Armageddon (Criterion Collection) – (Criterion)

Cast View all

	Bruce Willis	Harry S. Stamper
	Billy Bob Thornton	Dan Truman
	Ben Affleck	A.J. Frost
	Liv Tyler	Grace Stamper
	Will Patton	Chick
	Steve Buscemi	Rockhound
	William Fichtner	Colonel Willie Sharp
	Owen Wilson	Oscar
	Michael Clarke Duncan	Bear
	Peter Stormare	Lev Andropov
	Ken Hudson Campbell	Max
	Jessica Steen	Co-Pilot Jennifer Watts
	Keith David	General Kimsey
	Chris Ellis	Flight Director Clark
	Jason Isaacs	Ronald Quincy
	Grayson McCouch	Gruber
	Clark Heathcliff Brolly	Noonan
	Marshall R. Teague	Colonel Davis
	Anthony Guidera	Co-Pilot Tucker
	Greg Collins	Halsey
	J. Patrick McCormack	General Boffer
	Ian Quinn	Astronaut Pete Shelby
	Christopher J. Worret	Operator #1
	Adam C. Smith	Operator #2
	John Mahon	Karl

Crew View all

Director	Michael Bay
Writer	Jonathan Hensleigh, J.J. Abrams, Tony Gilroy, Shane Salerno, Robert Roy Pool
Producer	Kenny Bates, Michael Bay, Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Gardenhour, Jonathan Hensleigh, Gale Anne Hurd, Chad Oman, Pat Sandston, Jim Van Wyck, Barry H. Waldman
Musician	Trevor Rabin
Photography	John Schwartzman

Personal

Notes

Disc Features
DIRECTOR-APPROVED DOUBLE DISC SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

DISC ONE: THE MOVIE

The exclusive director’s cut, containing previously unseen footage, in a new digital transfer personally supervised by Michael Bay
Discrete 5.1 channel Dolby® Digital soundtrack
Two commentary tracks: One featuring Michael Bay, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Bruce Willis, and Ben Affleck; the second featuring cinematographer John Schwartzman, NASA consultant Dr. Joe Allen, and asteroid consultant Ivan Bekey
Subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition

DISC TWO: SUPPLEMENTS

Michael Bay’s gag reel
Deleted scenes compiled by Michael Bay
Storyboards and production design drawings
Analyses of the special effects by visual effects supervisors Richard Hoover, Pat McClung, and Hoyt Yeatman
Production designer Michael White on the look of Armageddon
Trailer, teaser, and television spots
The Aerosmith music video “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” plus interviews with band members

Cover design by Basia Grocholski, based on a theatrical poster


WSR Narrative Review


Story Synopsis:
Is Armageddon at hand? It appears so after it is discovered that an asteroid the size of Texas is 18 days from impact with Earth. NASA concocts a plan to send a team to the asteroid to destroy it. They contact maverick oil driller, Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis) who insists on using his own group of rag-tag riggers for the trip to space.

DVD Picture:
The dual layered DVD is not anamorphic, but exhibits good image quality. Images are sharp and detailed, with natural color fidelity. Sadly, the special edition DVD is not anamorphically enhanced, and the picture appears excessively enhanced with digital compression artifacts. With all the spectacular special effects, we will stand by our opinion that Disney should-at the very least-make exceptions to their policy against releasing DVDs in the anamorphic widescreen format. Disc 2 on the DVD is a supplement-only disc, so you do not have to switch discs during the middle of the film.

Soundtrack:
The Dolby® Digital discrete 5.1 soundtrack DVD sound to be the same as the previously reviewed versions. The soundtrack is loud and "manufactured," with elaborate, though not always sonically realistic, sound effects. Bass response is deep and powerful, and is enhanced with .1 LFE. Fidelity is slightly harsh with ADR-processed dialogue that is wanting in spatial integration.

DVD/Previously Reviewed DVD Comparative Review:

The dual layered DVD is not anamorphic, but exhibits good image quality, as does the LaserDisc. Both discs appear to be the same transfers as the DVD and LaserDiscs reviewed in Issue 31. Images are sharp and detailed, with natural color fidelity. Sadly, the special edition DVD is not anamorphically enhanced, and the picture appears excessively enhanced with digital compression artifacts. With all the spectacular special effects, we will stand by our opinion that Disney should-at the very least-make exceptions to their policy against releasing DVDs in the anamorphic widescreen format. While not exceptional, the DVD and LaserDisc will surely please. Disc two on the DVD is a supplement-only disc. The DVD and LaserDisc aspect ratios measure 2.32:1.

The Dolby® Digital discrete 5.1 soundtrack on LaserDisc and DVD sound to be the same as the previously reviewed versions. The soundtrack is loud and “manufactured,” with elaborate, though not always sonically realistic, sound effects. Bass response is deep and powerful, and is enhanced with .1 LFE. Fidelity is slightly harsh with ADR-processed dialogue that is wanting in spatial integration.

This Disc Contains The Following WSR-Rated Superb Qualities:
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality
Collector Edition

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