Unashamedly OTT!

Rating: 8/10 (29 October 2013)

The Rock is an unashamedly absurd and over-the-top action thriller, and I loved it. I loved the fact that it made no pretences at maintaining a believable plot line and focused entirely on edge-of-the-seat action.
Nicholas Cage is superb as the nerdy chemist turned action hero, while Sean Connery puts it a deft turn as the cool British ex- spy.
The movie hits you with sequence after sequence of fast-paced action and edgy encounters that keep things ticking along at a nice pace.
My only criticism is that the final sequence, where Cage and Connery have to diffuse a series of rockets, could have been ratcheted up a couple more gears. I'd have liked to have seen more evidence of why Connery's character had such a feared reputation, while more could have been done to instill a sense of mortal danger from the chemical weapons.
But this is quibbling. The Rock is a excellent movie that I'd thoroughly recommend. Pure, mindless entertainment at its best.