Stanley was almost an exact replica of my mother

Rating: 9/10 (8 April 2006)

Having won an Oscar for "Leaving Las Vegas", Nicolas Cage shifted to action with "The Rock". Portraying renegade Gen. Francis Hummel (Ed Harris) taking over Alcatraz, necessitating a rescue mission, the movie takes an interesting look at everything. We get to learn the story behind every main character, and even the car chase turns out to have a purpose.
What was especially interesting about Nicolas Cage's character Stanley Goodspeed was his similarity to my mother: being a Beatlemaniac and desiring a beige Volvo. But this is Sean Connery's movie all the way. As ex-con John Mason, he creates a character with whom we feel that we can sympathize no matter what. Even if he tears up San Francisco in a car chase.
There are some scenes about which I feel that I should warn you. You see, the movie partly focuses on these balls that release a chemical. This chemical melts your skin, among other things.
But overall, it's a pretty good movie. Believe it or not, Michael Bay actually directed a good movie. I can't say the same for his work since then ("Armageddon", "Pearl Harbor"). Stick with this one.