The rock(1996)! The grade will be a solid B

Rating: 8/10 (1 December 2013)

The bombastic director Michael Bay impressed the world with Bad Boys(1995) then to continue with the much better The Rock, with good action, high tempo, Sean Connery and an amazing theme by Hans Zimmer. A group of US marine mercenaries takes over the prison island of Alcatraz, aka. The Rock near San Fransisco. They are led by General Hummel(very good performed by Ed Harris), who threatens to launch chemical missiles on San Franssico if the government do not pay the families of his dead troops, whose deaths were not compensated. The government calls Stanley Goodspeed(Nicolas Cage, when he still was good in the late 90s) an expert at chemical weapons. Because the mercenaries have total control of the island they need a covered way in. They release the only man who managed to escape the prison called John Mason(entertaining played by Sean Connery). There is good chemistry between Nicolas and Sean that follows. This movie is unlike other action movies very entertaining, the atmosphere around the plot works very good with the action that follows and also the story. The movie becomes more thrilling when Goodspedd, mason and some Navy Seals(including Michael Biehn) gets inside the prison. The acting does not contain a lot of deep emotions and moral questions but like always Michael Bay thinks the actors are in the way and goes on with the action tempo. Still a very entertaining blockbuster movie worthy to be re-watched again!