Movie Review – Armageddon
Principal Cast : Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Billy Bob Thornton, Liv Tyler, Will Patton, Steve Buscemi, William Fichtner, Owen Wilson, Michael Clarke Duncan, Peter Stormare, Ken Campbell, Jessica Steen, Keith David, Chris Ellis, Jason Isaacs, Grayson McCouch, Clark Brolly, Marshall Teague, Anthony Guidera, Greg Collins, John Mahon, Grace Zabriskie, Eddie Griffin.
Synopsis: After discovering that an asteroid the size of Texas will impact Earth in less than a month, NASA recruits a misfit team of deep-core drillers to save the planet.
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When it comes to over-the-top, logic-defying, action-packed spectacles, Armageddon takes the cake. Directed by Michael Bay and released just weeks after Deep Impact, this asteroid disaster movie barrels through its 150-minute runtime with breakneck pacing, bombastic set pieces, and a complete disregard for realism. But that’s precisely what makes it so entertaining.
Bruce Willis leads the cast as Harry Stamper, a rugged deep-sea oil driller who is recruited—along with his ragtag crew—to undertake NASA’s desperate mission to save Earth. Their task? Fly to the massive asteroid hurtling toward the planet, drill deep enough to plant a nuclear bomb inside it, and blow it to smithereens before impact. If the premise sounds ludicrous, that’s because it is—but Bay’s commitment to high-octane, testosterone-fuelled action makes Armageddon a thrilling – albeit cheesy – ride.
The cast is stacked with larger-than-life personalities, including Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton, Steve Buscemi, and Michael Clarke Duncan. Affleck and Tyler provide the film’s obligatory love story, though their romance feels secondary to the film’s main attraction: massive explosions, slow-motion hero shots, and a relentless rock soundtrack.
One of the film’s greatest strengths—and its biggest weakness—is its sheer excess. The script is packed with quippy one-liners, each character given their “cool” moment in the spotlight. Bay’s direction leans heavily on rapid cuts, sweeping camera moves, and dramatic lighting, creating a film that never slows down long enough for audiences to question its many scientific inaccuracies. NASA, depicted as a team of nerdy incompetents, is relegated to the background as the blue-collar oil drillers take centre stage, reinforcing the film’s underdog, anti-establishment spirit.
Despite its chaotic structure, Armageddon delivers some truly memorable sequences. The opening destruction of New York, featuring flaming debris raining down from space, is spectacular. Paris’s annihilation later in the film is equally impressive, and the climactic asteroid sequence is peak Bayhem—loud, intense, and visually stunning.
Unlike Deep Impact, which aimed for emotional weight and realism, Armageddon embraces its absurdity. There are no hidden subtexts or deeper messages; what you see is what you get. The film is unapologetically patriotic, with multiple slow-motion shots of the American flag and a swelling score designed to stir up feelings of heroism. It’s pure popcorn entertainment, crafted to give audiences a fun, escapist experience rather than a thought-provoking meditation on humanity’s fate.
While critics often deride Bay’s films as empty spectacle, his ability to craft exhilarating action sequences is undeniable. Armageddon is a prime example of his early work, packed with the frenetic energy that would later define his Transformers series. Though its logic-defying narrative and hyperactive editing style may frustrate some viewers, for those willing to embrace its sheer ridiculousness, Armageddon remains an endlessly rewatchable blockbuster.
Ultimately, Armageddon and Deep Impact represent two very different takes on the same concept. Where Deep Impact opts for sincerity and emotional resonance, Armageddon goes all-in on spectacle and adrenaline-fuelled thrills. Both have their merits, but when it comes to sheer entertainment value, Armageddon takes the crown. It may not be high art, but it’s undeniably fun.
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