The '90s Sci-Fi Bruce Willis Movie That Critics Got Wrong

There's an infamous moment on the DVD commentary (via Newsweek) for "Armageddon" where Ben Affleck tells how he asked Michael Bay why oil drillers are being trained to become astronauts rather than astronauts getting trained to be oil drillers, with the latter seeming easier to pull off. Bay simply told the actor to "shut the f*** up," and the rest is Hollywood history. 

Much like Affleck asking about the inherent silliness of "Armageddon," critics similarly had many questions and negative opinions. The film has a 42% positive score from professional reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes, and that's just far too low. After all, we're talking about a movie where an asteroid the size of Texas is heading toward Earth, and a bunch of oil drillers led by Harry S. Stamper (Bruce Willis) are recruited to plant a bomb within the asteroid and blow it up before it makes contact. From there, myriad subplots develop, including Stamper disapproving of one of his workers, A.J. (Affleck), dating his daughter, Grace (Liv Tyler).

Critics largely derided the film's anti-intellectualism and how little of it made sense. There's also Bay's signature excess that wallops you throughout its 150-minute runtime. But there are many movies that are far better than you remember, and "Armageddon" is certainly one that deserves a second chance. 

When you go on Space Mountain at Disneyland, do you criticize the fact that the rollercoaster doesn't have an oxygen system in place for this supposed tour around the cosmos? No, you sit back and enjoy the ride. And "Armageddon" is as close as you're going to get to a cinematic rollercoaster. It's pure popcorn entertainment that's not trying to say anything about our place in the universe or realistically depict how the planet would save itself from an impending asteroid collision.

That's not to take anything away from intellectually stimulating cinema. After all, sometimes you're in the mood for beef wellington, and other times you want McDonald's. If you've had a rough week and just want to turn your mind off for a little bit, "Armageddon" is the way to go. If anything, "Armageddon" has probably inadvertently educated the general public about space travel, with no shortage of scientists discussing at length what the film gets wrong. These breakdowns can be just as entertaining, and stick with you much better than if those details were present in the film itself. 

Pure spectacle is Michael Bay's entire M.O. That's why "Armageddon" remains one of Bay's best movies. It knows what it is and delivers exactly what you came from: Popcorn entertainment with a heavy dose of melodrama and humor to boot.

"Armageddon" isn't all explosions and guys walking toward the camera looking cool. There's a strong enough emotional hook between A.J. wanting Stamper's approval to be with his daughter. And after two-and-a-half hours of character development, Stamper sacrifices himself on the asteroid, giving A.J. his approval for them to marry. It's one of the most devastating deaths in any sci-fi classic, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a dry eye during that gut-punch. "Armageddon" is unabashedly sincere, where emotional beats aren't undercut by jokes. The whole thing is silly, but it takes the silliness seriously. 

We're not saying "Armageddon" deserves to be in the same conversation as "2001: A Space Odyssey," but you have to take the movie for what it is. General audiences have caught on, as "Armageddon" sports a 72% positive Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie was even added to the Criterion Collection, a service that restores and preserves older, classic films. It probably isn't at risk of getting forgotten anytime soon, but Criterion likely added it as a more commercial venture to help fund the restorations of more obscure titles. 

"Armageddon" isn't perfect, but it also represents a kind of blockbuster we don't get anymore. The special effects team created real sets and utilized actual explosions. If nothing else, it's easy to appreciate the artistry on display that's becoming harder to come by in modern big-budget action movies.