Many folks questioned the need for Armageddon as a whole, so, naturally, when Criterion stepped forward with one of their prestigious Special Edition treatments, film fans cried fowl. I, for one, was excited to hear about the chance to hear the cast and crew chat about the film, as well as see what other gems they could dig up to include. They did not disappoint. This disc contains an extensive amount of stuff, in addition to an enjoyable popcorn flick, making the slightly higher Criterion pricetag worth every penny. In fact, hearing Affleck kick in with his uncanny Carl from “Sling Blade” impression the second Thornton hits the screen (and a few times thereafter) makes the price of admission worth it right there. We laughed uproariously.

Armageddon pulls no punches in getting down to business ASAP. In the opening moments of the film (as the introductory credits roll, no less) we witness a distrubing explosion in space, which, we soon find out, was caused by small meteors on their way to New York City. In this next stunning sequence, we’re treated to yet another cinematic distruction of the Big Apple, combining physical and digital effects to create a realistic and incredibly explosive scene of distruction.

We’re very quickly told that an “asteroid the size of Texas” is heading towards the planet at a breakneck speed. The end result: TOTAL distrucion. Uh oh. What do we do? Well, we get Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis), of course. Who else is gonna save the planet? Astronauts? Soldiers? Nah…Oil Drillers! Ya see, if we land on the asteroid, drill a hole in the sucker, drop a bomb in there, and detonate, we’ll have 2 proportinately SMALLER rocks that’ll miss Earth. Got it? Simple, right?

Of course, Bruce can’t do it alone. No way. So, over the course of the film, we’re introduced to a motley crew of roughnecks, including one A.J. (Ben Affleck) who just happens to have a thing for Harry’s daughter, Grace (Liv Tyler), and provides the “Titanic”-like romance twist to try and drag some estrogen into the theaters along with the testosterone. The other oil drillers are also a treat, each getting their own chance to shine, if just for a brief few minutes (so we care enough for their well-being once they’re strapped into a rocket). And about halfway into the film’s two and a half hour running time, it’s blast off.

Surprisingly, the earlier half of the film proves just as entertaining as the film’s second half, most of which takes place in space or on the Asteroid itself. The usualy Michael Bay dramatic slow motion shots and closeups play a key role here, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to all the buttons that an action flick can push. You’ve got your casualties, your insurmountable odds, missing crew members, friction among the group (in space AND on Earth), a ticking clock that ALMOST reaches that zero display…You name it, Armageddon’s got it.

By the way, I can’t go through this review without mentioning Billy Bob Thornton, who does a fantastic job on the ground, as well. Going in, I thought his character was just an obligatory figure — As the flick progressed, I realized just how much his presence added to it all.

Alright, so does this whole plot sound a bit ridiculous to you? Sure it does! In fact, it’s part of the far-fetchedness that gives the Armageddon its charm - Bay himself admits in the commentary track that the film’s out there for pure entertainment value. We’re not curing cancer here: They’re just trying to keep an all-ages audience in their seats for 2 1/2 hours without getting fidgety. Worked for me.

As far as a non 16:9 transfer goes, this is about as good as you can get. The picture was crystal clear, with that ALMOST 3-D appearance to it that’s always associated with the best DVD transfers. My Pioneer 57″ widescreen set isn’t forgiving when it comes to flaws, and I gotta admit, there wasn’t much to complain about. The brighter early scenes, including the New York meteor shower and the oil rig segment, looked crisp and lacked any shimmering or other distractions. The latter half of the film, which takes place mostly in the darkness of space, remained clear and simple to follow, something that seemed a bit more muddy on the VHS copies (which is expected, of course). In summary: This is a GOOD looking disc.

What’s MISSING though? 16:9 support. I’ve got a 16:9 capable TV down there, dammit, and I wanna make USE of it! Sure, I can see Criterion skipping the extra work for some old features that they already transferred, but not using 16:9 enhancement on a BRAND NEW transfer? Unacceptable. A Criterion spokesperson once said they weren’t doing it because it would just confuse DVD owners, then later retracted that statement when they realized how ridiculous it was. Warner, New Line, and MGM are enhancing ALL their titles, with Paramount and Fox not far behind. Criterion & Disney/Miramax really need to get their act together with this one. This is the reason I own a DVD player, and often the deciding factor between buying a disc or leaving it on the shelf. Lucky for them, the extras sold the disc in this case.

The 5.1 Audio track, like the one found on the earlier DVD release, is reference quality. This is a disc I’d put in to show off the system to friends. Combine plenty of subwoofer and split-surround effects with Bay’s in-your-face style of shooting place you right in the flick. This is one worth turning up the sound and annoying the neighbors with.

The layer switch, which takes place immediately as Lev appears looking out the window of the Russian Space Station, was noticeable (about a 1 & 1/2 second pause), but we find this tends to vary among DVD players.

Extras? On a Criterion Collection disc? You betcha! Criterion’s known for going all-out with their extras, and this 2 disc set doesn’t disappoint (Just the fact that a second disc was included just for extras alone should clue you in). In addition to the 2 full-length running commentaries (the best featuring Bay, Bruckheimer, Willis, and Affleck) included with Armageddon on disc 1, disc 2 features the hilarious gag reel that some of you may have read about when Armageddon’s wrap party was held. Billy Bob Thornton’s by far the highlight of this 10 minute slew of clips, with his hilarious impressions (including his own “Sling Blade” persona) and sight gags. Just a few more deleted scenes (in addition to those re-inserted into the film itself) were included here; one 15 second clip stands out since a couple roughnecks actually question the reason for the large guns mounted on their digging rig, a question that most of us asked ourselves when Buscemi started shooting up the place. This clip should have been added back into the director’s cut as well, in my opinion. Visual Effects also get the grand treatment on this puppy: Not just one but FOUR different folks talk us through practically every effect shot that they’ve worked on, taking us through their various stages of development. Fascinating stuff, really, though hearing someone drone on about the asteriod for about 20 minutes or so will try your patience after a while. The usual theatrial and tv spots, a “making-of” documentary, plenty of storyboards and the Aerosmith video round out the second disc.

As a whole, these discs are definitely something I’m glad to have in my collection. While many folks found Armageddon an absolute insult, I paid my 6 bucks and walked into the theater expecting a fun ride, and that’s exactly what I got. With this DVD, I can now not only enjoy the flick again on the comfort of the couch, but I’ve got the chance to see a few deleted scenes, the humorous gag reel, and 2 very insightful commentaries.

And Criterion folks, take heed: Next time you’ve got Affleck doing a commentary for ya: Give the guy his own track.