Armageddon

Armageddon is the latest offshoot of the big action blockbusters produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Michael Bay. "The Rock" is still my favourite, though, even if Armageddon offers bigger and more spectacular effects. Armageddon also has Bruce Willis in the central role, and that is always a plus. Willis plays the experienced driller Harry S. Stamper, who leads a motley collection of men who together make up the world's best drilling crew. Stamper and his men are called in when NASA discovers that a gigantic meteor is on a direct course for Earth. In fact there are only 18 days until total annihilation, so they have to think and act fast. In just a few days the drillers must be trained as astronauts. For they are to go into space, land on the meteor, drill deep holes in it and place nuclear bombs inside, so that the meteor can be destroyed by an internal explosion. Moving around on the meteor is immensely dangerous, however, and it is only through heroism, indomitability and self-sacrifice that the mission succeeds.

Armageddon is dripping with sentimentality in places, but you swallow these scenes because it is the devil-may-care Willis who is mainly jerking the tears. The film surprises by actually killing off several of the main characters, which must be said to be rather unusual in a Hollywood production of this kind. Naturally, though, Stamper's young colleague A. J., who loves Stamper's pretty daughter Grace, survives. The film's tone is far from merely sentimental, however. In fact it contains a good many humorous touches and remarks that contribute greatly to the entertainment.

In this age of disaster films it seems a little comical that one film about a given type of disaster is not enough. No, preferably there should be several. "Deep Impact" and Armageddon are quite different, though. Whereas Armageddon is full throttle most of the time, "Deep Impact" deals more with the emotional aspects, and the large gallery of characters in "Deep Impact" makes it seem looser at the seams, whereas Armageddon is more compact - and all in all a better film.