‘Armageddon’: The Blockbuster Melodrama That Left Our Heads Spinning
The New York Times • • entertainment
Key Points:
- A "good-bad" movie is one that is not critically acclaimed but highly entertaining due to its memorable absurdity and fun elements.
- The 1998 film "Armageddon," directed by Michael Bay and starring Ben Affleck, exemplifies this genre with its implausible plot about oil drillers sent to space to destroy a giant asteroid.
- Despite its scientific inaccuracies, such as unrealistic space physics and mission logistics, "Armageddon" was the highest-grossing film worldwide in 1998.
- The movie’s blend of over-the-top action and disregard for logic has made it a cult favorite, even reportedly used by NASA trainees to identify errors.
- Ben Affleck’s humorous commentary on the film highlights the clash between Hollywood spectacle and real-world science.