A compelling villain raises this above other Michael Bay fare; it's his best work, for sure.

Rating: 6/10 (14 May 2018)

Its greatest strength is a compelling, well-developed and sympathetic villain whose motivations are consistently clear and understandable while he himself never strays from being anything other than a conscientious human with complex emotions. It is unfortunate, then, that the protagonists and ensuing action sequences are goofy as can be. 'The Rock (1996)' separates its bursts of militaristic patriotism, underlined by 'cool' slow motion, with quirky Cage quips and over-the-top explosions. These aspects all fall a little flat in the end, but they're fun enough while they last. 6/10