Armageddon (1998): Michael Bay’s Big, Silly Actioner, Starring Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck

Disney (Touchstone)

Michael Bay’s “Armageddon” is a big-budget, star-driven, glossy and noisy special effects Hollywood blockbuster that is utterly calculated, mechanical and impersonal.

The premise of this hybrid of a movie, a combo of sci-fi, actioner, thriller, and disaster genres, is that though 65,000,000 years ago, an asteroid killed the dinosaurs, the catastrophe could happen again—that is, soon.

At the tale’s start, NASA engineer Dan Truman (Billy Bob Thornton) that the world has about 18 days to survive—unless and until a viable asteroid –busting plan. He thus decides to send a crew to destroy the space invader.

The little joy to be had is observing the social dynamics among the members of the eccentric, colorful crew, headed by macho wildcat oil driller Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis).

All crew members are misfits or outsiders of one kind or another, including Ben Affleck, who plays the sexy surrogate son who courts Stamper’s daughter Grace (Liv Tyler).

The dialogue is often preposterous and unintentionally funny. When A.J. drops animal crackers into Grace’s panties, she notes: “I wonder how many people are doing the same thing right now?”

It’s good to see some quintessentially indie actors, such as Steve Buscemi and Will Patton, in a big Hollywood movie, not because they are challenged by the text, but because of the paycheck involved (I hope).

Armageddon received mixed to negative reviews from critics, but it was commercial success, grossing $553.7 million worldwide against a $140 million budget.

It became the year’s highest-grossing film, and the highest-grossing film to be released by Touchstone.