It might read as a little harsh, but the biggest and most glaring problem with Mimi Leder’s Deep Impact is simply the fact that it isn’t Michael Bay’s Armageddon.
Twin films are hardly a rare phenomenon, but having a pair of big budget blockbusters revolving around planet-destroying asteroids hitting theaters within weeks of each other was certainly one of the more specific examples. Both sci-fi flights of fancy did big business at the box office and drew equally tepid reviews, but there was really only one winner in terms of commercial success, audience enthusiasm, and cultural impact, which wasn’t Deep Impact.
However, Netflix subscribers have suddenly decided that they all want to revisit the more understated of the two at exactly the same time, at least if the platform’s most-watched charts are any indication. As per FlixPatrol, Deep Impact has been one of the 10 top titles in the library all week, and it can currently be found in fifth place on the global rankings.
One of the most famous tales to emanate from the time was Leder admitting she had no idea Armageddon was in development when she first signed on to direct its opposite number, an oversight she regretted once the media began pitting the pair of cataclysmic disaster stories against each other at every turn.
Deep Impact scored better reviews, but wasn’t quite embraced as warmly as Bay’s more bombastic effort, and while it made over $200 million less during its theatrical run, it also cost $60 million less to produce. Apocalyptic apples and oranges, then, but Netflix audiences have let their opinions be known by pushing play.