Monday, July 6, 1998
Heavenly Bodies
FILM: In a world where destructive asteroids are fodder for
blockbuster movies, ‘Armageddon’ stands out as a thrilling
150-minute collection of cliches
By Louise Chu
Daily Bruin Staff
Again a movie is set in a disaster situation of epic
proportions.
Again a movie centers around a forbidden romance between a
demure yet feisty young beauty and a hot, scrappy underdog.
Again a movie with pathetically weak character development
redeems itself with spectacular action and visual effects.
Hmmm … sounds vaguely familiar.
"Armageddon" is Hollywood’s new summer offering for the
blockbuster-thirsty masses. While the plot is nothing new, the
concept lays ground for a thrilling two and a half hours.
"Armageddon" offers few substantial reasons to award it with an
Oscar, but what it does offer is pure, unadulterated entertainment
value.
The adventure begins with a devastating asteroid shower across
New York City, setting off alarm bells at NASA and leading to the
discovery of a larger threat to the planet. An asteroid, comparable
to the size of Texas, is headed for Earth and scheduled to
obliterate human life in 18 days.
NASA devises the brilliant plan to send up a ragtag bunch, lead
by world-renowned oil driller Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis), to save
the earth. The mission is simple: the eight will hop on a space
shuttle, slingshot around the moon and land on the ominous rock,
where they will drill a hole and detonate a nuclear explosive in
its core.
To the melange of ex-cons and garage mechanics, it simply sounds
like a ticket to a tax-free life and summer vacations at the White
House. Their apathy worries the tight necks at NASA but provides
for some hilarious moments.
At times, "Armageddon" seems to succumb to its comic angle and
play like a spoof. One scene shows the crew striding down the
runway to board the shuttle, invoking an eerie feeling of deja vu
from "The Right Stuff," until an observer makes the comparison
painfully obvious by calling them "the wrong stuff."
Yes, that is inspired dialogue.
But you can’t expect Shakespeare from the king of the glamour
close-up, director Michael Bay ("Bad Boys" and "The Rock").
"Armageddon" has no room for quality dialogue or memorable lines,
as audiences are too busy watching the beautiful people in
action.
And what action it is! The entire movie has an incredible
larger-than-life feel to it. While this severely detracts from any
element of realism, the vibrant colors and picturesque scenes
provide a stunning visual treat.
This lack of realism can often be laughable. Bay blatantly
exploits every cultural stereotype when presenting scenes of life
in the Far East, India, France and even the United States.
At this point, the audience knows not to expect cerebral
euphoria from this movie. Its intellectual value must immediately
be questioned when Charlton Heston opens the movie with an
enlightening little history lesson.
The characters are extremely two-dimensional, from A.J. (Ben
Affleck) as The Reckless Youth, to Rockhound (Steve Buscemi) as The
Wisecracking Genius, to Bear (Michael Clarke Duncan) as The
Sensitive Big Guy. There is little character development, and each
character does exactly what is expected of them.
Despite the many reasons why "Armageddon" is a bad movie, well,
it just isn’t. Although it lacks substance, it remains an
undeniably entertaining thrill ride.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer manages to assemble stellar cast
members that each serve their role competently. Each actor makes
the most of the weak script, delivering their paper-thin parts with
dynamism and energy.
Billy Bob Thornton gives a strong performance in an
uncharacteristic role as NASA’s straight-laced executive director
Dan Truman. Such a departure from his usual fare of portraying the
marginalized of society proves his incredible versatility as an
actor.
Bruce Willis successfully reprises his action hero persona,
reminiscent of his "Die Hard" days. This time, Willis takes a more
mature, commanding approach, playing surrogate father to A.J. and
biological father to Grace (the flawless Liv Tyler).
Peter Stormare, as Russian cosmonaut Lev, and Buscemi add their
exceptional comic talents to the ensemble, reminiscent of their
darkly hilarious partnership in "Fargo." This time, however, they
exercise their abilities individually, rarely interacting
throughout the movie.
No blockbuster ensemble is complete without casting two foxy
Hollywood stars for a hot romance. There’s no better choice than
Tyler, who has nailed her now classic "I’m-a-sultry-little-ingenue"
character, and Affleck, fresh from the "Good Will Hunting" high.
Affleck gives a passionate performance in his first action role and
works well in his new leading-man status.
Speaking of spectacular visuals, the ultimate appeal of
"Armageddon" is the breathtaking effects. Throughout the movie, the
audience is riveted by the vivid images of mass destruction on
Earth, as smaller asteroids precede the "Global Killer." The shots
set in space are equally mesmerizing, as are, of course, the
explosions. One after another, they bombard the screen in an
endless barrage of devastation.
There is never a boring moment in the epic two and a half hours
of "Armageddon." For audiences that are willing to submit to the
guilty pleasure of gratuitous beauty and thrilling action, it will
surely be one of the highlights of the summer.
In "Armageddon," NASA officials pick a team of deep core oil
drillers to plant nuclear explosives in an oncoming asteroid in a
last ditch effort to save the planet.
Grace Stamper (Liv Tyler) is the love interest of oil driller
A.J. Frost (Ben Affleck) and the daughter of team leader Harry S.
Stamper (Bruce Willis).
An asteroid causes mass destruction across the earth in the
summer blockbuster-hopeful "Armageddon."