Armageddon (1998)

Some of the best lines in an action movie!

People love to dump on this movie...namely for the unrealistic plot and action. The first time I saw this it was in the theater and I felt like everyone else...I was dissapointed and it just felt like a big letdown.

However, this movie has grown on me like no tomorrow. Forget the plot and how its totally unrealistic. This movie has some of the best and funniest dialogue. It you watch the Gag Reel on the Criterion edition you'll see how much fun the actors had making this. The dialogue in this movie is funnier than most comedies out there, you just have to ignore the plot and pay attention to it. The humor is very dry and the characters all gel really well together. Its the little lines that make this movie..like when Bruce Willis is having an argument with his daughter, and to distract the Japanese clients that are visiting he says "look at those nice pipes up there". Its said so quickly that I didn't catch it after the first few viewings.

Give the movie a chance if you're on the fence about it...it really is entertaining. November 28, 2008

Pure stupidity

This movie is one of the silliest, dumbest movies I have ever seen. When I saw this film, it was apparent that no thought, no research, no intelligence went into the writing at all. Let's start with the basic premise of the film. An asteroid is discovered and we have 17 days until it hits. What do we do? In the real world, we bend over and kiss our butt goodbye. There is absolutely *no* way a mission such as this could be planned, trained-for and executed in this time. 17 days wouldn't be enough time to prepare a standard shuttle launch, much less one with this type of mission. This movie blindly ignores this fact. I am always distressed when films treat people as mere cattle, props to use while pounding a point home and then forget. In the open of the movie, New York is hit with a barrage of fragments, presumably causing untold death and injury. In the real world, people might even see fit to comment upon this with the people they meet. In Armageddon, this scene is presented as eye-candy (it *does* look pretty good) and then is promptly forgotten by everyone involved. No one talks about it. No one cares. There is so much that is wrong with Armageddon. The science involved in splitting an Asteroid the "size of Texas" with a nuclear bomb implanted only 800 feet into surface (trust me, when you have driven 800 feet into Texas, you haven't driven very far.) The idea that that bomb could divert the two large fragments enough to cause them to miss the Earth in the time they had left. The amazing "gravity" on the asteroid. The thing is, I can enjoy a good fantasy movie. Films do not always have to work by the rules of the reality I live in. I can accept "The Force" and other such fanciful ideas, as long as the movie is true to its own reality. But Armageddon chose to place itself in *our* reality, and should have attempted to follow the rules that apply here. Put simply, this movie is pure trash. It was by far the worst movie I saw in 1998, a year rife with embarrassing tripe. Save your time, save your money, save your brain. Don't see it. October 16, 2008

Anal About Realism? Not for you. Want To Be Entertained? This is it.

I believe this movie to be well directed and scripted. It had the right amount of humor, drama, and "feel good" ending. They knew when to be funny and when to be serious. It had a great cast and overall it was a very enjoyable movie. From what I've read, this was one of those "hate it or love it" movies and I really liked the movie.

As for realism, yeah most of that stuff probably wouldn't fly realistically but if the only way to save our planet was to drill a hole in the sucker, would I prefer astronauts be given last minute instructions on how to drill or would I prefer some guy who has done it for years? I guess it sounds kinda funny/stupid at first but...I would prefer the experienced driller.

In any case, if realism is what you wanted, this isn't for you. If you want a to watch an entertaining movie, this is one of the best I've seen. September 29, 2008

every cliche and movie ploy in the book

the best thing about this movie is it's fast paced and therefore the pain of various scenes is short-lived. also, there's some good one-liners on the moon. however, this movie attacks you with a blended mash of movie standards such as: the macho hero, the love interest, patriotism, action, rising music to artificially stir your emotions, the scientific genius,
the misunderstood father, the misunderstood daughter, suspense, comedy,
the bumbling bureaucrats, the rough-edged construction workers and of course, highly improbable drama. it's the full playbook crammed together, and because of that, it's virtually an educational guide about what not to do. it's a total mess overall, and horrible science fiction, but grabs your attention here and there. Unfortunately, though not even a decade old, it seems very outdated, largely b/c of the theme and the presence of the twin towers, but also because the computer effects are embarrasing in several places. overall, highly ridiculous. September 2, 2008

OVER HYPED. BORING.

This movie is over hyped. It's boring after 15 minutes into the movie. There's nothing exciting. It's also illogical. August 25, 2008

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