Armageddon
is really an action movie set in space. Featuring a cast comprising Bruce Willis,
Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and Steve Buscemi
and with a heart-warming score by Aerosmith, this movie has all right ingredients
to please action buffs. Add to that a desperate battle, and you're set for en
empowering moment.
The movie bears a simple story: a giant iron rock is about to impact Earth
at a speed sufficient to kill everything alive except unicellular life forms.
Americans must save Earth. Like with Independence Day (1996), genuine patriotism,
strong music and seat-riveting action makes Armageddon a killer sci-fi
action flick.
The special effects presented are quite convincing and serve as very satisfying
eye candy. I really had my share and still wanted more when I left the theatre.
I even had too much soft-drink and yet remained seated, enduring yellow-vision
just to make sure that "I wouldn't miss a thing" :)
One
of most outward critics that can be said about this flick is that it is scientifically
wrong. Many people I met involved in rocketry and asteroid detection were saddened
by the goofy science portrayed in Armageddon (like space shuttles
that can fly so far and asteroids that can be moved or destroyed on a short notice).
This is where the "fiction" part of "science-fiction" comes
into play. In my opinion, I believe that turning a scientific challenge into an
action flick made more people realise the threat of near-Earth asteroids. After
all, NASA only injects (as of 1999) 3 millions US dollars a year in asteroid-related
research, less than ten percent of it going to actual detection. Public pressure
might help improve such bleak financial efforts.
Armageddon is a love it or hate it affair. A strong cast, empowering
score and non-stop sci-fi action, all in all makes for an entertaining adrenaline-filled
evening. Even people seeking romance will find a love story in there. As with
Starship Troopers (1997), if you get to see this flick on a big screen or
DVD and have access to a good sound system, you'll feel as if you were part of
the crew, saving the day.
Review by René-Marc Simard. |