3. Armageddon (1998)
The dumb premise: When NASA discover that a Texas-sized asteroid will collide with Earth in just one month, they train a team of deep-core drillers as astronauts. Their mission is to drill a hole into the asteroid, then nuke it from the inside out. This will supposedly obliterate the asteroid and save the Earth from a total disaster.
The issues with Armageddon‘s premise are well-documented. It’s fundamentally wrong in so many ways: NASA would have more warning, for a start. It would be quicker to train astronauts to use a drill. Still, Michael Bay didn’t care about any of that, apparently.
Did it work? Shockingly, yes. Armageddon might not be winning any prizes for its idiotic premise, but the film itself is very good. It’s got excellent performances from talented actors, bundles of drama, and a huge blockbuster feel. Never mind the fact that it shrinks your IQ, it’s still a good movie.