The Rock (1996)

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

The name Michael Bay and the phrase "great film" don't often appear together. Bay has proven with films such as Armageddon and the Transformers franchise to be the poster child of the current Hollywood "wham-bam-thank you ma'am!" style of filmmaking. That is to say, the kind of filmmaking that emphasizes style over substance. And yet, back in the mid-1990s, Bay got the mix right for one film. That film was The Rock. Part of which is down to the film's cast and, in particular, its trio of lead actors. Sean Connery was having something of a comeback in the 1990s, and the film is a prime example of that. He exudes presence from his first scene nearly a half-hour into the film (despite his top billing) right up to his final shot. Whether he's making quips ala James Bond (perhaps appropriately enough as his character of Mason is a former British agent) or taking on antagonists half his age while being a reluctant father figure to Nicholas Cage's character, Connery is watchable throughout. As are the other two members of the leading trio. The Rock seems to be the film that established Nicholas Cage as a bit of an action star, and it is here that his quirky but reluctant hero persona works best. That might be down to how well the thrown together relationship between his character of FBI chemical weapons specialist Goodspeed and Connery's Mason works. Rounding out the trio is Ed Harris' villain, Marine Corp Brigadier General Frank Hummel, the proverbial "good soldier" gone bad. What's fantastic about Harris' performance is that Hummel is in many ways sympathetic, a commanding officer who has seen too many men fight and die for their country without recognition. What he's after isn't some madcap take over the world scheme but a desperate, last-ditch attempt to have his men recognized but going about in a way that can only end tragically. Harris brings all these elements out in his performance, rounding off the lead cast with an underrated villain.The supporting cast is strong as well, often featuring character actors. There's the late John Spencer, on the eve of success in The West Wing (a series created by uncredited Rock scriptwriter Aaron Sorkin), as the FBI director reluctant to bring an imprisoned Mason out into the world again but forced to watch as events unfold. William Forsythe and Michael Biehn both come across well in their roles as the FBI special-agent-in-charge and as the leader of a Navy SEAL team sent in alongside Mason and Goodspeed. The highlights of the supporting cast though lie in the men occupying the former prison alongside Harris' general from David Morse as his second in command Major Baxter as well as Tony Todd and Gregory Sporleder in stand out supporting roles where they offer a considerable amount of menace. They are just a few highlights from a strong cast.Being a Bay film, it's a visually stunning action film. From the stealing of the nerve gas by Hummel's Marines to a destructive car chase across San Francisco, the film's first hour showcases kinetic action sequences alongside its exposition to keeps the viewer's attention glued to the screen. Once the film gets Mason and Goodspeed to Alcatraz in its second half, the film becomes a set of running battles involving the duo against the Marines. And yet, Bay proves he is just as capable of handling somber pieces such as the military funeral that helps form the opening credit sequence or the quieter scenes with Connery. Bay's direction, the cinematography of John Schwartzman, and the editing of Richard Francis-Bruce make The Rock an action spectacle.One with a difference, however. What separates this film from virtually everything Bay has directed to date (and his many imitators) is its script. The Rock is an intelligently plotted thrill ride full of intriguing characters and plot twists from its well-realized lead characters to its conclusion with all the complications that ensue. It also helps that the film is full of witty dialogue from Mason's quips to many of the exchanges between Mason and Goodspeed. In a way, that the script is so good is a surprise given that a team of writers worked on it from the three credited writers (David Weisberg, Douglas S. Cook, and Mark Rosner) to uncredited contributions from Aaron Sorkin in addition to favored Connery script doctors Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement. The result, however, is a better-written action flick than one might expect and the one example I can think of many hands producing a superb script.The Rock then stands as perhaps the single best thing to come out of Bay's directorial career. It was here that he found the right recipe between casting, action, spectacle, humor, and plot. Maybe that's why, more than twenty years later, the film holds up as one of the best action films of the 1990s, as thrilling now as it was then.

A nifty old school crime/disaster film that reinvigorated and brought out the best in Sean Connery, oh and Nicholas Cage was pretty decent too, decent as in quite possibly one of his greatest ever performances. It was still the 90's when The Rock rolled into cinemas, and you can tell even now as it maintains some of the classic charm that was sadly lost as the millennium turned, in other words it's aged a bit since it was released. To use Alcatraz as the principle setting was a daring move as so many previous films had used the iconic island prison as a location before, but it was a move that paid off in abundance, one of the better Alcatraz based films in my opinion. Like so many top end films, the plot was staggeringly simple, it doesn't make you think too much so you can just sit back and let the action flow, it's exciting and at times, edge of your seat stuff, that's precisely how these kind of films should be. As good as Nicholas Cage was (and he was very good indeed) the standout performance has to go to the iconic Sean Connery, a master of his craft he brought elements of his old James Bond character to the fold, giving this character John Patrick Mason that something extra, for an old man he sure can move!Underlining morals come into play also, General Hummel the film's primary antagonist keeps a stiff upper lip through the bulk of the film's run, but towards the end he has a crisis of conscience, there's still too much goodness in him and he plans on scrapping his dastardly plan altogether..., the beginning of the end for him and his loyal followers, setting up the final act of the film. The Rock naturally gets top marks because I can't see where I can possibly mark it down, it's enjoyable, technically masterful, got a bulletproof story, great character performances, hits all the right emotions, simple to follow and most importantly, it has that iconic 90's feel about it..., great film, definitely would watch it again.

Note: this is the only proof available that Michael Bay can make a competent and enjoyable film. Everything else associated with him seems to be cinematic cancer. It's an amazing action film. Too bad he spews out live action cartoons that are easily digestible to mainstream audiences. This one is a keeper, no doubt

General Francis X. Hummel has had enough of the way US service personnel have been treated; especially how the families of those who died on top secret missions are told a string of lies and not compensated for their loss… to this end he decides to blackmailing the government by stealing a quantity of deadly VX gas; taking over the island of Alcatraz and threatening to launch the gas into the city of San Francisco if is demands to compensate the families aren't met within forty hours. Of course he can't do this alone; he is supported by a squad of ex-marines who expect to be paid handsomely.The government have no intention of paying him so assemble a team to go to Alcatraz and neutralise the VX rockets that are to deploy the gas. The team will consist of a squad of Navy Seals; Stanley Goodspeed, an FBI specialist in chemical weapons and finally John Patrick Mason, the only man to have escaped from Alcatraz who will be needed to guide the team in. Mason could be a problem; he is a former captain in the SAS who has spent the last thirty years in jail but has never been formally charged with any crime and is considered extremely dangerous. Once inside Alcatraz the Seals are quickly eliminated leaving Goodspeed and Mason to deal with Hummel and his men and neutralise the weapons.This film is packed with action; there are shootouts, a car chase, explosions and the threat of a deadly attack on a major city… the action moves at such a pace it is easy to overlook many of the more unlikely moments… the scenes in what looked like ancient mine carts under the old jail seemed too far-fetched but once that was over it was soon forgotten; at least while watching the film. The story may include numerous clichés but that doesn't matter as it is a lot of fun. Nicolas Cage does a solid job as Goodspeed and Sean Connery is in top form as Mason; he may be old but he makes us believe that is character is tougher than the young marines he is up against. Ed Harris does a fine job as General Hummel; a character who isn't just a pantomime villain. This is probably director Michael Bay's best film; he keeps the action moving at a cracking pace without losing the story in the process; don't be put off if you dislike his 'Transformers' franchise. Overall I found this to be a lot of fun; it won't be for everybody but if you want a solid action film it is definitely worth watching.