2. The Rock
A perfect example of exactly what it should be, Bay's second film is easily one of his best, delivering insane action thrills and benefiting from the hugely charismatic performances of Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery in the lead roles. Ed Harris plays the villainous Marine General who holds San Francisco hostage with a bunch of toxic rockets, and so it's up to the odd-couple pairing of Cage and Connery to try and stop him before it's too late. It's absolutely ridiculous - who can forget the scene in which a tram collides with a car, causing a hilariously out-of-nowhere, totally unrealistic explosion? - and that's why it's so fun. Lacking much of the silly humour of his later films, The Rock is nevertheless a gleefully fun action film that boasts genuinely exhilarating set-pieces - the ambush sequence in the locker room is exemplary, and was referenced heavily in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - and some great, knowing performances.