Review of Armageddon (1996) by Matt F — 02 Dec 2012

I'm not sure why people hate this movie so much. My guess is they either hate Michael Bay or they hate his style of film making.

Armageddon is a light-hearted movie painted on top of the heavy theme human extinction. A group of rough-around-the-edges oil workers have to save the world by going space to nuke an asteroid. The ensemble cast provides likeable characters and Bay provides dazzling imagery.

The movie opens a with a beautiful shot of the earth being stuck by the meteor that killed the dinosaurs. Charlton Heston's rumbling voice narrates while Trevor Rabin's absolutely beautiful score draws you instantly into the movie.

After this the space shuttle his destroyed by an asteroid shower we get the see New York City destroyed by even bigger asteroids. The NYC scene starts with a few racial stereotypes doing their thing. I'm not sure if it was meant to be funny or make us care about those characters before the city is destroyed, but it really doesn't do either. Instead, we see Michael Bay at his finest: there are cars exploding and flipping through the air, meteors smashing through buildings, people running though the streets screaming, and sweeping cinematography to make it all look so pretty.

After we learn about the impending asteroid collision, we are introduced to the ridiculous group of oil rig workers lead by Bruce Willis. I found it very hard not to like each of the characters. The characters have to be developed quickly so we care about them when trouble starts, which is fairly early in the movie. Every scene with the drillers gives us a little bit more of that character. Whether it's getting their physicals, psych evaluations, or making a list of final requests, the characters are well defined and fun to watch. This movie is not a character study, so with the exception of Ben Affleck and maybe Bruce Willis, none of the characters really have an arc. Owen Wilson's character is my personal favorite. By the end of the movie we are invested in the characters.

The dialogue is amusing and light, which is exactly what a summer blockbuster space adventure film needs. Every once and a while we are pulled back into the gravity of the situation with heartfelt moments, people dying, and cities around the world being destroyed by baby asteroids. Like all Michael Bay films, with one has its fair share of ham, and like all space movies, it has its fair share of scientific inaccuracies and implausibilities. The film is big, loud, and fast, with fast cuts, sweeping camera movements (albeit in sometimes inappropriate places), big personality characters, huge explosions, and big heart. I can't help crying at the end.

Other things: This, like other Bay films, is a sort of celebration of how much America kicks ass. The only other clearly non-American is the crazy Russian cosmonaut. Basically outside the white male cast, there are only stereotypes and weirdoes. There are only two main women in the movie - the love interest and a pilot - the rest are either bitchy, or they're strippers. If you are looking for racial, gender, or any kind or diversity, this isn't the movie. If you are looking for 2001: Space Odyssey, this isn't for you. If you are looking for a fun, action, space adventure pop corn flick, with pretty pictures, this is for you.