The film, Armageddon, directed by Michael Bay, tells the story of a group of contrasting characters that are sent into space as unorthodox astronauts to save the planet from total devastation at the hands of an asteroid known as a “Global Killer”. Throughout the film, a number of characters undergo an extensive transformation, as they attempt to save the world from complete destruction. The newfound responsibility thrust upon the team begins to take its toll on every character as they realize that they are the key to saving the ones they love. The plot not only follows the templates of used in other cult films in the apocalyptic film genre. Bay uses the events taking place to portray the themes of maturity and heroism that grows to dominate the central focus of the film. This film portrays an individual’s struggle to settle into a life that involves responsibility and to gain respect from those around him.
The character AJ Frost (Ben Affleck) is a character that finds himself battling with his own feelings, he holds no regard for his own actions except for when they may impact what he wants. At the start of the film he is seen disobeying orders and conflicting with those closest to him, He frequently goes to extreme measures to ensure that his own viewpoint is one that is heard and respected. However, as the horrific events take place throughout the film and AJ is presented with an opportunity to showcase his hidden talents, Bay begins to expose the true nature of AJ’s character and soon he develops into a man that even his biggest critic is proud to call “son” by the end of the film.
The character of AJ Frost is first presented in the opening scenes of the movie as he works as a driller stationed on an oilrig somewhere of the African coast. At some point the previous night AJ went against a direct order and ultimately risked the safety of the crew, whilst losing his boss Harry a lot of money. We first encounter AJ the following morning when Harry storms into his living quarters to confront AJ. The manner in which Harry deals with AJ very clearly illustrates that the conversation they are having, is one that has occurred multiple times in the past. Harry says: “AJ I only have 5 words for you that I want you to repeat back to me, I will never do that again!” Even before Harry says the 5 words AJ mouths them back to him with a look of boredom etched across his face as if he had those 5 words drilled into his brain forever. By introducing the character of AJ in such a manner, Bay instantly gives the viewers the impression that AJ is nothing but trouble and lacks overall maturity.
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He has no real responsibilities and he has gone through his entire life clinging to the ignorance only a child could possess. The way, in which he talks to those around him, even his boss, shows the high entitlement he holds for himself and the lack of respect he has for rules or other people. As the film continues and the threat to life on earth gradually begins to take shape, the character of AJ does not respond to the situation he finds himself in the manner in which you would expect. Instead of instantly realizing the seriousness of the situation and acting accordingly, he looks at it all as an opportunity for him to be the hero and in turn his ego grows even more.
As the launch date draws nearer the group of drillers are divided into two separate task forces, Harry nominates AJ to take be task leader of one whilst he takes control of the other. For a brief period this leans the viewers to believe that AJ has finally started to take things seriously, however during the final simulated protocol of AJ’s group he makes a bad judgement that would have killed his entire crew and ultimately the planet if it had happened in space. Harry takes him aside after the simulation to resolve the issue and AJ instantly gets defensive: “Hey Harry, will I let you run my own team please. The computer is wrong and you know that.”
Harry seeing that the only way to get the point across to AJ is to take him down a few pegs ignores the insult and says: “You listen carefully. The men in that room have zero patience for showing off, hot-dogging, going by your gut instinct or you trying to be a hero. You got that?” At this stage it seems as if AJ is only going to compromise the mission, with his actions and motivations for being there for no reason but to fulfill the need for him to feel on top. Days before the mission is scheduled to launch, a drastic change comes over AJ as the reality of what he is about to undergo finally starts to set in.
He suddenly realizes that their is a very plausible possibility that he may never return once he departs and this unlocks a new side to him as he faces saying goodbye to those he loves most. He begins to take steps that involve both a great deal of responsibility and maturity. He undergoes the biggest change when he goes against all moral judgments and proposes to his girlfriend Grace the night before he leaves promising her that “he will never leave her”. This showcases the biggest change within him; as for the first time in his life he understands the needs of someone else other than himself. He no longer cares of the consequences of stepping up and facing what he has to do, which at this time is to ease the pain in which his love is feeling. He has no idea if he is ever going to be able to keep his promise to her but he makes it anyways because he knows by doing so it makes it seem as if he has no worries about never seeing her again.
This accelerated maturity is investigated further in (Brown, Gregor. “Could Bruce Save the World”) when Brown claims, “One expresses true character when faced with the reality of losing something they hold close. AJ and Harry both share one love and in favour of this love they put aside childish confrontations.”(3). Brown is expressing that all along the feud between Harry and AJ was not a true representation of the feelings possessed by each party. Over time this truth would have been brought forward but due to the unforeseen circumstances, this process was accelerated in order to serve a common purpose.
Not only does AJ emotionally mature as the plot thickens, his ability to communicate and provide hope to those around him also undergoes huge improvement. During the landing onto the asteroid, AJ’s space shuttle crashes killing all but three on board. AJ wakes up to discover that he and the remaining survivors were 25 miles off their designated drill site and despite the ordeal of just losing numerous friends, he makes it his dying mission to reach the drill site and get the job done. Against all the odds he integrates his new found leadership with the imagination and daring of his old self, to come overcome numerous obstacles and save the lives of his crew.
Upon his timely arrival to the drill site, the world is preparing for the worst as news has travelled that their mission was unsuccessful. AJ takes fate into his own hands and single handily drills through 700ft of rock, as he is doing so he calls out to Harry; “Hey, Harry did you miss me?” and Harry simply replies “AJ I have just 5 words for you. I’m damn glad to see you boy!” At this very moment we see a switch in relationship between Harry and AJ, who up until this point had only clashed heads on everything they ever discussed. Harry now identifies a new persona about his younger counterpart and instantly respects him, as he understands that this boy just saved the world and everything he holds dear.
A great deal can be learned about a character in any film when they are faced with any level of adversity. The character of AJ is no exception, as we learn the most about him towards the film’s climax, when he is tasked with sacrificing his own life in order to save the world he loves. When he realizes that it must be who undergoes such a sacrifice he proudly says; “Well, we all gotta die right? I am the guy that gets to do it saving the world!” He takes the news like a man, as he is grateful that it is he who has to do the deed instead of any of the friends he has grown so fond of. This moment represents the climax of AJ’s transformation in this film, with him now showing levels of bravery and selflessness that could ever have been associated with the old AJ at the start of the film. He is no longer basing his actions on his own personal gain; he is simply doing what needs to be done in order to ensure the safety of those he promised to protect.
The final testament to the transformation undergone by the character of AJ comes at the films finale, when Harry sabotages AJ’s suit just before he leaves to save the world in order to sacrifice himself. Just the very fact that Harry, a character in which AJ clashed with at various points in the movie, was willing to leave behind his loved ones just in order to save AJ’s life shows just how much respect he had for the man he had become. Harry reveals to AJ just before he leaves, “AJ I have always thought of you as a son”. The importance of the reference made by Harry to family is crucial at this stage, as throughout the entire film Harry had always reinforced the importance of family.
By introducing the notion of AJ being family to him in his last ever message to humanity, Bay ultimately reinforces the impact of Harry’s sacrifice and the reasons why he chose to do save AJ’s life. Armageddon is a film that has various important themes that contribute to the overall progression of the plot. The theme of maturity and bravery is one that stands out, with various key points illustrating the importance of such themes upon the nature of the story. AJ Frost is a character that experienced a unique journey of self-discovery, as he is not only burdened with his own inner battles, but also with the responsibility of saving the world. In the space of a couple short weeks we see a young, frightened young man transform into a man who has purpose and has a greater of understanding of what it takes to survive in the toughest of environments. Overall the journey AJ undergoes can be seen as a subplot to the movies central focus, with the actions and feelings of AJ’s character contributing greatly to the outcome of the movie as a whole.
