If anybody is wondering why the “Transformers” franchise keeps getting louder, longer and less dependent on silly movie cliché’s like character development, it’s because director Michael Bay knows people will see the sequels no matter what he films.
When MTV asked the blockbuster director about “fanboys” who are critical of the franchise, he was very confident even those who “hate” it will go see the fourth installment, “Age of Extinction,” in theaters.
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“They love to hate, and I don’t care; let them hate,” Bay said. “They’re still going to see the movie! I think it’s good to get a little tension. Very good.”
So good, in fact, that “Transformers 4” is expected to be the summer’s first $100 million domestic opener.
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At the moment, the $165 million movie from Paramount only has a 17 percent approval rating on critic aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, which means it’s supremely “rotten,” but that’s nothing new.
Despite generally terrible reviews, 2011’s “Dark of the Moon” became the highest-grossing installment after raking in $1.1 billion worldwide.
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No wonder Bay says he is no longer “bothered” by criticism.
“I used to get bothered by it, but I think it’s good to get the dialogue going,” Bay said. “It makes me think, and it keeps me on my toes, so it’s good.”