Fake countdown and knowing reactionary tone, but the best SF car chase to date.
The Rock (1996)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:46
Fresh:30
Rotten:16
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: For visceral thrills, it can't be beat. Just don't expect The Rock to engage your brain.
Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: In Michael Bay's THE ROCK, gung-ho general Francis Hummel (Ed Harris), armed with deadly chemical rockets and aided by violent cohorts, takes over the island of Alcatraz, holding 81 tourists... In Michael Bay's THE ROCK, gung-ho general Francis Hummel (Ed Harris), armed with deadly chemical rockets and aided by violent cohorts, takes over the island of Alcatraz, holding 81 tourists hostage. Hummel promises to deploy the missiles over San Francisco if Washington doesn't make amends to ignored combat victims to the tune of $100 million. A cadre of Navy SEALs are dispatched to quell the situation, assisted by the mysterious, macho John Mason (Sean Connery), the only man to ever escape from Alcatraz, who must now help the SEALs break back in. Joining them is mild-mannered chemical weapons expert Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage), who is unaccustomed to such things as guns and military maneuvers. Their high-octane mission is filled with surprises, particularly after Hummel and company quickly annihilate the SEALs--leaving Mason and Goodspeed to save the day all by themselves. [More]
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris, Michael Biehn
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris, Michael Biehn, William Forsythe, David Morse, John C. McGinley, Bokeem Woodbine, Vanessa Marcil, Claire Forlani, Brendan Kelly, David Bowe
Director: Michael Bay
Director: Michael Bay
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenwriter: David Weisberg, Douglas S. Cook, Mark Rosner
Producer: Don Simpson
Composer: Nick Glennie-Smith, Harry Gregson-Williams
Reviews for The Rock
Providing an endless stream of one-liners, which put in check any of the films pretensions towards seriousness, Connery brings life to an otherwise formulaic movie.
The movie, directed by sophomore Michael Bay (Bad Boys) is almost unwatchable.
Connery was very good in this role, and his presence is the reason why The Rock doesn't suck as bad as it could have.
Producers Jerry Bruckheimer and the late Don Simpson have a highly-successful resume that includes Top Gun and Crimson Tide. The Rock will add more luster to that reputation.
Despite ample gunfights, chases and explosions, the tension in The Rock never translates into excitement for the audience.
Slick, brutal and almost human, this is the team-spirit action movie Mission: Impossible should have been.
The Rock's ads urge you to 'get ready to rock.' After seeing this energetic action-packed ride that truly does 'rock,' I can't think of better advice.
A first-rate, slam-bang action thriller with a lot of style and no little humor.
The movie's extreme violence, exhausting action and macho posturing make it an unlikely ticket choice for women and unsuitable for children.
By the time Cage says, late in the film, 'OK, that's just about the most awful thing I've ever seen,' the audience should be ready to agree.
The movie deteriorates into a long commercial for the home-game version of itself.
In a summer already bursting at the seams with amazing special effects and star-driven excitement, The Rock redefines nail-biting suspense and heart-pounding action.
When film more or less took over melodrama from the theater ninety years ago, it proudly provided real oceans instead of canvas waves rippled by stagehands; but the plots remained humbug ... The Rock is as ridiculous an example as one could want.
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