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Encyclopedia > Armageddon (1998 film)
Armageddon
Directed by Michael Bay
Produced by Michael Bay, Jerry Bruckheimer, Gale Anne Hurd
Written by Robert Roy Pool
Jonathan Hensleigh
Starring Bruce Willis
Ben Affleck
Liv Tyler
Billy Bob Thornton
Will Patton
Steve Buscemi
Michael Clarke Duncan
Ken Campbell
Owen Wilson
William Fichtner
Peter Stormare
Distributed by Touchstone Pictures
Release date(s) July 1, 1998
Running time 150 minutes
Language English
Budget $140 million
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Armageddon is an Academy Award-nominated disaster/science fiction film about a group of blue-collar deep-core drillers who are sent by NASA to deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth. It was directed by Michael Bay, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and released on Disney's Touchstone Pictures label. It stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler. The film's tagline is "For Love. For Honor. For Mankind." Armageddon Movie Poster File links The following pages link to this file: Armageddon (movie) ... Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. ... Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. ... Jerome Leon Bruckheimer (born September 21, 1945) is a film and television producer in the genre of action, drama, and science fiction. ... Gale Anne Hurd (b. ... Jonathan Hensleigh is one of the most prolific screenwriters in the action/adventure genre of films, he is noted for being an old school action screenwriter and director. ... Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a German-American actor and singer. ... Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is a Golden Globe Award-nominated American film actor, director, and Academy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-winning screenwriter. ... Liv Tyler (born Liv Rundgren, on July 1, 1977 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, New York[1]) is an American actress most famous for her roles of Grace Stamper in Armageddon and Arwen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. ... Billy Bob Thornton (born William Robert Thornton on August 4, 1955) is an Academy Award-winning American screenwriter, actor, as well as occasional director, playwright and singer. ... Will Patton Will Patton (born June 14, 1954 in Charleston, South Carolina) is an American actor. ... Steven Vincent Buscemi (born December 13, 1957) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated American actor and film director. ... Michael Clarke Duncan (born December 10, 1957) is an academy award nominated actor who has starred in a number of successful films. ... Ken Hudson Campbell (sometimes Ken Campbell) is an American television and voice actor. ... Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and writer. ... William Edward Bill Fichtner (born November 27, 1956 in East Meadow, New York) is an American actor. ...   (born August 27, 1953) is a Swedish film and television actor. ... Touchstone Pictures (also known as Touchstone Films in its early years) is one of several alternate film labels of The Walt Disney Company, established in 1984. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Armageddon may refer to: In various religions and cultures, Armageddon refers to end times or Earth ending catastrophes. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage. ... A drilling rig is a structure housing equipment used to drill into underground reservoirs for water, oil, or natural gas, or into sub-surface mineral deposits. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States federal government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... 253 Mathilde, a C-type asteroid. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. ... Jerome Leon Bruckheimer (born September 21, 1945) is a film and television producer in the genre of action, drama, and science fiction. ... Touchstone Pictures (also known as Touchstone Films in its early years) is one of several alternate film labels of The Walt Disney Company, established in 1984. ... Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a German-American actor and singer. ... Billy Bob Thornton (born William Robert Thornton on August 4, 1955) is an Academy Award-winning American screenwriter, actor, as well as occasional director, playwright and singer. ... Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is a Golden Globe Award-nominated American film actor, director, and Academy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-winning screenwriter. ... Liv Tyler (born Liv Rundgren, on July 1, 1977 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, New York[1]) is an American actress most famous for her roles of Grace Stamper in Armageddon and Arwen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. ...


Armageddon was released at a time when disaster films were seeing a comeback. Another disaster film, involving a comet instead of an asteroid, Deep Impact, was made in the same year as well as Godzilla. The previous year had seen two volcano-based disaster movies, Dante's Peak, starring Pierce Brosnan, and Volcano, starring Tommy Lee Jones. A disaster film is a film that has an impending or ongoing disaster (e. ... Deep Impact is a 1998 science fiction disaster film released by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures. ... Godzilla is an American science fiction film directed by Roland Emmerich and starred Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Michael Lerner and Kevin Dunn. ... For other uses, see Volcano (disambiguation). ... Dantes Peak is a 1997 action-adventure film starring Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton. ... Pierce Brendan Brosnan OBE [1] (born May 16, 1953) is an Irish actor and producer best known for portraying James Bond in four films from 1995 to 2002: GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. ... Volcano is an action drama starring Tommy Lee Jones, Anne Heche, and Don Cheadle, and was directed by Mick Jackson. ... For the musician, see Tommy Lee. ...


A novelization was written by C. Bolin, based on the screenplay by Jonathan Hensleigh and the story by Jonathan Hensleigh and Robert Pool. A novelization (or novelisation in British English) is a work of fiction that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work. ... Jonathan Hensleigh is one of the most prolific screenwriters in the action/adventure genre of films, he is noted for being an old school action screenwriter and director. ...

Contents

Plot

Before the film’s title appears onscreen, a narrator (Charlton Heston) informs us that during the time of the dinosaurs, a six mile-wide asteroid struck the Earth at the present day Yucatan Peninsula, causing catastrophic damage to its ecosystem. We are also informed that the probability of a similar disaster in our time is very high. This article contains a trivia section. ... The Mesozoic Era is one of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. ... Badlands near Drumheller, Alberta where erosion has exposed the KT boundary. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. ... A coral reef near the Hawaiian islands is an example of a complex marine ecosystem. ...


In the middle of an EVA around 1998, the Space Shuttle Atlantis (which was repairing a faulty satellite) is struck by thousands of tiny meteoroids and explodes in space. Shortly after, an area of Earth between Finland and South Carolina is bombarded by more meteorites. Several landmarks and skyscrapers in New York City are destroyed, such as Grand Central Station, the Chrysler Building, and parts of the World Trade Center. Astronaut Bruce McCandless on an untethered EVA Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth and outside of his or her spacecraft. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-104) is one of the fleet of space shuttles belonging to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ... It has been suggested that micrometeoroid be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston(1670-1789) Columbia(1790-present) Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Columbia Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32°430N to 35°12N... Willamette Meteorite A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives an impact with the Earths surface without being destroyed. ... Taj Mahal Big Ben Saint Basils Cathedral For other senses of this word, see landmark (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... The main concourse Grand Central Terminal (GCT, often unofficially called Grand Central Station) is a terminal rail station at 15 Vanderbilt Avenue (42nd Street and Park Avenue) in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. ... The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. ... “WTC” redirects here. ...


NASA scientists, led by Dan Truman (Thornton), determine that the smaller meteoroids were forced towards Earth by a much larger asteroid the size of Texas. The team also determines that this asteroid will strike the Earth in 18 days, causing the total destruction of all life. They work frantically to develop a plan to stop it. Most scenarios are dismissed as impractical due to the size and speed of the object. Finally a scientist, Ronald Quincy (Jason Isaacs), proposes a solution whereby they'll drill a nuclear warhead into the core of the asteroid and remote-detonate it, effectively destroying the asteroid. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States federal government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... Billy Bob Thornton (born William Robert Thornton on August 4, 1955) is an Academy Award-winning American screenwriter, actor, as well as occasional director, playwright and singer. ... 253 Mathilde, a C-type asteroid. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... An extinction event (also known as: mass extinction; extinction-level event, ELE) occurs when there is a sharp decrease in the number of species in a relatively short period of time. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...


NASA finally decides to recruit Harry Stamper, reputed to be the best deep core driller in the world. They find him on an oil platform in the South China Sea where he is in the process of drilling for a Japanese company and firing one of his lead crew members, A.J. Frost, for insubordination. We also find out that A.J. has had a romantic relationship with Stamper’s daughter, Grace, for several months, a fact that Harry is infuriated to discover, prompting him to go after A.J. with a shotgun. Drilling rig head Well drilling is the process of drilling a hole in the ground for the extraction of a natural resource such as ground water, natural gas, or petroleum. ... The Hibernia platform is the worlds largest oil platform. ... Filipino name Tagalog: Luzon Sea Portuguese name Portuguese: Mar da China Meridional Vietnamese name Vietnamese: The South China Sea is a marginal sea south of China. ... Insubordination is the act of a subordinate deliberately disobeying a lawful order. ... For other uses, see Shotgun (disambiguation). ...


Harry agrees to take on the job of destroying the asteroid. The plan is to approach the asteroid from behind, land on it, drill to 800 feet, plant a nuclear bomb in the shaft and detonate it remotely after evacuation. The deadline for detonation is a distance from Earth called "zero barrier," which will allow the two halves of the asteroid to miss Earth when split apart. Harry recruits a motley crew made up of his best workers and they prepare for the mission through rigorous space travel drills, modification of their equipment and pointed psychological tests to determine whether they are able to work in space. Near the conclusion of the training phase, Rockhound borrows money from a loan shark and is later arrested in a strip club. Chick attempts to make amends with his estranged wife and their son. A.J. proposes marriage to Grace and she accepts: they will marry when (and if) he returns from the mission. The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter. ... A weapons cache is detonated at the East River Range on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan Detonation is a process of supersonic combustion in which a shock wave is propagated forward due to energy release in a reaction zone behind it. ... A loan shark is a person or body that offers illegal unsecured loans at high interest rates to individuals, often backed by blackmail or threats of violence. ... For the book or movie Striptease see Striptease (book) and Striptease (movie) A striptease is a performance, usually a dance, in which the performer gradually removes their clothing for the purposes of sexually arousing the audience, usually performed in nightclubs. ...

A.J. and Grace

At the end of the training missions, a meteor penetrates the Earth's atmosphere and collides with Shanghai, annihilating the city and causing the deaths of some 50,000 people from a massive tsunami. This triggers massive press attention, and light is shed on NASA's once-covert operation as the world fixes its eyes on Stamper and his team. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Shanghai (Chinese: ; pinyin:  ; Wu (Long-short): ZÃ¥nhae; Shanghainese (IPA): ), situated on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in East China, is the largest city of the Peoples Republic of China and the ninth largest in the world. ... The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ...


The two shuttles take off into space and head for the Russian space station Mir orbiting Earth to stock up on the fuel required for the mission. Once both successfully docked in the station, the two teams meet Russian cosmonaut, Lev Andropov, who has been in the station for 18 months. Lev sends AJ down a shaft to keep an eye on the pressure of the fuel exchange. Ironically, some of the fuel leaks into the electrical system causing a chain reaction which sets fire to the fuel pod. the crew must abandon the station, Lev and AJ barely escaping as it explodes. The crews escape all accounted for, with 90% of their fuel and Lev now onboard the Independence. The International Space Station in 2007 A space station is an artificial structure designed for humans to live in outer space. ... U.S. Space Shuttle astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit. ... A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions. ...


The next day, the two teams proceed to phase two of the mission - to slingshot themselves around the far side of the moon so they can land on the asteroid from the back as it goes by. The primary boosters of the Independence are destroyed by a rock and it hurtles out of control as another piece of rock smashes the front windows, sending pilots Davis and Tucker flying into space, and killing crew members Oscar, Freddie and Lt. Halsey. The shuttle crashlands and only AJ, Lev and Bear survive. The Freedom sustains damage as well, but is able to land safely. Far side of the Moon. ...


On the asteroid, communications on the Freedom are out, leaving the crew with no way to contact Earth. After determining that they have overshot their landing site and are sitting on an area comprised of iron, making it extremely difficult to drill, the crew begins their project anyway, but quickly figures out that the drilling will be nearly impossible, delaying the mission.


Meanwhile AJ, Lev and Bear try and find their way to the Freedom in the second armadillo, after spotting the ship over a giant chasm they use the asteroid's low gravity to get to the over side. But after a miscalculation they find themselves spinning rollercoaster-like off the asteroid with only Lev's grim dertermination to get back home to his family, getting the armadillo back on the ground. Astronauts on the International Space Station display an example of weightlessness. ...


Elsewhere the Freedom crew find their troubles are compounded when Colonel Sharp informs NASA that they will not be able to complete the mission on time. The President allows the Air Force to initiate the premature detonation of the bomb in the hopes that the asteroid will be deflected enough to miss Earth. A fight ensues on the shuttle between Sharp and Stamper over whether to shut it off. Harry is able to subdue Sharp and convince him that he can make the depth of 800 feet. Colonel Sharp and Nuclear Technician Gruber are able to defuse the bomb in mere seconds before it detonates.


One of Stamper’s crew, Rockhound, has a negative psychological reaction to working in space, aptly named space dementia. He causes a distraction while playing with a Gatling gun, nearly shooting a few crew members. While they attempt to bring him under control, the drilling vehicle hits a gas pocket, blasting it off the asteroid, taking crew member Max with it. On Earth, the media report that the mission has failed. An asteroid fragment penetrates the atmosphere and strikes Paris, sending a shockwave that topples the Eiffel Tower, rips the roof of Les Invalides and destroys the gargoyles of Notre Dame de Paris. Space Dementia may refer to: A game for the TI-89 programmable calculator. ... The Eiffel Tower (French: , ) is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris, France. ... The church at the Invalides Les Invalides in Paris, France consists of a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the buildings original purpose. ... Notre Dame de Paris: Western Façade For the novel by Victor Hugo, see The Hunchback of Notre Dame. ...

The crew.

As they wait out their ultimate fate, the crew discovers that A.J., Lev and Bear has survived the crash of the Independence and has arrived at the drilling site in the second Armadillo. Despite some arguments between A.J. and Harry, he decides to let A.J. continue, and they drill successfully to 800 feet. Following a few more mishaps, including A.J. being trapped in the shaft, they plant the nuke and prepare to evacuate. However, another earthquake occurs, killing nuclear technician Gruber. The remote denotation trigger on the bomb has also been damaged, which means that one of the crew members will have to stay behind in order to manually detonate the bomb. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...


The team draw straws to see who will stay behind and activate the bomb. A.J. draws the short straw. As he and Harry return to the drilling site, Harry pulls out A.J.'s oxygen feed tube and forces him back into the shuttle, telling him to take care of Grace. He then rips off the mission patch on his suit and tells A.J. to give it to Dan Truman.


When they are ready to leave, they find out that the shuttle is unable to launch. After the shuttle is "fixed", by Lev banging a wrench on the instruments, they take off, leaving Harry behind. Harry contacts Grace at NASA headquarters and they exchange their last, emotional goodbyes. Harry is hindered by several quakes, but manages to reach the detonator. His last thoughts are of Grace as he pushes the button just before zero barrier is breached. The asteroid is blasted in half and the two pieces miss colliding with Earth by 400 miles. A detonator is a device used to trigger bombs, shaped charges and other forms of explosive material and explosive devices. ...


The Freedom crew lands safely back on Earth and are met by NASA officials and their loved ones (including Chick's wife and son and the stripper Rockhound had been seen with earlier). Grace and A.J. are reunited and the final scenes of the film are of their wedding.


Cast

  • Bruce Willis: Harry Stamper: Father of Grace and the world's best oil driller. He does not approve of Grace's relationship with AJ (he goes after AJ with a shotgun). He nobly sacrifices himself to destroy the asteroid and save Earth.
  • Billy Bob Thornton: Dan Truman: NASA Administrator.
  • Ben Affleck: A.J. Frost: Young member of Harry's oil rig team, marries Grace.
  • Liv Tyler: Grace Stamper: Harry's daughter and AJ's girlfriend/fiance/wife.
  • Will Patton: Charles 'Chick' Chapple: Harry's friend and team member who was banned from seeing his wife and child.
  • Steve Buscemi: Rockhound: A horny smartaleck roughneck who is a genius.
  • William Fichtner: Colonel William Sharp: Pilot of the Freedom shuttle.
  • Owen Wilson: Oscar Choi: A spacey but brilliant geologist on the drill team. He dies when the Independence crashlands, his helmet and face punctured by flying glass.
  • Michael Clarke Duncan: Jayotis 'Bear' Kurleenbear: A 6'5" 270 lb emotional roughneck.
  • Peter Stormare: Lev Andropov: A somewhat looney, although courageous Russian cosmonaut.
  • Ken Campbell: Max Lennert: A tough drill member who drives the first Armadillo. He dies when the Armadillo is blown off the asteroid by a gas pocket explosion.
  • Jessica Steen: Jennifer Watts: Co-pilot of the Freedom shuttle.
  • Keith David: Lt. General Kimsey: A high-ranked military soldier in charge of the mission.
  • Chris Ellis: Walter Clark: Mission Control Floor Manager at Houston.
  • Jason Isaacs: Dr. Ronald Quincy: A research scientist who comes up with the mission's plan.
  • Grayson McCouch: Gruber: Nuclear munitions expert of the Freedom. He is killed during the second earthquake.
  • Clark Brolly: Freddy Noonan: Drill team member and member of the Independence shuttle.
  • Marshall R. Teague: Colonel Davis: Pilot of the Independence shuttle.
  • Anthony Guidera: Tucker: Co-pilot of the Independence shuttle.
  • Greg Collins: Lt. Halsey: Nuclear munitions expert of the Independence.
  • Grace Zabriskie: Dottie
  • Eddie Griffin: Little Guy
  • Stanley Anderson: The President
  • James Harper: Admiral Kelso
  • Ellen Cleghorne: Helga, the nurse
  • Udo Kier: Psychologist
  • John Aylward: Dr. Banks
  • Mark Curry: Stu, the cabbie
  • Judith Hoag: Denise
  • Steven Ford: Nuke technician
  • Shawnee Smith: Rockhound's redheaded girlfriend. Smith and Buscemi would return as a couple in the Michael Bay film The Island.
  • Dwight Hicks: FBI Agent #1
  • Bodhi Elfman: Math guy
  • Charlton Heston: Narrator

Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a German-American actor and singer. ... Billy Bob Thornton (born William Robert Thornton on August 4, 1955) is an Academy Award-winning American screenwriter, actor, as well as occasional director, playwright and singer. ... Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is a Golden Globe Award-nominated American film actor, director, and Academy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-winning screenwriter. ... Liv Tyler (born Liv Rundgren, on July 1, 1977 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, New York[1]) is an American actress most famous for her roles of Grace Stamper in Armageddon and Arwen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. ... Will Patton Will Patton (born June 14, 1954 in Charleston, South Carolina) is an American actor. ... Steven Vincent Buscemi (born December 13, 1957) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated American actor and film director. ... William Edward Bill Fichtner (born November 27, 1956 in East Meadow, New York) is an American actor. ... Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and writer. ... Michael Clarke Duncan (born December 10, 1957) is an academy award nominated actor who has starred in a number of successful films. ...   (born August 27, 1953) is a Swedish film and television actor. ... Ken Hudson Campbell (sometimes Ken Campbell) is an American television and voice actor. ... Jessica Steen (born December 19, 1965 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian movie and television actress, noted for her roles in Homefront, Earth 2, Armageddon, NCIS, and CSI. She is of Dutch and Scottish ancestry. ... Keith David (born June 4, 1956) is an American film, television, and voice actor. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Grayson McCouch (born October 29, 1968 in New York, NY) is an American actor. ... Marshall R. Teague (b. ... Anthony Guidera is an American (US) actor from San Francisco who has appeared in many films and television series. ... Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1941, Grace Zabriskie is a character actress who has played small roles in many popular American films and television series. ... Eddie Griffin (July 15, 1968) is an American comedian and television/film actor. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... James Harper (born October 8, 1948) is an American actor. ... Ellen Cleghorne (born November 29, 1965 in Brooklyn, New York) is an African-American actress and comedian best known for her roles on Saturday Night Live. ... Udo Kier, promotional photo Udo Kier (born Udo Kierspe, October 14, 1944 in Cologne, Germany) is a German actor. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Mark Curry (born June 1, 1964 in Oakland, California) is an American actor and comedian, most famous as the star of the ABC sitcom Hangin with Mr. ... Judith Hoag (born on June 29, 1968 in Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA) is an American actress and acting teacher. ... Steven Meigs Ford (born May 19, 1956) is an American actor. ... Shawnee Smith (b. ... Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. ... The Island is a 2005 science fiction film directed by Michael Bay and starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. ... Dwight Hicks (born in 1956) is a former professional American football player who played defensive back for the San Fransisco 49ers from 1979 to 1985, and for the Indianapolis Colts in 1986. ... Bodhi Elfman (born July 19, 1969 in Los Angeles, California, USA) is an American actor. ... This article contains a trivia section. ...

Reception and criticism

The film was an international box office success, but it received a large amount of criticism from film reviewers. On Rotten Tomatoes it scores 41% [1]; on a similar website, Metacritic, it similarly scores 42%. The film is on the list of Roger Ebert's most hated films: in his original review, he stated "The movie is an assault on the eyes, the ears, the brain, common sense and the human desire to be entertained."[2] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... Roger Joseph Ebert (June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ...


Received a "Thumbs Up" from Gene Siskel on Siskel & Ebert. Gene Siskel at the 61st Academy Awards Eugene Gene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was one of the worlds most successful film critics. ... Ebert & Roeper (Originally titled as Siskel & Ebert) is a popular movie-review television program starring film critic Roger Ebert and columnist Richard Roeper, both of the Chicago Sun-Times. ...


The film received the Saturn Awards for Best Direction and Best Science Fiction Film (where it tied with Dark City). However, it was also nominated in seven categories for the 1998 Golden Raspberry Awards for bad films; only one was awarded: Bruce Willis received the Worst Actor award for Armageddon, in addition to his appearances in Mercury Rising and The Siege. The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. ... The following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Direction: ... The following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Science Fiction Film: See also Science fiction film Categories: | ... Dark City is a 1998 science fiction film written by Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer, and directed by Proyas. ... The 19th Golden Raspberry Awards were held on March 20, 1999 at the Huntley Hotel Garden Room in Santa Monica, California to recognise the worst the movie industry had to offer in 1998. ... Mercury Rising is a 1998 action thriller feature film, starring Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin. ... The Siege is a 1998 film about a fictional situation where terrorist cells have made several attacks on New York City. ...


Despite the general critical disdain, a DVD edition of Armageddon was released by The Criterion Collection, a specialist film distributor of primarily arthouse films that markets what it considers to be "important classic and contemporary films" and "cinema at its finest".[3] In an essay supporting the selection of Armageddon, film scholar Jeanne Basinger, who taught Michael Bay at Wesleyan University, states that the film is "a work of art by a cutting-edge artist who is a master of movement, light, color, and shape—and also of chaos, razzle-dazzle, and explosion". She sees it as a celebration of working men: "This film makes these ordinary men noble, lifting their efforts up into an epic event." Further, she states that in the first few moments of the film all the main characters are well established, saying, "If that isn't screenwriting, I don't know what is."[4] The Criterion Collection logo The Criterion Collection is a privately held company that distributes authoritative consumer versions of important classic and contemporary films on DVD. It was established in 1984 as a joint venture between Janus Films and the Voyager Company. ... Art film is a film style that began as a European reaction to the classical Hollywood style of film making. ... Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. ...


Despite the poor reviews and criticism, Armageddon was nominated for four Academy Awards, Best Sound, Best Special Effects, Best Effects Editing, and Best Original Song.


Scientific Inaccuracies

The physics and scientific approach of Armageddon was criticized for its poor adherence to the laws of physics. Nevertheless the movie adheres to standard Hollywood conventions when it comes to science, such as having noise in space (there is no sound in the vacuum of outer space). This page is under modification. ...


Among the myriad choices to divert the asteroid from its course towards Earth, the movie implies that using a nuclear device would be the best solution, while in reality using a nuclear device would prove risky. It is also mentioned that no nuclear weapon would be able to sufficiently break up an asteroid that, according to Truman, was "the size of Texas", which is tremendously larger than any sub-planetary object ever observed in the solar system anyway.[5] However, he may not have meant it literally, as claiming something to be the size of Texas is an informal way of stating that it is very large. Whatever the real size of the asteroid may be, it would not have a gravity similar to the moon as is implied in the movie. 253 Mathilde, a C-type asteroid. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ...


Also, the surface of the asteroid is extremely craggy and sharp, but real asteroids as large as this one would be worn smooth and look more like a potato. Indeed, most asteroids larger than 300 km in diameter are spherical, and an asteroid the size of Texas (1244x1270 km) would certainly be so, lacking the vast craggy canyons as depicted in the film.[citation needed] For an asteroid 1200 km in diameter (assuming the asteroid was round), drilling 800 feet would not be deep enough in order to plant the nuclear bomb in the "core".


The asteroid is also depicted as having flown through the asteroid belt and knocking off countless smaller asteroids in the process. In reality, the asteroid belt isn't that densely populated. The chances of other asteroids being knocked off their orbits by an object flying through it is extremely minimal. For details on the physical properties of bodies in the asteroid belt see Asteroid and Main-belt comet. ...


The explosion that shears the asteroid in two slices would not prevent both parts from striking the Earth if they were as close to the Earth as depicted in the movie; neither fragment would have enough momentum to clear the attraction of the Earth. Even if a nuclear explosion could vaporize enough gas within this asteroid to break it, the two halves would simply attract each other back into one ball, re-formed from its own gravity. [6]


Kennedy Space Center launch pads 39A and 39B appear to be only a few hundred feet apart, but in reality they are more than 1.6 miles apart. In either case, two shuttles could never be launched simultaneously; the vibration involved would destroy both vehicles. In a related issue, the space shuttles used in the movies (although specified to have been modified) are designed for orbital space travel, not for landing on objects in outer space. Merritt Island and Kennedy Space Center (shown in white). ...


Moreover, since the two shuttles docked sideways, the astronauts should not be walking in the corridors, but instead climbing up ladders to meet in the middle of the station (where they would be weightless yet again).


The shuttles have engines running blue flames continuously, whereas in reality short bursts of gas jets are used to provide attitude controls. The two shuttles' movements in the movie are close to impossible to perform in space with current technology.


The crew fires the shuttles rockets to achieve a speed of 25,000 mph so they can slingshot around the moon and catch up to the asteroid. The moon has an escape velocity of 7,600 mph; the moon's gravity would not have been able to grasp on to the shuttle at the speed they were traveling. Instead of looping around the moon, they would have simply flown by it and drifted into space with no hope of return.


During the slingshot around the moon, the characters are subjected to eleven times Earth gravity for an extended period of time. In reality seven to nine times gravity can cause blackouts, while eleven times gravity would usually prove fatal. Additionally, the Space Shuttle is not designed to survive anything like eleven times the force of gravity. However, it wouldn't matter, as slingshotting around an object in space causes no more than the force of gravity at the body's surface (considerably less in practice), or a maximum of about 1/6th of a "gee" in the case of the moon. The Space Shuttle and human bodies would have no problem surviving such stresses, though they wouldn't make for a very dramatic video experience.


In the briefing scene, the crew is informed they will dock with Mir and take on liquid oxygen, the fuel for the shuttles. Oxygen is an oxidizer, which a fuel requires in the vacuum of space. In reality, the fuel should have been hydrogen, kerosene, or another suitable hydrocarbon which would require oxidization.


The Russian space station's portrayal is unlikely in itself: initiating a rotation to accommodate artificial gravity would in reality threaten the structural integrity of such a pronged modular craft, and spinning the station before docking would be impractical, as it renders a normally tricky docking nearly impossible since the docking ports are on the external rotating pods. Furthermore, a rotating station would need its docking area along the axis of rotation, plus the docking vessel would have to match that rotation, and match its center of gravity along the docking point approaching along the station's axis of rotation.[7] Artificial gravity is a simulation of gravity in outer space or free-fall. ...


Obtaining special suits that use small thrusters to keep the astronauts on the ground would be a waste of fuel; their backpacks could not offer sufficient thrust for more than a few minutes. EVA suits have a large backpack to accommodate the thruster jets and use them sparingly to maneuver. Space suit from Apollo 11 moonwalk A space suit is a complex system of garments, equipment and environmental systems designed to keep a person alive and comfortable in the harsh environment of outer space. ...


At the opening scene, an asteroid flies overhead towards earth accompanied by a loud roar, when in fact, there would be no sound in space, for in order for sound to occur there must be some medium for the sound waves to vibrate, such as air.


Also, the large ground vehicles used by the digging teams would be unnecessary, as having a low gravitational force would mean that a large digging rig would simply float to its destination using small thrusters sparingly. However as there was a time limit on the mission it might simply have been more efficient to put the drills on the ready made vehicles than to design and build a platform, though using thrusters rather than wheels to move the vehicles would be more sensible on broken ground. This is not to mention that digging anything in zero-g requires an opposed and equal force.


Another goof is that the detonation of the nuclear bomb is visible from many different places on Earth simultaneously: from the United States to India. However, only a small portion of the planet would have been in a position to observe the explosion from the surface.


Box office

  • Budget - $140,000,000
  • Marketing cost - $100,000,000
  • Opening Weekend Gross (Domestic) - $36,089,972
  • Total Domestic Grosses - $201,578,182
  • Total Overseas Grosses - $352,131,606
  • Total Worldwide Grosses - $553,709,788

Soundtracks

Armageddon
Soundtrack by Various Artists
Released June 23, 1998
Genre Pop
Rock
Length 56:35
Label Sony
Professional reviews

The soundtrack features the song "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith (fronted by Liv Tyler's father, Steven Tyler)—which was the first number 1 hit of the band's career—among a few other Aerosmith songs. CD cover of Armageddon - The Album (Official soundtrack to the Armageddon movie) {fairuse} Source [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... In film formats, the soundtrack is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... The term Various Artists is used in the record industry when numerous singers and musicians collaborate on a song or collection of songs. ... is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Sony Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue of $68. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 2. ... I Dont Want to Miss a Thing is a hit single by American rock band Aerosmith. ... This article is about the band Aerosmith. ... Liv Tyler (born Liv Rundgren, on July 1, 1977 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, New York[1]) is an American actress most famous for her roles of Grace Stamper in Armageddon and Arwen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. ... Stephen Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948 in Yonkers, New York), better known as Steven Tyler (and often nicknamed The Demon of Screamin) is an American musician and songwriter. ...


Armageddon: The Album (Sony, June 23rd, 1998):

  1. I Don't Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith
  2. Remember Me - Journey
  3. What Kind of Love Are You On - Aerosmith
  4. La Grange - ZZ Top
  5. Roll Me Away - Bob Seger
  6. When the Rainbow Comes - Shawn Colvin
  7. Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith
  8. Mister Big Time - Jon Bon Jovi
  9. Come Together - Aerosmith
  10. Wish I Were You - Patty Smyth
  11. Starseed - Our Lady Peace
  12. Leaving on a Jet Plane - Chantal Kreviazuk
  13. Theme from Armageddon - Trevor Rabin
  14. Animal Crackers - Dialogue by Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler; vocals and piano by Steven Tyler
Armageddon
Soundtrack by Trevor Rabin
Released November 10, 1998
Genre Soundtracks
Original Score
Film music
Label Sony
Professional reviews

There was also an instrumental score titled Armageddon: Original Motion Picture Score by Trevor Rabin. Rabin was formerly a member of the progressive rock band Yes. I Dont Want to Miss a Thing is a hit single by American rock band Aerosmith. ... This article is about the band Aerosmith. ... Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco, California. ... What Kind of Love Are You On is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. ... This article is about the band Aerosmith. ... La Grange is a song by the rock group ZZ Top from their album Tres Hombres, released in 1973. ... ZZ Top is an American blues rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. ... Roll Me Away is a song written in 1982 by Bob Seger on the album The Distance by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band . ... Robert Clark Seger (born May 6, 1945) is a rock and roll musician from Michigan. ... Shawn Colvin. ... Sweet Emotion is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. ... This article is about the band Aerosmith. ... Jon Bon Jovi (born John Francis Bongiovi Jr on March 2, 1962) is an American singer, musician, businessman, actor and avid downhill skier. ... Music sample Come Together ( file info) Problems? See media help. ... This article is about the band Aerosmith. ... Patty Smyth (born June 26, 1957 in New York City, New York, USA) first enjoyed mainstream success in 1982 as vocalist and lead singer of the band Scandal. ... Our Lady Peace, abbreviated as OLP, is a Canadian alternative rock band consisting of Raine Maida (vocals), Duncan Coutts (bass), Jeremy Taggart (drums), and Steve Mazur (guitar). ... Leaving on a Jet Plane is a song written by John Denver in 1967 during a layover at an airport in Washington and recorded by the Mitchell Trio that year. ... Chantal Kreviazuk (born May 18, 1973) is a Canadian singer-songwriter of rock and pop music. ... Trevor Rabin onstage with Yes, 1995 Trevor Rabin (born Trevor Charles Rabin on January 13, 1954) is a South African guitarist and film composer, best known for being the guitarist and songwriter for the progressive rock band Yes from 1983 - 1995, and since then, as a film composer. ... Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is a Golden Globe Award-nominated American film actor, director, and Academy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-winning screenwriter. ... Liv Tyler (born Liv Rundgren, on July 1, 1977 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, New York[1]) is an American actress most famous for her roles of Grace Stamper in Armageddon and Arwen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. ... Stephen Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948 in Yonkers, New York), better known as Steven Tyler (and often nicknamed The Demon of Screamin) is an American musician and songwriter. ... Image File history File links Armageddon_score. ... In film formats, the soundtrack is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... Trevor Rabin onstage with Yes, 1995 Trevor Rabin (born Trevor Charles Rabin on January 13, 1954) is a South African guitarist and film composer, best known for being the guitarist and songwriter for the progressive rock band Yes from 1983 - 1995, and since then, as a film composer. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Soundtracks can mean: The plural of soundtrack The Can album, Soundtracks This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Soundtrack refers to the recorded sound accompanying a visual medium such as a motion picture, television show, or video game. ... A film score is the background music in a film, generally specially written for the film and often used to heighten emotions provoked by the imagery on the screen or by the dialogue. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Sony Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue of $68. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... Trevor Rabin onstage with Yes, 1995 Trevor Rabin (born Trevor Charles Rabin on January 13, 1954) is a South African guitarist and film composer, best known for being the guitarist and songwriter for the progressive rock band Yes from 1983 - 1995, and since then, as a film composer. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

  1. Armageddon Suite
  2. Harry & Grace Make Peace
  3. A.J.'s Return
  4. Oil Rig
  5. Leaving
  6. Evacuation
  7. Harry Arrives At NASA
  8. Back In Business
  9. Launch
  10. 5 Words
  11. Underwater Simulation
  12. Finding Grace
  13. Armadillo
  14. Short Straw
  15. Demands
  16. Death of Mir
  17. Armageddon Piano
  18. Long Distance Goodbye/Landing

Trivia

  • By the time of its release, this was the Walt Disney Company's highest-grossing live-action film (without adjustment for inflation) until the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
  • This is the second film that depicted a fictional shuttle launch using actual launch footage. The first was SpaceCamp (1986).
  • This movie was parodied in the 1999 MTV Movie Awards as Armagedd'N Sync .
  • During the opening sequence a little dog attacks some Godzilla toys. This was a friendly jab at the other big special effects movie of that summer, Roland Emmerich American version of Godzilla (1998) which was released a month and a half earlier. The Chrysler Building suffers almost identical damage in Armageddon as it does in Godzilla.
  • "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" soundtrack by Aerosmith, features in its music video both Liv Tyler and her father (Steven Tyler). She also appeared in the 1994 Aerosmith music video for Crazy along with mid-1990s Aerosmith music video star Alicia Silverstone.
  • When the movie was aired on ABC in April 2002, a few scenes were cut, including when the World Trade Center was bombarded with meteors and catching fire. This was due to the fact the scene looked similar to what happened in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
  • According to an interview with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, he originally didn't want to do the theme song for the movie, apparently not wanting to tread too heavily on his daughter Liv's territory. He was then shown the scene where Grace says a tearful goodbye to her father over the video comm. Tyler reportedly began to cry and tearfully agreed to perform the song.
  • Rockhound straddles a nuclear warhead much like the ending of Dr. Strangelove.
  • The episode of Futurama titled A Big Piece of Garbage makes several references to the film:
    • The Professor's first plan to destroy the ball of garbage is similar to the plot.
    • A scene where the giant hamburger asteroid crashes through the skyscraper is the same as a famous scene in the movie.
    • A scene in which the space heroes walk out to their ship is very much like the same scene in this movie.
  • Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare previously starred together in the 1996 film, Fargo.
  • Steve Buscemi and Bruce Willis both starred in the film Pulp Fiction which is referenced in the film when Max is about to be given a shot.
  • The church at the end of the movie is St. Brendan Church.
  • Stills taken from the opening scene of the space shuttle Atlantis being destroyed were passed off on the Internet as being actual photographs of the destruction of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003. [8]
  • Even though uncredited, this is Lawrence Tierney's final role in a film because of his death in 2002.
  • Stanley Anderson, who played the President of the United States in the movie, played the same role in the film The Rock, also directed by Michael Bay.
  • This is the second film in which Liv Tyler has had a love interest named AJ. The first was 'Empire Records' in 1995.
  • The film is referenced in a later Michael Bay film , Transformers , in which a boy running to the site of a Transformer's landing on earth states that it is "so much cooler than 'Armageddon'".

Alternate meanings: Disney (disambiguation) The Walt Disney Company (also known as Disney Enterprises, Inc. ... Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a movie of adventure and romance set in the Caribbean during the seventeenth century. ... Space Camp is a 1986 movie based on a book by Patrick Bailey and Larry B. Williams and inspired by the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. ... The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV (Music Television). ... Roland Emmerich on the set of Independence Day Roland Emmerich (born November 10, 1955) is a German film director, writer, and producer. ... This article is about the band Aerosmith. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... Liv Tyler (born Liv Rundgren, on July 1, 1977 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, New York[1]) is an American actress most famous for her roles of Grace Stamper in Armageddon and Arwen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. ... Stephen Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948 in Yonkers, New York), better known as Steven Tyler (and often nicknamed The Demon of Screamin) is an American musician and songwriter. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Alicia Silverstone, (born October 4, 1976) is an American actress and former fashion model. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... “WTC” redirects here. ... Photo of a burst of meteors with extended exposure time A meteor is the visible path of a meteoroid that enters the Earths (or another bodys) atmosphere, commonly called a shooting star or falling star. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... For the hit 1987 single by Depeche Mode, see the album Music for the Masses Film poster for Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is a 1964 satirical film directed by Stanley Kubrick. ... Futurama is an Emmy Award-winning animated American sitcom created by creator of The Simpsons Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox network. ... A Big Piece of Garbage is episode 8 in season 1 of Futurama. ... Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth (born April 9, 2841) is the extremely elderly proprietor of the Planet Express delivery service in the fictional animated television series Futurama. ... Steven Vincent Buscemi (born December 13, 1957) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated American actor and film director. ...   (born August 27, 1953) is a Swedish film and television actor. ... This is a list of film-related events in 1996. ... Fargo is a 1996 film created by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. ... Pulp Fiction is an Academy Award-winning 1994 film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote the screenplay with Roger Avary. ... The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earths atmosphere, shortly before concluding its 28th mission, STS-107. ... Lawrence Tierney in Born to Kill (1947) Lawrence Tierney (March 15, 1919 – (February 26, 2002) was an American actor. ... The Rock has several meanings: // The Rock (entertainer), stage name for Dwayne Johnson, an American film actor, former football player, and professional wrestler Don Muraco - professional wrestler who was nicknamed The Rock. ... Transformers is a 2007 live action film directed by Michael Bay and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, based on the Transformers franchise. ...

See also

Artists impression of a major impact event. ... Main article: Disaster film This is a list of disaster films or doomsday films, representing more than a century of films within the genre. ... Deep Impact is a 1998 science fiction disaster film released by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures. ...

External links

  • Armageddon at the Internet Movie Database
  • Armageddon at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Armageddon Script at Simply Scripts
  • Criterion Collection essay by Jeanine Basinger, from a Wesleyan University professor under whom the film's director studied
  • Movie Physics review of Armageddon
  • Bad Astronomy - The Astronomy of Armageddon
  • Movie Tour Guide.com - Maps and directions to Armageddon Filming Locations


 

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