It’s too bad Sonic the Hedgehog 2 also hit theaters this past weekend. His films may have divided critics in years past, but it seems Michael Bay is getting the reviews of his life for Ambulance, a film whose hours-long car chase can’t help but bring a sense of nostalgia for his countless other action flicks. For those not familiar, the American filmmaker is best known for directing high-budget action films characterized by fast edits, polished visuals and substantial use of practical effects.

“It’s interesting because a lot of European press have started to look at my movies, and they say, ‘You’re a very patriotic director. And do you feel that the American dream is disappearing?’ And I’m, like, ‘That’s a very astute observation. And yes, I do,’” Bay recently told EW in an interview. “I feel the American dream has been twisted and is disappearing, and that’s how I feel.”

From The Rock to Bad Boys II, there are car chases galore across Bay’s classic films dating back to the ’90s. Whether you’re a Bay fan or not, there’s no denying he can capture such action-packed moments with ease. Here’s a closer look at the best scenes from his most celebrated films.

5 Highway Chase in The Island (2005)

     DreamWorks Pictures

Starring a baby-faced Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, The Island exists within a seemingly utopian but contained facility in the mid-21st Century. It’s funny how the theatrical trailer gave away literally all the twists, but that was perhaps the norm back in the mid-2000s. In the story, all the inhabitants of this carefully controlled environment hope to be chosen to go to the “The Island” — reportedly the last uncontaminated spot on the planet. But Lincoln (McGregor) soon discovers that everything about his existence is a lie. He and the other inhabitants of the facility are actually human clones whose only purpose is to provide “spare parts” for their original human counterparts.

Besides the late Oscar-nominated Michael Clarke Duncan’s heartbreaking “I don’t wanna die!” scene midway through the film, The Island’s best scene comes with that epic freeway chase in the third act. That’s reason enough to check out the film in full.

4 San Francisco Chase in The Rock (1996)

Epic chase scenes plus Sean Connery make The Rock a can’t-miss for action-film fanatics. This fast-paced thriller follows a disgruntled general (Ed Harris) who holds the city of San Francisco hostage from Alcatraz Island by the threat of nuclear warfare. Hummel demands a ransom of $100 million to be distributed to the families of men who had died under his watch on clandestine missions. FBI chemical warfare agent Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) and ex-con and Alcatraz escapee John Mason (Connery) are tasked with breaking into the impenetrable prison to disarm the nukes and rescue the hostages. The Rock is highly regarded as Michael Bay’s best film, especially thanks to a certain chase through Northern California’s iconic city.

3 Highway chase in Bad Boys II (2003)

     Columbia Pictures

For anyone hesitant to appreciate Bad Boys II, just remember that the beloved heroes in Edgar Wright’s masterpiece Hot Fuzz will tell you it’s a gem. Bad Boys II is set eight years after the events of the first film and follows Lowrey (Will Smith) and Burnett (Martin Lawrence) on their quest to stop Cuban drug smuggler Johnny Tapia from smuggling ecstasy into Miami. This acclaimed sequel outshines its predecessor as director Bay had come into his own and really developed his style. “S*** just got real” is Lawrence’s iconic line, followed by a freeway chase that can’t be missed.

2 Opening scene of 6 Underground (2019)

Bay brought his specific brand of action spectacle to Netflix back in 2019 with this Ryan Reynolds-starrer. 6 Underground centers on a tech billionaire who, after faking his death, recruits a team of international operatives for a bold and bloody mission to take down a brutal dictator. The cast also includes Ben Hardy, Melanie Laurent, Dave Franco, Corey Hawkins, Adria Arjona and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. For anyone fearful that directors may lose their edge over time, look no further than the opening scene of Bay’s 2019 action-packed thrill ride. The explosive car chase sequence will keep you glued to your seat.

1 Ambulance (2022)

     Universal Pictures

Bay takes a wrecking ball to the streets of Los Angeles in a wild actioner with Ambulance, adapted from a 2005 Danish film of the same name. In an overwhelmingly chaotic story, Bay’s latest film follows two disparate brothers cause havoc while trying to escape from a botched bank robbery. Ambulance doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, which seems to be the critics’ consensus at large. But Bay’s action-director skills are put to the test with a chase scene that lasts virtually the entire film’s duration.

“All those explosions and cars flipping, that’s all real. That’s all live, real, ratchets,” Bay recently told Deadline. “It looks very dangerous [and] it could be very dangerous if you don’t know what the hell you’re doing. Most of it is real stunts.