A Republican Manifesto?

Rating: 4/10 (22 April 1999)

The Criterion Armageddon DVD is very good, some decent extras. I still question Criterion's poor lack of judgment in releasing the DVD at all, though, since there are so many quality movies that would more greatly benefit from a Special Edition Criterion treatment. As usual, though, the Criterion DVD is technically over-rated. The sound on the entire Extras DVD is extremely poor, and is just very hard to listen to at all.
More interesting, though, is that on a second viewing it becomes kind of obvious what a Republican manifesto the whole movie is. Michael Bay's gag reel on the Extras DVD largely consists of Billy Bob Thornton's stereotypical and offensive gay impressions. Greenpeace is portrayed unsympathetically early on in the movie protesting the oil drilling (is that even a real cause of theirs? Save the oil?). Bruce Willis, the hero, shoots his gun all over the oil well, like a crazed NRA member. Maybe I am way off-base, but some of these images (especially Billy Bob's meanness) made me upset. This definitely is not a liberal movie.