didn't have those issues at all—honestly, it's probably one of his most coherent movies. Sure, there's fast cutting and those sweeping camera movements he loves, but it flows. As for "Armageddon," yeah, I'm with you... there are parts where you just straight-up lose track of everything.

I don't really get why "Die Hard with a Vengeance" bothers you so much. It was pretty easy to watch for me, especially considering it was McTiernan's follow-up after "Last Action Hero." 🤷

Well, like I said before... 🙂 And I gotta add that whole finale with the helicopter and the trucks... it was so chaotic that even now, I'm still not entirely sure how that blue-clad woman actually died (if she even did)...

From what I know, McTiernan wasn't even given control over the editing on that one. It doesn't seem fair to put it in the same conversation as "Predator," "The Hunt for Red October," "Die Hard," and stuff like that.

Actually, you just reminded me—it seems like "Die Hard with a Vengeance" had that same issue, where someone else had to handle the edit without him being involved...