The month, the Transformers spin-off film "Bumblebee" will be released and is the first Transformers film not directed by Michael Bay. Many fans of the Transformers franchise rejoiced at the news and became hopeful that this Transformers film might actually be good as a result (myself included). No doubt, most fans hated Bay's take on the franchise, not to mention most critics who hate his films.

Michael Bay is one of the most despised filmmakers working in Hollywood today. Most of the films he makes are filled with nonsensical or nonexistent plots, unlikable characters, a very juvenile sense of humor, nihilistic ideas, obnoxious product placement, casual racism, casual sexism, casual homophobia, and too many explosions. It's hard to disagree with people who see his work as obnoxious and bad, however, I don't think Michael Bay is a "hack."

Michael Bay makes films with bad stories and annoying characters, but he's probably one of the best technical action directors working in the business right now. Despite what you feel about the substance or lack thereof in his films, he is a master at the spectacle. Action scenes are how Michael Bay made his name in the first place.

Even in his worst films, you can point to an action scene, an action beat, special effects, set design, musical cue, or a scene's lighting and admit that it was really well done. Michael Bay knows how to make shots look as dynamic as possible through camera movement, lighting, and color correction alone. This makes all of his films, even the cheaper ones, look as expensive and "epic" as possible, which draws in audiences.

Michael Bay's action has also been criticized for being rapidly edited and being disorienting (mostly in the Transformers films). While I agree with that on some level, he's better at "chaotic cinema" than anyone by his use of lighting, and knowing how to integrate CGI and practical effects smoothly. His action may not make sense when the shots are stitched together, but he does know how to make each individual shot look as intense and impactful as possible.

While I would never call Michael Bay a great filmmaker, he is the farthest thing from a complete hack. The man is a great Hollywood technician, which makes his films all the more frustrating when they inevitably fall short in the character and story department. The man has the potential to be a genuinely good filmmaker, he just chooses not to and refuses to evolve his mindset around complex characters and engaging stories.

What Michael Bay needs more than anything else is to be paired up with a really good screenwriter. That person would handle the story and characters, while Michael Bay handles all of the technical aspects of a film like action, set design, and lighting. If this were actually to happen Michael Bay would make highly regarded films. Michael Bay is currently the far away from being a good filmmaker, but he does have the potential to be one.