'6 Underground' preview: Michael Bay is back and doing what he does best: Blow s*** up!
You don't have to be a movie critic to know Michael Bay. Yes, the world and film connoisseurs would cringe and crib about the filmmaking style, but it's what sets the man apart and his latest project just takes that mind-numbing action to a whole new level.
Call him a hotshot director whose movies are bada-bing bada-boom and some vacuous thrill, but these are movies that have also raked in the moolah at the box office. 'Pearl Harbor', 'Bad Boys I and II' and 'Armageddon' were cult-material. Throw in flicks like the 'Transformer' series and '13 Hours', to the mix and you get an idea of the level of filmmaking he operates at. The common factor in each of these films is the sheer exhaustion it brings after what can rightfully be called massive mayhem. Be it flying cars, transforming robots, some insane amount of explosions and lots and lots of debris around — it's exhilarating, whoop-inducing, and tiring at the same time.
Except, when you can finally sit back, the whole scene unfurls all over. Again. This ensured Bay got bouquets and brickbats, but that's exactly how he wants it to be made. And now to '6 Underground'. The high-octane action flick starring a slick and jacked up Ryan Reynolds along with a team of vigilantes faking their deaths to take down some notorious criminals.
Again, there isn't much from the plot to go on, but the trailers give you a glimpse of what to expect. It's big, loud, fast, vibrant, cheeky, and all of that again (Well, you get the hint). Reynolds, in an interview with Empire, explains what it is: "This is certainly an old-school Michael Bay spectacle film – it’s just action upon action upon more action. I was excited to work with Michael on more of an old-school version of a Michael Bay movie: no giant robots chasing anybody, no Transformers or Decepticons. But it’s still very f*****g crazy. We joked a lot [on set] that no explosions were harmed in the making of this movie. There were a lot of explosions."
And explosions it is. Almost every bit of the trailer is action-packed and includes Bay's classic slo-mo shot. It's a typical Bay film. There's no room for introspection or frivolity. And that has made '6 Underground' a talking point already. It may not be a theatrical release, but it doesn't have to, although Bay fans will say otherwise. The official trailer has already stacked up a well over whopping 2.8 million views and counting. Add a couple of promos ahead of the release and the build-up is just fine. Considering the movie was penned by 'Deadpool' creators, Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, this one will have an additional reason to be viewed.
Let's get this bit straight. '6 Underground' will be 70% action and 30% story, but there's every reason it will work. If some state-of-the-art cinematography, flawless action, a star-studded cast and 'Holy Shit'- inducing action isn't come together helmed by Bay, the result is am engrossing flick made for more than just a PlayStation generation.
'6 Underground' releases December 13 on Netflix.
