Tortured buddy film

Rating: Null/10 (4 October 2002)

Angry Marines've taken tour group hostage on Alcatraz, to protest unfair treatment. Also hold some lethal weapons. Biochem. meister Nicolas Cage & mystery con Sean Connery end up charged with freeing hostages, defusing weapons.
Cage & Connery characters have nothing in common but must work well if grudgingly together, in the bowels of the island prison. Cage is high strung & scared; Connery is mean & methodical. The product is some very entertaining exchanges. The exchanges betw. two great actors, Ed Harris & Connery, are riveting, although way too brief. Excellent supporting cast. Movie has an outstanding music score too, which really adds some high drama to the massacre of the SEAL team.
Before Cage & co. descend on Alcatraz, there's a bit too much time frittering, & tension is deflated if not eliminated by Cage's barfing scene, & the obligatory chase scene with the ageist little old lady crossing the street (she's on screen less than seven seconds, & you just know it's some stuntman made up!) & the frightened cable car conductor might leave you cringing rather than on the edge of your seat.
Fair-to-middling action picture with some fine dialog, if one-too-many sight gags.