***1/2

Rating: 10/10 (23 October 1998)

I'm sick to death of action movies with chase scenes, big guns, weapons of mass destruction, and huge bodycounts. But this movie has all of those things. So why did I enjoy it so much? Because the director Michael Bay managed to take all those elements that make up an action movie and polish them to a gleaming shine.
When I watch this movie, I get a sense of excitement that is rarely found in movies today. There are lots of movies out there with just as much, if not more action than 'The Rock'. But for some reason, 'The Rock' is by far more exciting and entertaining than all those other action flicks. And the villain is great. He's bad but not too bad. I hate it when I see a villain who so evil, that you almost know what his next move is going to be. If you know what he's gonna do, where's the suspense?
I also like Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage as a team. They make an interesting combo. We have a nerd who specializes in chemicals who is a major wuss and then in the end is a hero, and then we have a hardass who is also a genius who gets a little soft by the end. They could fight crime!!
It also has its funny moments. Every movie needs a funny moment. If it doesn't, the movie will get boring, because there is no break from the violence and action. A movie sometimes needs a little humor to break the ice.
In the end, this movie is near the top of my list. It has a serious plotline and is very exciting during the action scenes, but is also a lot of fun when things calm down. It's one of my favourites. We'll probably never see a movie with as much excitement ever again. Oh well. Looks like it's back to old family vacation videos.