Glen here...
...with a look at the long-awaited, highly controversial Criterion "Special Edition" DVD of Michael Bay's equally inflammatory science fiction spectacle Armageddon - a supercharged, effects laden adventure about oil drillers sent into space to drill and demolish a mean-ass asteroid before it pulverizes our planet.
What did the above paragraph mean? Let me explain:
This Criterion Special Edition is "long awaited" because many DVD users opted not to buy Touchstone's original DVD release of the film in favor of the Criterion release discussed herein (which hits stores Tuesday). This release is "controversial" because there are many film buffs who strongly believe Armageddon is not a film which deserves the special attention being afforded it by Criterion when there are...still...so many "classic" or "legitimate" titles waiting to receive a delux treatment on home video. The film itself is "inflammatory" because Armageddon...perhaps more than any other mainstream film of the last few years...seems to ignite a furious, bitter firestorm between two firmly entrenched factions of viewers: one which believes the film is a stirring, emotional analysis of self sacrifice, unmitigated acceptance of those you love, and patriotism; another which believes the film is a hollow, manipulative, button-pushing, superficial exercise in excessive film making and irresponsible iconography.
What do I think about the film? Well, I'm not particularly eager to go down this road again, as I'd rather not waste my time treading over the same old ground to find the same old arguments and controversies waiting at the other side. If you would like to know what I think about Armageddon as a movie, CLICK HERE to jump to a report I posted about the film's initial home video release ((originally posted last November)), and that should answer all your questions about my very personal perceptions of the film's strengths and weaknesses.
Now, onto the matters at hand: is this DVD any good? It's got an astonishing, startling transfer which sexes-up cinematographer John Schwartzman's creamy photography to the point where one person I showed a few scenes to shook their head and said "wow." It's so pretty, at one point I simply had it on in the background while I was talking on the phone...no sound...and couldn't take my eyes off the TV screen.
The "discrete" 5.1 surround track is powerful and well separated, for the first time (either theatrically or on home video) I was able to watch this film without getting a headache that felt like my cranium had been split in two with a hatchet. Some serious attention seems to have been paid to the "listenability" of this release.
The film itself features re-instated footage (only several minutes worth here and there) which help to bring a little more "heart" to the film. Notable among the new inclusions are a sequence between Willis and his character's father (played by Lawrence Tierney), and a sequence in which one of the roughnecks approaches Peter Stormare's cosmonaut character in a genuine attempt to reach out to him - saying he feels really badly for the situation in Russia right now, and that in space there are no countries, only men (something to this effect). Stormare returns the gesture with an intense and unconvinced glare.
There are two separate commentary tracks running behind the film on alternate channels. One features director Michael Bay, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Bruce Willis, and Ben Affleck (there is a very funny aside from Willis about how he would get up and leave the theater to do stuff in the lobby whenever Affleck is on screen - he later clarifies this as a joke); the second featuring cinematographer John Schwartzman, NASA consultant Joe Allen (whom I had the privilege of meeting on a visit to the set one time. He seems to be a sweet, kind, fascinating man), and "asteroid consultant" Ivan Bekey. I have yet to listen to much of the second commentary track yet due to this article's deadline - although I can't wait to hear what kind of time an "asteroid consultant" had on a film whose depiction of asteroids was so....liberal.
That's all on the first disc. The second disc in this two disc set is nothing but "extras". Among them: Michael Bay's "gag reel". Some of the humor is a little raunchy in this one, but quite funny for my money. More memorable moments from the gag reel include an (apparently) on-going series of jokes in which the actors were more-or-less re-writing the film to their own whim. As such, while being strapped into a shuttle shortly before launch, Bruce Willis' Harry Stamper suddenly confesses having sexual feelings towards his dog - a sentiment which Steve Buscemi quickly mirrors; Billy Bob Thornton's character tells Liv Tyler he hopes Willis (her character's father) and Affleck (her character's boyfriend) don't make it back so he (Billy Bob) and Liv will be free to get it on; Bruce Willis being "removed from the film" by Disney execs who have come to the set determined to replace him with Kevin Costner; the roughnecks in their ubercool next-generation spacesuits dancing to the Village People's "YMCA", and so forth.
The second feature on Disc 2 is an assemblage of footage which did not get re-instated into the film. The surprising highlight of this collection was a very brief scene in which the roughnecks are watching their mammoth drilling vehicles (Armadillos) being prepped for launch, only to discover that the vehicles have been armed with heavy defensive weaponry by the military component of the mission, who want to be ready for "any contingency". The drillers are none too thrilled. Even though they are simple folk, they are very uncomfortable with the idea of guns in space, and feel that...where they're going...none will be required.
Later in the film (in a scene which did make the final theatrical edit), one of the big guns is used to break an Armadillo free of the shuttle wreckage from which it is trying to escape. Many viewers felt the presence of this weapon was bizarre, incongruous, and unnecessary in the film. Seeing the guns in action (with no introduction or previous explanation) raised too many questions: "Where did the gun come from?", "Why do they need guns in space?", "That's stupid - what the hell?", and so forth. Even though the roughneck's deleted conversation was brief, the inclusion of this sequence might have gone a long way towards dispelling many viewer's criticisms of an element which otherwise seemed very out of place without a more proper introduction. I'm rather surprised it didn't get re-instated into the film for this SE.
A third major component of Disc 2 is a series of video interviews with members of Armageddon's visual effects crew, featuring "making of sequences", conceptual evolutions of the asteroid, the super-shuttles, the space-station, etc. DreamQuest god Hoyt Yeatman's little documentary centers exclusively on the creation of "the money shot" for the film - a sequence in which an asteroid pelts Paris...a mammoth mushroom cloud rises as shockwaves and progressive detonations radiate outwards from it...all as two stone gargoyles look on in horror from the foreground. Everything from CGI, the real explosion itself, to the "practical" (on-set, physical) work for this shot is covered in this piece.
Also included on Disc 2: an interview with Michael White (Armageddon's production designer); a gallery of production designs and storyboards for the film (having personally seen vast quantities of both, I would characterize this gallery as a bit anemic - although the selections displayed are very well chosen); a collection of promotional material for the film (theatrical trailers, TV spots, etc.), and Aerosmith's music video for Diane Warren's "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" (including interviews with the band members about their involvement with the project).
All in all, a solid DVD. People who opted to wait four months to purchase this title over the marginal Touchstone release of January should be pleased. Anyone who wants to know what its like to mount a project like this in the amount of time involved will likely learn a thing or two about courage, insanity, and triumph from the making of this movie.
If the end game of a project like this DVD is to provide an interesting look at the making of a film...or to help one appreciate a film more (or see a film differently after learning about it)...then this disc succeeds quite nicely.
While I know the sentiment will not be shared across-the-board, I'm rather glad Criterion went to mat with the Armageddon Special Edition. Like it or not, the film is a staggering accomplishment on several levels, and that factor - if nothing else - deserves a tip-of-the-hat such as this.
