Ben Affleck’s Kids Like Armageddon (& Love Making Fun Of It)

Ben Affleck reveals that Armageddon is one of the few movies of his that his kids actually like, but they also love to make fun of it. Released in 1998, Armageddon established Affleck as a bankable leading man and saw him appear opposite the likes of Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Owen Wilson, and Steve Buscemi. The blockbuster action film follows a ragtag group of deep-core drillers who become humanity’s last hope when NASA tasks them with stopping a massive asteroid that is on a collision course with Earth.

Armageddon drew mostly negative reactions from critics but proved very popular with audiences, earning over $553 million at the box office and becoming 1998’s highest-grossing film. While the film proved to be a box office powerhouse, many were quick to point out flaws in the movie’s logic, the biggest of which was perhaps the fact that it would’ve made more sense for NASA to train astronauts to be drillers instead of the other way around. Following the success of Armageddon, Affleck would go on to appear in a number of successful movies, including Pearl Harbor, The Town, and Gone Girl.

In a new interview with EW, Affleck discusses how Armageddon remains a big part of his life, mostly because it’s the only movie of his that his kids have all watched and actually enjoyed. Just because they enjoy it, however, doesn’t mean they don’t also like to make fun of it. Check out Affleck’s full comment below:

“It’s funny because that’s the one movie of mine that my kids have watched and they’ll kind of all admit to liking. Even though they relentlessly mock it, and me. ‘What are you, driving a tank on the moon?’ But they had fun, you know what I mean? They could make fun of me, but they kind of got it, the spirit of it. They won’t even watch The Town. So there you have it.”

While Armageddon is arguably not the best movie in Affleck’s filmography, the actor’s comments do highlight why the film may have been so successful. The silliness inherent in the premise, the strong cast, and the film’s family-friendly nature have all contributed to making Armageddon a fun and easy-to-watch popcorn flick. Unlike, say, Pearl Harbor or The Town, which are decidedly more serious movies, Armageddon keeps it relatively light and appeals to kids and adults alike.

As Affleck suggests, Armageddon is easy to make fun of. A number of story choices just don’t hold up to scrutiny, which is partially why many critics may not have responded to the film upon its release. If one is willing to buy into the intrinsic silliness of the film, “the spirit of it,” as Affleck says, it immediately becomes a more rewarding movie to watch. If his kids are looking for something to make fun of, however, it’s surprising they’ve gravitated more towards Armageddon than to something like the divisive Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Source: EW

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