Armageddon (1998)

Keith David: General Kimsey

Photos 

Quotes 

• Dan : With the proximity of the asteroid, and no prep time, none of our primary plans can work.

  General Kimsey : Why don't we just send up a hundred and fifty nuclear warheads and blast that rock apart?

  Ronald Quincy : Terrible idea.

  General Kimsey : Was I talkin' to you?

  Dan : This is Dr. Ronald Quincy from Research. Pretty much the smartest man on the planet You might wanna listen to him.

• General Kimsey : If you're trying to make me feel better about this scenario, give it up.

  Truman : To tell you the truth, I'm kind of encouraged. This guy Chick here was an Air Force commando for six years.

  General Kimsey : We got robbery, assault, arrest, resisting arrest. We got a collection agent for the mob. Two of these guys have done serious time.

  Truman : Look, they're the best at what they do.

  General Kimsey : So am I. And I'm not so optimistic. We spend 250 billion dollars a year on defense. And here we are. The fate of the planet is in the hands of a bunch of retards I wouldn't trust with a potato gun.

• General Kimsey : And the ones this morning?

  Dan : Uh, those were nothing. Uh, they're the size of basketballs and, uh, Volkswagens, things like that.

• Truman : [a team of soldiers come into the control room via the elevators]  What is this?

  General Kimsey : Secondary protocol.

  Truman : But they haven't drilled the damn hole yet!

  General Kimsey : The president's advisors feel that the drilling isn't working. And we've lost radio contact, maybe for good. We've only got a few minutes left of guaranteed ability to remote detonate that nuke. If we don't do it now, we could lose control and we may never get it back.

  Truman : Well, you tell the president that he better fire his so-called advisors! And if you detonate that nuke on the surface, we've wasted a perfectly good bomb. And we have one chance to save this planet!

• Dan : [on the phone]  Yes, Mr President, I understand that completely, but my point is very, very simple. And I think you need to trust me on this, because I know something about it. I guarantee you, if you do this, you kill us all. Yes, sir.

  [to Kimsey] 

  Dan : General, he wants you.

  General Kimsey : [takes the phone]  Yes, sir. I understand.

  [he hangs up] 

  General Kimsey : The orders are to remote detonate in thirty seconds.

  Grace Stamper : [She runs up but is held back by a soldier]  You have not told them yet!

  [screams] 

  Grace Stamper : That is my father up there!

  Dan : This is one order you shouldn't follow, and you fucking know it!

  [to the soldier restraining Grace] 

  Dan : Let her go! Let her go!