A few Hollywood directors are adored by critics. Tarantino’s next unknown film will definitely get good reviews with titles such as “The Phenomenal Quentin Does It Again”. But if the person who called the shots on the set was Mr. Bay, there’s usually no love lost. Of all the films he has ever made, none has a score of more than 60% on Rotten Tomatoes. Oh Dear! Have mercy on Bay’s cinematic babies. Is he the dumb student in Directors High? Fans don’t think so. Despite his films being critical flops, most of them do very well at the box office. This is the reason Netflix gave him $150 million to make 6 Underground (almost the same amount they gave Scorsese to make The Irishman).

Starring Ryan Renolds, as One, a billionaire who wants to change the world by eliminating evil, 6 Underground follows six individuals (chosen by One) on their mission to overthrow a tyrant. Yes, the plot is that simple. We are talking about Michael Bay here. However, you might struggle to understand what the film is about until its later stages. How can something simple feel so hard? Again, it’s Michael Bay we are talking about here. However, he has done a few things differently this time. Here are the reasons why 6 Underground is the definitive Michael Bay film, and also reasons why it’s not

Usual Bay: Uneven Flow Of Events

Just like in other Michael Bay movies, there isn’t a smooth flow of events in 6 Underground. The scenes appear patched. It feels like a novel whose chapters were all written by different authors. If you are looking for a film with a story you can follow from start to finish, 6 Underground isn’t it.

When the credits start rolling and you are told to break down what the film was about, you’d struggle. Was it about cars and guns? Was it about good drivers and Middle-Eastern tyrants? Yes. It was about all those things but the ‘how’ and ‘why’ will give you a headache. The best way to enjoy 6 Underground is to give your mind some time off and only use your eyes.

Improved Bay: Lots Of Humor

There is plenty of humor in 6 Underground. Well, Ryan Renolds is present so this doesn’t come as a surprise at all. Deadpool writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese worked on the script too. Unlike in the Transformers films where robots occasionally tried to be funny but came off as cringy, 6 Underground sees most of the characters in top comedic form.

There are quotes such as “They should make an out-of-office reply for dead people. Sorry, I’m away from the planet right now. I’m f*cking dead.” There are also plenty of other interesting quotes such as, “We’re not a family. We’re not the Cleavers.”

Usual Bay: Indulging In Excess

Everything from the violence to the stunts appears to be done in excess. Michael Bay’s principle is more or nothing. There is a 20-minute car chase, to begin with. And just as you as starting to admire the driver, he gets killed. Even the Fast & Furious films don’t give us such long chases.

You can’t help but get the feeling that the film would have been a little bit better if everything was just done in moderation. But hey, it’s Michael Bay. Boys will be boys and Bays will be Bays. Just like you can’t tell Tarantino not to shoot a car scene from the driver’s back, you can’t tell Michael Bay to tone it down. He is who he is.

Improved Bay: No Excessive Patriotism

Michael Bay films have been accused of focussing too much on the military (even when the movie is not about the military) and trying to appear too patriotic. For example, the American flag is shown 53 times in Transformers: Age Of Extinction. Wow! In 6 Underground, only the character Seven is said to have a military background. And even though he recounts his military days, there isn’t too much focus on it. The focus is only on the mission.

For a change, 6 Underground is actually more focussed on the well-being of the fictional country of Turgistan than on America. Yes, the team wants to overthrow the tyrant but they aren’t being backed by the government. They are doing it because One (Ryan Renolds) feels it is the right thing to do.

Usual Bay: Cars Keep Flipping Over

In Michael Bay films, cars have to flip over during a chase. It would be a shocker if this doesn’t happen. In 6 Underground, it happens again. But when you see it this time, you sort of feel that you are used to it. You don’t shout “Oh No! Not again!” You simply smile and say “I knew it would happen. But it’s okay”

When the driver known as Six is being chased down in the streets of Florence, we see plenty of damage. Bad guys in Bay’s films just don’t know how to drive well. They keep hitting things and rolling. They should watch more Grand Tour. 

Improved Bay: Strong Performance By The Lead Actor

Apart from the action sequences, nothing else usually stands out in Michael Bay movies. However, this time we at least saw a brilliant performance by the main actors. This is thanks to the casting of Ryan Renolds in the leading role. All other actors that have appeared in Bay films seem to do what he tells them but Renolds looked like he was his own boss.

Everything we’ve liked about him from the Deadpool franchise was present. The humor, the authoritativeness, and the wit were all there. Reynolds has also never let go of his cool-guy persona from Van Wilder and we like him for that.

Usual Bay: Product Placement

Michael Bay movies are never short of product placements and 6 Underground is no different. At the beginning of the movie, we see a giant Red Bull sticker on Ryan Renolds’ helmet. Would you like a watch? Buy Chopard watches because the characters do their best to display this specific brand.

And after Six dies in a crash, we are shown a Captain Morgan bottle as the team dumps his body in the sea. It’s not surprising that Bay loves sliding in ads into his movies. He used to direct commercials after all.

Improved Bay: Lesser Explosions

Things didn’t blow in 6 Underground as much as they do in Bay’s other films. Except for Hong Kong, the initial car chase and the scene where Seven (Corey Hawkins from Straight Outta Compton) recalls his squad getting blown up by a suicide bomber, there were no other major explosions to talk about. This is surprising given that the budget was $150 million.

With that kind of money, we expected things to blow up every minute. The real question is, given his poor track record, who would still give Michael Bay that kind of money to make a movie? Netflix of course. And we’ve already understood why. His films make money. It’s also not his fault that he has better connections and better pitching skills.

Usual Bay: Style Over Substance

6 Underground is not a good film but its a beautiful film. Everything looks magnificent. There’s an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio sports car being driven fast in the streets of Florence, Italy. There is a well-furnished penthouse that a tyrant’s brother is being imprisoned in. There is a very beautiful spy played by Melanie Laurent. There’s a handsome lead character played by Ryan Renolds and there’s a yacht too.

If you like a film that’s great to look at and not necessarily intellectually stimulating, Michael Bay has got you covered once again. Bay isn’t interested in winning Oscars. He is pretty much content with making movies his own way.

Improved Bay: No Recycled Footage

Bay is notorious for recycling footage from previous films. An aircraft carrier moving in the same manner, containing the same background appeared in both Pearl Habor and the first Transformers film. Two shots from Transformers: Dark of the Moon were also recycled from The Island.

Bay often thinks people won’t notice but they do. And even when they do, he often remains unapologetic about it. Luckily, in 6 Underground there is no recycled footage. Everything appears original. Let’s clap for Mike, please.