Not nearly as bad as the critics would have you believe

Rating: 7/10 (20 March 2013)

These days it's become fashionable to regard any Michael Bay picture with extreme derision, particularly amongst the critical community. However, upon recently rewatching Bay's 1998 blockbuster "Armageddon" I am forced to admit that he has indeed directed a few watchable movies.
The story here is fairly preposterous but what do you expect from a big-budget disaster movie? In this case, a meteor that could wipe out all of mankind is hurtling toward earth and no-one seems to know what to do about it. However, before long, NASA scientists decide that humanity's best bet is to send a rag-tag team of misfits into space to blow the meteor apart before it's too late.
The movie has a fairly hefty 151 minute runtime but I don't really think that it's entirely justified. There are some parts that feel like contrived diversions meant only to superficially create drama or to contribute to characterization. The movie is also guilty of being somewhat maudlin at times and also a bit too overtly patriotic. Nevertheless, over the long haul, the script holds together well enough to retain your interest without straining credulity beyond the breaking point.
One big asset for the movie is the loaded cast. Sure, stars Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck & Liv Tyler have all been better elsewhere but the real meat of the cast is in the supporting players. There are some of the best Hollywood character actors here like Billy Bob Thornton, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan, Will Patton, William Fichtner, Peter Stormare & Keith David. The filmmakers even managed to get Charlton Heston for the opening narration. It'd be difficult not to appreciate a cast like that, no matter what kind of material they've got to work with.
On the visual side, Michael Bay's direction is well handled but his penchant for quick cuts is in evidence throughout the film. Sometimes this works well but other times it seems superfluous (though it isn't necessarily distracting). The Oscar-nominated special effects have also held up surprisingly well.
Musically, the movie's a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, there's some classic ZZ Top, Aerosmith & Curtis Mayfield but on the other hand there's some Journey, Jon Bon Jovi and, of course, Aerosmith's schmaltzy Dianne Warren-penned smash "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing". Trevor Rabin's score is pretty solid throughout, though.
Ultimately, "Armageddon" is a worthwhile big budget spectacle. The storytelling may be a bit clumsy but the movie actually has a fair amount going for it. As far as popcorn entertainment goes, you could certainly do a lot worse than this.