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Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
Brand: WILLIS,BRUCE
EAN: 9781558909007
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Widescreen
ISBN: 1558909001
Label: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Publisher: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
Region Code: 1
Release Date: January 05, 1999
Running Time: 151 minutes
Sales Rank: 685
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
Theatrical Release Date: July 01, 1998
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
When an asteroid the size of Texas is headed for Earth, a ragtag team of roughneck oil drillers are sent to drop a nuclear warhead into its core.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 25-JAN-2005
Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com essential video:
The latest testosterone-saturated blow-'em-up from producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay (The Rock, Bad Boys) continues Hollywood's millennium-fueled fascination with the destruction of our planet. There's no arguing that the successful duo understands what mainstream American audiences want in their blockbuster movies--loads of loud, eye-popping special effects, rapid- fire pacing, and patriotic flag waving. Bay's protagonists--the eight crude, lewd, oversexed (but lovable, of course) oil drillers summoned to save the world from a Texas-sized meteor hurling toward the earth--are not flawless heroes, but common men with whom all can relate. In this huge Western-in-space soap opera, they're American cowboys turned astronauts. Sci-fi buffs will appreciate Bay's fetishizing of technology, even though it's apparent he doesn't understand it as anything more than flashing lights and shiny gadgets. Smartly, the duo also tries to lure the art-house crowd, raiding the local indie acting stable and populating the film with guys like Steve Buscemi, Billy Bob Thornton, Owen Wilson, and Michael Duncan, all adding needed touches of humor and charisma. When Bay applies his sledgehammer aesthetics to the action portions of the film, it's mindless fun; it's only when Armageddon tackles humanity that it becomes truly offensive. Not since Mississippi Burning have racial and cultural stereotypes been substituted for characters so blatantly--African Americans, Japanese, Chinese, Scottish, Samoans, Muslims, French ... if it's not white and American, Bay simplifies it. Or, make that white male America; the film features only three notable females--four if you count the meteor, who's constantly referred to as a 'bitch that needs drillin',' but she's a hell of a lot more developed and unpredictable than the other women characters combined. Sure, Bay's film creates some tension and contains some visceral moments, but if he can't create any redeemable characters outside of those in space, what's the point of saving the planet? --Dave McCoy
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - every cliche and movie ploy in the book
the best thing about this movie is it's fast paced and therefore the pain of various scenes is short-lived. also, there's some good one-liners on the moon. however, this movie attacks you with a blended mash of movie standards such as: the macho hero, the love interest, patriotism, action, rising music to artificially stir your emotions, the scientific genius,
the misunderstood father, the misunderstood daughter, suspense, comedy,
the bumbling bureaucrats, the rough-edged construction workers and of course, highly improbable drama. it's the full playbook crammed together, and because of that, it's virtually an educational guide about what not to do. it's a total mess overall, and horrible science fiction, but grabs your attention here and there. Unfortunately, though not even a decade old, it seems very outdated, largely b/c of the theme and the presence of the twin towers, but also because the computer effects are embarrasing in several places. overall, highly ridiculous.
Rating:  - OVER HYPED. BORING.
This movie is over hyped. It's boring after 15 minutes into the movie. There's nothing exciting. It's also illogical.
Rating:  - A celebration of excitement and excess
Michael Bay's films are an odd addition to the Criterion collection, until you recall the Criterion Collection's mission statement reads "All we ask is that each film in the collection be an exemplary film of its kind."
Armageddon is ultimate distillation of Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer's commercial action movie formula, a formula that they introduced in Bad Boys (Special Edition), improved upon in The Rock - Criterion Collectionand finally, post-Armageddon, ran into the ground in Pearl Harbor. Later Bay films like The Island and Transformers (Two-Disc Special Edition)are informed by this formula, but none of them come close to this masterpiece of 1990s action.
As you almost certainly know, the plot of Armageddon involves a gigantic asteroid on a collision course with the Earth. The only ones who can stop it are a rag-tag crew of oil drillers, who hitch a ride with some astronauts on a pair of fighter-jet space shuttles to blow the rock to bits with a well-placed nuke. Sounds silly? It is, and the film has a couple of winking acknowledgements of its own silliness. Mostly though, the film believes in itself, and it is easy to become caught up in the (false) grandeur of the undertaking.
Lots of people will bad-mouth this film, but those people are movie snobs. Armageddon was one of the most popular movies of 1998, and it was a defining element of the popular culture of the time. Ignoring it just because you dislike its style or story is to put ... Read More
Rating: - This movie has great entertainment value
I have to admit that this is one of my favorite movies of all time. There are very few movies that even try to touch on almost every emotion and this one does it well in my opinion. For those who didn't like it, I am guessing that they were trying to relate it to reality. Movies like this aren't meant for that. They are meant for their entertainment value and this is full of it. There is action, comedy, drama, suspense, and a little horror. Awesome!
Rating: - watch this and forever hate Bruckheimer/Bay
I watched this movie in the theater 10 years ago, and I remember it as clear as day.
This movie was the first and only movie I've ever seen that made me so angry as to make me seek out who was responsible for it. "Michael Bay" and "Jerry Bruckheimer" have been etched in my brain ever since, and I avoid their stuff like the plague.
I think what made me most angry about this particular disaster was that it was so long. It was absolutely hollow, it did not make me care about any of the characters in the slightest. The movie went off on these annoying distractions, like the stupid Bruce Willis character chasing the other guy around over his daughter forever. There wasn't one reason for that. There was absolutely no suspense or pacing of any kind. It was nonstop motivational speeches and a crescendo of dramatic save-the-world music every 2 minutes for every little thing.
Without exaggeration, this was the most horrible experience I've ever had at the theater. I just wanted it to end so bad, but it went on and on and on and on. I was emotionally exhausted from sheer absolute hatred and resentment at the filmakers for putting me through that experience, and vowed to forever take responsibility for what I saw in the theaters after that.
Did I mention I hated this movie?
On the other hand, if you're a film student, then this is a *must see* film. Seriously, it will give you that boost of confidence in your abilities you've been looking ... Read More
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