Explosions. Crashes. Huge special effects.

You may not know the name Michael Bay, but if you've seen "Armageddon" or "Pearl Harbor," you know you're in for some high-octane action. And the theme continues with his latest: "Transformers."

What you may not know is that behind the scenes Bay can be pretty fiery himself.

"He has a reputation of being a screamer, but he doesn't scream," says actor Josh Duhamel. "He just speaks loudly into a megaphone."

So how does a director known for having the hottest head in Hollywood turn some of the most beloved toys from the '80s into the coolest movie of the year?

If you're Bay, you ignore all the naysayer and just do your thing.

"He's such a meticulous filmmaker and he's not afraid to just really put it out there," Duhamel says of the director.

Bay likes his big budgets and spent $150 million of Steven Spielberg's money to make this film.

Chalk it up to nostalgia, but whether you're a fan or a skeptic, "Transformers" still has more than meets the eye.

That $150 million is money well spent.