Armageddon (1998)

I'll be the first to tell you, special FX are not what I look for when I am hitting the movies, I love intelligence and acting, story, story, story, good directing at least. But from the opening scenes, 'ARMAGEDDON' explodes into emergency action. This sci-fi comedy-drama was a solid hit!! I have to fully disagree with critics who will praise a horrible movie and then say that a story like this is not bigger than life. This is a blockbuster entertainment giant, with a striking sense of humor, which 'Rockhound' (Bucsemi) provided many laughs, along with the rest of the multi-talented and troubled 'troup' of civilized maniacs. I truly think that the plot of the story is fun to think about, the world needs to be saved by a bunch of motley-ruff necks that can hardly obey the regular laws in their own city and now, they are going to work with the laws of gravity, science and all else to keep the planet from becoming a memory. Every movie mogul wants a block buster that is going to in essence save the world from total oblation and hit the box office with a vengeance. This one does it with he-man style and a wise-crack or two. They all ride together though, Harry Stamper, Grace the young in love daughter of Harry, Charles Chapple er, I mean 'Chick', A.J. also in love with Grace much to Harry's uneasiness, 'Rockhound' who just wants to have girls' who 'just want to have fun' the man who is a sky-scraper if anything else, Jayotis 'Bear' who is strong and a bit on the sensitive side, just to give us equilibrium, when they landed on the surface of the huge rock and he looks up and emotional and exclaims Thank you Jesus! The theater roared! He was right though. Then there is 'Oscar' who is a fun having not so fearless worker, and the comically sarcastic, but easy going Max, all under N.A.S.A Administrator Dan Truman who can't fly anymore. But he gets to watch these birds-of-a-feather, working together. With everyone up and going plus Lev Andropov the Russian Cosmonaut who works hard and gets a little too rowdy! They are able even with the adversity of Col. William Sharp they come together and pull it off and even with the last few moments when Harry Gives his life for A.J. in a very touching moment the story comes together and sets it right, the screw balls have a mature moment and a sobering lesson. But this crew is great!! They all mix together like a great drink. Bruce has the Juice, along with the rest of the motley crew, making this adventure a blast, even by today's standards it still comes across with strength, style, and comedic punch!

Recommended for action/adventure sci-fi junkies as well as regular Joe's' like me. (****)