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Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Hollywood Pictures
Not part of a collection.
Alcatraz. Only one man has ever broken out. Now five million lives depend on two men breaking in.
When vengeful General Francis X. Hummel seizes control of Alcatraz Island and threatens to launch missiles loaded with deadly chemical weapons into San Francisco, only a young FBI chemical weapons expert and notorious Federal prisoner have the skills to penetrate the impregnable island fortress and take him down.
RalphRahal
Feb 20, 2025 · via TMDB
The Rock (1996) is a solid action-packed ride from start to finish. The plot is straightforward but executed well, with a strong first act that sets everything up nicely. The pacing keeps things moving without dragging, and there's a good balance between intense action and quieter moments that build character relationships. The script is solid, delivering sharp dialogue and a few memorable lines that stick with you long after the credits roll. Michael Bay’s direction is exactly what you’d expect, high-energy, explosive, and visually dynamic. The cinematography has that gritty yet polished look that works perfectly for this kind of movie, making the action sequences feel immersive and intense. Bay’s signature camera movements and framing give everything a larger-than-life feel, keeping the tension high. The sound design and score are fantastic, elevating the emotional beats and the action without overpowering the scenes. The performances are a big part of what makes The Rock work so well. Sean Connery has an undeniable screen presence, bringing charisma and weight to his role, while Nicolas Cage delivers a strong performance that balances his character’s intelligence and unpredictability. Ed Harris also stands out, adding depth to a character that could have easily been one-dimensional. With great action sequences, strong performances, and a tight script, The Rock is a top-tier action movie that holds up incredibly well.
CinemaSerf
Aug 27, 2023 · via TMDB
Right, first things first - turn your brain down to simmer for a couple of hours before you watch this and just remember it is meant to be a far-fetched action film. Once in that gear, it's not actually that bad once it eventually gets going. Rogue general "Hummel" (Ed Harris) steals some highly potent chemical weapons, takes some hostages on Alcatraz and points his weapons at San Francisco. It falls to FBI biochemist "Goodspeed" (Nicolas Cage) and the even more rogue prisoner "Mason" (Sean Connery) to take some marines and thwart this lethal attack. None of the acting here is any good - they are all pretty shocking, but once everyone is entrenched on the island, there are plenty of pyrotechnics, the pace picks up and this becomes mildly entertaining for the last half hour. The dialogue is full of typical ye-ha nonsense, and that grates after a while, and there is precisely no jeopardy at any point. Whatever you do, don't have any epidermal exposure... or cerebral expectations.
Gimly
Jul 26, 2020 · via TMDB
The two lead characters' impact on the events of the move are pretty negligible, everyone and everything in it is laughably stupid, and you can see here begin to blossom the stereotypes that Michael Bay would go on you ruin everything he ever touched with, but I still kind of like _The Rock_. Maybe it's just in comparison to all of Bay's other films, or maybe it's because it's the only one of his works I saw when I was still single-digit aged, but I do enjoy it. I'm not willing to defend it, just to re-watch it once a decade or so. _Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go. _
John Chard
Aug 25, 2019 · via TMDB
Welcome to The Rock. The Rock is directed by Michael Bay and written by David Weisberg, Douglas Cook & Mark Rosner. It stars Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris, David Morse, William Forsythe & Michael Biehn. When a highly decorated army general (Harris) decides that he's had enough of his men dying and not getting the credit they deserve, he commandeers Alcatraz prison with a crack unit of Mercs. The plan is to hold the government to ransom or he will unleash from the prison biological rockets to bring Armageddon down upon America. Enter chemical weapons expert Dr. Stanley Goodspeed (Cage), who is forced to team up with the only man ever to escape Alcatraz - the mysteriously incarcerated in secret John Patrick Mason (Connery) - to break into the Rock and thwart the plans of the Mercs. So Cage as a chemistry expert who possible holds the fate of the world in his shaky hands? Connery, aged 66, as a tough prison escapee sporting a "Grunge" haircut? And Ed Harris, surely a bastion of patriotic Americana, turning bad and wanting to unleash hell on the Stars & Stripes? To expect nothing else but a berserker Michael Bayhem picture based on these facts is surely folly. He certainly has a varied CV does Bay, as do the leading actors on show here, but when on form, with writers prepared to put blood into the characters, Bay can deliver high octane entertainment if coupled with a cast clearly in tune with the material. Such is the case here. It's no award winner, naturally, but it does have some political smarts within the script. And if you want explosions, shoot outs and quips aplenty? Then this really will serve you well for a couple of hours. 7.5/10
Bryan Nguyen
Jan 13, 2018 · via TMDB
Alcatraz. Only one man has ever broken out. Now five million lives depend on two men breaking in. Michael Bay's best picture. The sophomore effort from director Michael Bay, this $75 million dollar action film was released nationwide on June 7, 1996 - eventually earning $335 million. The particularly great R-rated premise sees a mild-mannered chemist teaming up with a resourceful ex-con who must infiltrate Alcatraz prison after a rogue group of military men, led by a renegade general, threaten a nerve-gas attack. Constantly in over his head, and never one to use profane language, Nicholas Cage is excellent as the quirky chemist - often resorting to quips and jokes in lieu of violence. In a character that feels like a sort of spiritual successor to his portrayal of James Bond, Sean Connery is the patient but skilled MI6 operative. After 30-years of false imprisonment, he's recruited from jail to help the feds sneak onto Alcatraz - as he's the only person to have successfully escaped from the prison facility decades earlier. When he's required to finally put his knowledge of the defunct prison to the test, the disbelief and amazement from his military companions is quite amusing. The unlikely pairing of these two is honestly the best part of the film. Cage's zany behavior is a perfect foil for Connery's relaxed confidence. The British ex-con chastises his younger counterpart on 'doing his best'. "Your'best'? Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and -bang- the prom queen." After a quick beat and a sly grin, Nicholas responds, "Carla was the prom queen." This isn't just a funny encapsulation of their relationship, but one of my all-time favorite exchanges in any action movie. Ed Harris is phenomenal as the quote, "bad guy" - a disillusioned Marine General whose terrorist actions are only to secure reparations for his forgotten and fallen soldiers. It's honestly a perfectly understandable, and dare I say noble position; a man willing to commit treason and risk his life to help the families of his former troops. Which is why the government's handling, and ultimate dismissal of his ransom request is so perplexing and frustrating. Before ordering a massive aerial kill strike on the entire island, the President gives an impassioned speech (seemingly to an empty Oval Office) about his 'impossible decision' - but this only highlights the aforementioned plot hole. Harris only asked for $100 million dollars... why not just give him the money? The supporting cast is stacked with even more excellent talent; David Morse, William Forsythe, Michael Beihn, Xander Berkeley, and Phillip Baker Hall. Of particular note however is John Spencer - who does fantastic work as a conflicted FBI director who reluctantly recruits Connery, Tony Todd who has one of the best on-screen deaths ever, and John C. McGinley whose unrealistic performance as an over-eager Marine makes him seem miscast. A trio of composers, including Hans Zimmer, bring some interesting and appropriate ideas to the soundtrack, utilizing synthesized themes and electric guitars. It feels reminiscent of the excellent score from the "Rainbow Six" video game that came out two years later. While this feature never quite breaks the mold, it definitely represents the best possible version of your stereotypical mid-90s action film. For a rewatchable thrill-ride with plenty of excitement and memorable characters, look no further. "The Rock" is explosive fun that never takes itself too seriously. Perhaps Bay's best film, I thought it was AWESOME.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Sean Connery
John Patrick Mason
Nicolas Cage
Dr. Stanley Goodspeed
Ed Harris
Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel, USMC
John Spencer
FBI Director James Womack
David Morse
Major Tom Baxter
William Forsythe
Special Agent Ernest Paxton
Michael Biehn
Commander Charles Anderson
Vanessa Marcil
Carla Pestalozzi
John C. McGinley
Marine Captain Hendrix
Gregory Sporleder
Captain Frye
Tony Todd
Captain Darrow
Bokeem Woodbine
Sergeant Crisp
Greg Collins
Private Gamble
Brendan Kelly
Private Cox
Steve Harris
Private McCoy
Danny Nucci
Lieutenant Shephard
Claire Forlani
Jade Angelou
Celeste Weaver
Stacy Richards
Todd Louiso
Marvin Isherwood
David Bowe
Dr. Ling
Raquel Krelle
Agent Margie Wood
Marshall R. Teague
Seal Reigert
Duffy Gaver
Seal Dando
Billy Devlin
Navy Seal
Joseph Patrick Kelly
Hummel Marine 'C'
Ingo Neuhaus
Marine That Dies
John Laughlin
General Peterson
Harry Humphries
Navy Admiral
Howard Platt
Louis Lindstrom
Willie Garson
Francis Reynolds
Dwight Hicks
F.B.I. Agent Star
Ralph Peduto
F.B.I. Agent Hunt
Anthony Clark
Paul the Hotel Barber
Sean Skelton
Kid on Motorcycle
Raymond O'Connor
Park Ranger Bob
Luenell
Female Tourist
Sam Whipple
Larry Henderson
Tom Towles
Alcatraz Park Ranger
Anthony Guidera
Lead F-18 Pilot
Jim Caviezel
Rear F-18 Pilot
John Enos III
Sea Stallion Pilot
Buck Kartalian
Reverend
Xander Berkeley
Lonner (uncredited)
Raymond Cruz
Sergeant Rojas (uncredited)
Matthew James Gulbranson
U.S. Marine (uncredited)
Philip Baker Hall
Chief Justice (uncredited)
Pat Skipper
Navy Lt. Commander (uncredited)
Stuart Wilson
General Al Kramer (uncredited)
Stanley Anderson
The President (uncredited)
David Marshall Grant
Chief of Staff Hayden Sinclair (uncredited)
Rosemary Brandenburg
Set Decoration
John Schwartzman
Director of Photography
Daryl Tucker
Grip
Dan DeLeeuw
Digital Effects Supervisor
Don Simpson
In Memory Of
Edward Conna
Stunt Double
Steve Kelso
Stunt Double
Andy Gill
Stunts
Danny Epper
Stunts
Danny Rogers
Stunts
Fred Lerner
Stunts
Henry Kingi
Stunts
Jack Gill
Stunts
John C. Meier
Stunts
Lisa Dempsey
Stunts
Manny Perry
Stunts
Mic Rodgers
Stunts
Peewee Piemonte
Stunts
Pete Antico
Stunts
Sandra Lee Gimpel
Stunts
Tony Epper
Stunts
William Washington
Stunts
Michael Bay
Director
Richard Francis-Bruce
Editor
Heidi Levitt
Casting
Mike Stenson
Executive In Charge Of Production
Sean Connery
Executive Producer
Don Simpson
Producer
Jerry Bruckheimer
Producer
Todd Garner
Production Executive
Hans Zimmer
Original Music Composer
Nick Glennie-Smith
Original Music Composer
Greg P. Russell
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Kevin O'Connell
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Matsune Suzuki
Modeling
Hoyt Yeatman
Visual Effects Supervisor
Jonathan Hensleigh
Screenplay
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Too Much, Too Young: Children of the Middle Ages
2011
900 Neighbours
2006
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Battle your watched movies head-to-head
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Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
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