One of the best movies ever!

Rating: 10/10 (1 May 2009)

I have watched this movie 20-30 times...as I watch this movie each year about 4-5 times showing it to my students (dead days when half the class is gone anyway...like today). Now 11 years old, each year I reminded at what a good movie this.
I realize there are a lot of critics of this movie and that there are challenges with the movie, but in all fairness, this movie has just about everything a good movie should have. I mean, unless you are wanting to watch a non-fiction movie, then this is the perfect fiction story. First the movie starts with action. There are so many movies today that are good...but just never get that WHAMO start that Armageddon starts with. The movie has tons of humor, so many lines that are just down right funny that this could almost be called a comedy. I have seen comedy movies that aren't as funny as Armageddon. It has romance...a real love story. The presidential montage with the incredible music score raking you across a range of motions from a father who messed up, to a dying father to a father saying good bye to his little girl, is just down right brilliant (brings tears to my eyes just writing this...and every time while watching it).
The tension building from get go is what makes this movie and the middle 10 minutes probably the most dramatic movie ever. The movie reminds me of how fragile life is...and how fragile our existence on this planet is, really. I think the message that the president reads is very well written and very dramatic.
I think the acting is really well done. The all star cast is perfect. Bruce Willis is flawless. Billy Bob is great. Keith David (Kimsey) is hysterical. The suspense...although you guess how the movie is going to end before it begins, is enough to keep you glued to your seat. The cinematography is incredible with great lighting, composition, filming, scenery, shallow depth of film, etc. The pacing is also very well done with very few slow spots.
So, sure you can poke holes in lots of technical details, but Armageddon is perfectly entertaining...and based on just about every other movie I have ever seen (and I watch a ton of movies and shows) is the best all around movie ever.