Bay has cultivated one of the most undeniable signature aesthetics in filmmaking defined by that brand of dramatic slow motion as well as rapid-fire edits, practical explosions, adrenaline-fueled pacing, hyper-stylized visuals and camera movements that achieve the parallax effect. It’s a style so distinct, it’s been dubbed “Bayhem,” and is on full display in his movies “Bad Boys,” “The Rock,” “Pearl Harbor” and, of course, here.
The problem is that, before long, “Armageddon” settles into a formula that isn’t exactly storytelling but sequences of montages packed with these tricks before breaking briefly for tender lulls.
Roger Ebert described the movie as “the first 150-minute trailer,” calling it “an assault on the eyes, the ears, the brain, common sense and the human desire to be entertained.”
By the last 45 minutes, “Armageddon” is so visually and aurally jarring, those prone to motion sickness may want to steel themselves.
But that’s not all that’s hard to stomach: The film is a showcase of Aerosmith songs, and the movie’s theme song, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” was propelled to hit status. But hearing Steven Tyler (Liv Tyler’s father) soundtrack sensual moments involving his daughter and Affleck is pretty darn awkward.
