Vintage Bruckheimer!

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2006)

Geeky biochemist Stanley Goodpseed (Cage) and highly educated ex-SAS killing machine John Mason (Connery) have to infiltrate Alcatraz, where renegade US General Hummel (Harris) plans to use missiles armed with nerve gas to massacre the entire San Fransisco Bay area (and a host of unfortunate hostages) unless...
You get the idea: it sounds ludicrous, it actually IS ludicrous... But this is truly inspired nonsense. A script which 3 different writers have worked on to cram in as many one-liners and explosive situations, an epilepsy-inducing shooting and editing style (circular travelings, sunsets and filters abound)... these are not promising ingredients, especially in retrospect. And yet, a smart dosage of the above and solid commitment from everyone involved make "The Rock" far better than it had any right to be.
If you can get past the silliness of the premise, not only is this an endlessly fun film to watch, it also has many very noteworthy components: Hans Zimmer's score is often rightfully celebrated as one of the most inspiring and bombastic of any action film, the San Fransisco car chase is among the most energetic of all time... Less commonly for a Bruckheimer/Bay production, the actors also pull their weight successfully: Nic Cage cements his action man potential, Sean Connery displays more fierceness and charisma than any star half his age, and best of all - undaunted by clunky lines - is Ed Harris as a surprisingly likable antagonist.
This is the jewel of the Burckheimer/Bay crown. the pinnacle of silly explosive cinema - with a twist - done expertly right. For those of you who consider cinema to be only about art, this might even be worth a short glance. For anyone seeking entertainment, "The Rock" delivers in spades...
One of the best action films of the 90s.