A Framed Picture that would make Norman Rockwell proud...

Rating: 9/10 (15 April 2008)

If Norman Rockwell and Orson Scott Card had a child, in a bizarre new world, they would have written the screenplay for "Armageddon". An uncompromising look at what goes into the word Americana, Michael Bay has crafted a story that is pumped full of so many clichés that it becomes an entertaining, full-throttle action film that can be watched again and again. With a surprising cast and superb special effects, Bay uses the camera to create powerful artistic images coupled with the staples of what makes films of this nature unique. In this reviewer's eyes, "Armageddon" is one of those films where Bay has tricked the common audience. It is a typical summer blockbuster in every sense of the word, there are explosions, there are great lines, there are out-of-this world scenes, but he does this while incorporating hidden messages throughout. Perhaps I am looking a bit too deep into just another science fiction action film, but when "Armageddon" came through the DVD player, I wasn't ready. I was a nay-sayer to Criterion for adding this film to their collection, but now  in 2008  it makes perfect sense. Michael Bay has created a picture-perfect image of America. He has taken our desire for the inanimate, our non-perfect hero, slices of us through images of the Midwest (or of a time that we may have forgotten), and our religion to be the best and transformed it into a film. Yes, this is a science fiction film, yes this is the film about the big asteroid that only Bruce Willis can stop, and yes  Ben Affleck does attempt to act  but it is perfection. If our country was eliminated, and we needed a film for our history books  I wouldn't argue with "Armageddon". Now, let's let the argument begin.
The acting, come on, it's "Armageddon" people, but Bay is notorious for at least creating enjoyable characters. Buscemi is always worth the screen time, while Will Patton rounds out the voice of reason. The looming voice-over by Charlton Heston seemed to suck me into the story, while Willis and Affleck's banter seemed over the top, and at times annoying. They played their parts perfectly, yet it still had me on the edge of my seat. Liv Tyler gave it her all, and the way Bay filmed her (less words more emotion) was perfect. She carried the weight of her father and soon-to-be fiancé well into the asteroid. Compliments should be handed to Mr. Thornton as well, the man has a pair of chops on him, and if he could avoid the angry comedian films, he could remember that he has the talent. He was the epitome of NASA, the genius that had to work on the worst budget to save the world. Rewinding back to the notion that this is America in all of it's glory, these characters work perfectly. Willis' character reminded me of a mortal superhero. His ability to drill anywhere was his power, and his sense of nationalism, his idea of patriotism, bled from the screen. "Armageddon" played like a comic, with your muscling characters, cheap jokes, picture-esquire landscapes, and simple fix to a big problem. Again, it was cliché  all of these characters can be seen in any other film close to the same nature or entitled "summer blockbuster", but with Bay, he seemed to be saying more. Affleck was the only downfall on the character side. He was Ben playing Ben; there wasn't that sense of anything outside of comic timing and love interest needed. He wasn't Bruce, he wasn't anyone except filler.
The story was simple. Bay simply used the K.I.S.S. method to compile the script (the Keep It Simple Stupid), asteroid headed to Earth, nobody saw it, and it is up to Bruce to surrender to the beast. It is Mr. Michael Bay that must be complimented for this film. While other critics will argue that this isn't anything but drivel, I found it to be symbolic, surreal, and honest all at the same time. While other films will show America in a way that only the educated will see it, Bay throws it right in our face and we are unable to stop it. Golf on a cruise liner, Willis portraying this "everyman", the types of cars that our characters drive, the fact that upon completion of this task everyone want inanimate objects (power, sex, money), one cannot help but wonder what Bay is attempting to say about our culture. Michael Bay is the director of gluttony. I can attest that I couldn't stand this film upon viewing it the first time. I was horrified to see it in the Criterion gambit, but watching it again  older and wiser with film  I am happy to see it in the collection. "Armageddon" is America. It is the birth of the superhero, it is the cliché Americana that we face everyday; it is exactly what makes American cinema  well  American. Bay, in this film, has captured the truth. What makes this summer blockbuster even more enticing is that there is just a sprinkling of explosions, and most don't happen until the final third of the film. He has tricked us, made us believe that this is a no-brainer of a film, when it is in fact chalk full of symbolism that the faintest of film aficionados can smile under their breath.
Overall, as I begin to sound more and more repetitive, "Armageddon" - the Criterion release - blew my mind for the first time although it was my second viewing. I am eager to re-watch again Bay's "The Rock" which also found a Criterion release, with skeptics on both sides. The Norman Rockwell vision, the lack of any real science fiction until the third act, and the detail of the characters without devoting hours upon hours to them, made for strong  unparalleled cinema.
Grade: ***** out of *****