Gas mask required

Rating: 8/10 (9 December 2005)

When you look at the plot outline, it looks like the same old "nukes stolen by military-turned-extortionist" formula that's been used in many other movies. One thing that makes "The rock" stand out, is that the motives behind the behaviour of most characters - especially the main "bad guy" - raise thoughts on very real philosophical and ethical issues. However some of the characters fall into the standard Hollywold mold of being either completely good, completely evil, or completely stupid. Probably the most remarkable asset of this movie is the very intense emotion carried by the soundtrack.
One very interesting point is that the chemical weapon referred to in the film (VX nerve gas) is accurately described in most aspects compared to its real-life counterpart, as an extremely deadly and dangerous substance. The effect on its victims was only slightly exaggerated for dramatic effect, citing that VX gas causes the victim's skin to melt and liquefy.
Writing this almost 10 years after "The rock" was first released, i must say that this is one of the movies that have made a notable impression in the past decade. Its outstanding soundtrack, which was composed and arranged by musical genius Hans Zimmer, is truly one of the best film soundtracks of all time.