"Armageddon?" More Like ArmaGAINING Critics' Approval

Rating: 10/10 (17 January 2019)

If you're looking for an action-packed, emotionally powerful movie that grasps your attention in an instant, Armageddon is the movie for you. This movie exceeded my expectations in nearly every way, through its enriching plot and acting, exceptional directing by Michael Bay, and its core concept of the power of relationships.
The movie opens up with action right away, with a meteor shower. It first impacts a space shuttle, and then hits Earth in various locations, causing chaos and fear in people's eyes, as they don't know what is going to happen next. This scene catches people's attention, and is a powerful opening to what the rest of the film has in store. NASA then discovers a Texas-sized asteroid approaching Earth and they have 18 days until it hits. This causes panic in the space station, and everyone bands together to try to find a solution to this massive problem. It's a race against the clock to stop the asteroid before it's too late. They came to the solution of blowing up the asteroid from the inside, with the help of some oil drillers.
Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis), an experienced deep sea driller is hired by NASA to essentially save the planet. No pressure, right? He agrees to the task, but insists he brings his own men with him, as it makes him feel more comfortable. One of his men, A.J. (Ben Affleck), is dating his daughter, Grace (Liv Tyler), and this is hard for Stamper to handle, as he is the typical overprotective father. Grace has been travelling with her dad throughout her life, as her mother left the picture. She created a family with the guys onboard, and they treat her as they would their own child. They have a strong bond that no one could take away. Bruce Willis' performance was superb as he portrays a character that is tough, yet vulnerable as he cares about his daughter. He also offers a sarcastic charisma, which helps ease the tension of their life-threatening circumstances. While Bruce Willis' impressive acting is evident in other well known movies like Die Hard and Sixth Sense, where he plays strong characters, he brings a unique depth to the character of Harry Stamper specifically. His powerful performance adds a lot to both the story and the film as a whole.
One of the elements that made this movie so powerful was the use of music to create certain moods. Music had the power to increase the intensity of a moment or a scene and evoke emotion from the viewer. This film uses the powerful song, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith multiple times. This song helped create a deeper emotional connection to the characters and the relationships that they formed. Michael Bay also implemented strong visual effects to portray space, and action scenes involving explosions. This was crucial to the film, because it made it more authentic and helped create a realistic portrayal of events. Some think that certain scenes seem impractical, as their bomb wouldn't be able to blow up an asteroid of that size. I recognize these complaints, but little details like these don't make or break the movie, as it is a fictional film.
A core theme of the film is the power of relationships in one's life. Relationships add to the depth and the power of this film. Harry has a special bond with his men, as he spends nearly everyday working with them. Harry is extremely tough on the outside, and hardly shows how much he cares, but it's there. And he of course has the relationship with his daughter, who is the light of his life, and does anything to make her happy. Grace, in particular was the main reason that he decided to complete this task, in all efforts to make her proud.
This movie is a must see, and thoroughly impressed me on all levels: plot, acting, visual effects, and emotional appeal. It also captured the core theme of the importance of well-developed relationships. It grasped my attention from start to end, and never failed to keep me on the edge of my seat. Michael Bay's fantastic directing made this film an entertaining masterpiece, and I recommend it to anyone seeking an action-packed, heartfelt experience.