Armageddapocalypse: The Explosioning

Anyone who has seen their share of action films or TV series will have some inkling about the standard formula – the clichéd characters, stock situations, and the cheesy lines that come before the final blow. Armageddapocalypse peers into the heart of the genre, and then points and laughs at it.

We join Jack Lang, the gravelly-voiced alpha-male maverick agent, on the mission he was begged to come out of retirement for; to stop psychotic Dr. Apocalypse from blowing up the world. The director’s commentary adds a welcome element of narration, while trying to glimpse inside the heads of the people who make these movies. No banality goes unexplored by the writing team, leading to such inspired moments as the egg metaphor-off, and the anti-conclusion of the budding romance.

Each character is a carefully studied caricature, brilliantly executed by the talented team of actors, and many of those ponderings you’ve had about the sideline characters are answered' (What do the villain’s bodyguards do on their days off?)

This show holds the actions genre up to the light and scrutinises its every move. The jokes hit all the right spots, both plot-length slow burners and quick quips peppered throughout.

A very enjoyable hour. For film buffs, this is a must-see.