The Rock (1996)

Genre: Action

Directed by: Michael Bay

Starring: Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris

Running time: 136 minutes

A group of rogue marines take some tourists hostage in the prison of Alcatraz and threaten to launch some highly deadly gas on the city of San Francisco if their demands are not met. The FBI decides to send one of their teams along with Dr. Stanley Goodspeed, a chemical weapons specialist. Since Alcatraz is a fortress that is difficult to penetrate, they also seek the help of John Mason, a longtime prisoner who was the only man to have escaped from the island prison years before.

The Rock is a thrilling cinematic ride. The action is fast-paced and the explosions are numerous. If you go in expecting to be entertained without having to think too much, you will be served and come out satisfied. Michael Bay is known by now for his work in the action genre, and this is one of his very good movies.

Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery have a good on-screen chemistry in The Rock. Connery has been steady over the years. Quite frankly, with that accent and voice, he could say almost anything and it would come off great. Cage was still in his prime in the 90’s. He plays his typical character, but he does it well. Ed Harris is also very good here, which is no surprise really. I just wish his character would have been developed a little more.

All things considered, this is a film I had not seen in years. It was truly a pleasure to revisit it, and I highly recommend it to fans of the action genre.

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