The Rock

Rating: 8/10 (17 January 2007)

From director Michael Bay (Bad Boys, Transformers), I have said to myself I have seen this film many times, but I always remember I haven't, and I always love it. Basically Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel, USMC (Ed Harris) and his small army of renegade marines have stolen three warheads, filled with the deadly VX gas that instantly destroys all human internal organs, and melts the skin. Hummel threatens to fire these warheads on San Francisco, and kill the 81 hostages he has captive at Alcatraz prison, aka The Rock, unless he and his soldiers are paid a high ransom. FBI chemical/biological weapons expert Dr. Stanley Goodspeed (Nicholas Cage) is assigned to try and get into The Rock and retrieve these weapons. The only way he can do this is to get help from the only man known to have escaped the prison, top-secret federal prisoner John Patrick Mason (Sir Sean Connery). After attempting escape in a high speed chase, Mason eventually agrees to help the Goodspeed and the FBI in their mission and get inside The Rock. They successfully get inside, but Hummel and his group know they are inside, and will stop at nothing to make sure they can't get to them. It comes to a point where the FBI sees no other choice but to fire a missile on Alcatraz and San Francisco, but eventually Hummel and the other villains get what they deserve and the day is saved, with Mason being allowed to get away, and Goodspeed marrying his pregnant fiancÃ©e. Also starring John Spencer as FBI Director James Womack, David Morse as Major Tom Baxter, William Forsythe as Special Agent Ernest Paxton, The Terminator's Michael Biehn as Commander Anderson, Vanessa Marcil as Carla Pestalozzi, Scrubs' John C. McGinley as Marine Captain Hendrix, Candyman's Tony Todd as Captain Darrow, Titanic's Danny Nucci as Lieutenant Shephard, Claire Forlani as Jade Angelou and Philip Baker Hall as Chief Justice. The one moment I do always remember is the bit when Cage crashes his car, and some guy says "Dude, you just f***** up your Ferrari", and he replies "It's not mine!" Connery and Cage do well in their roles, Harris is a good villain, and the supporting cast do very well too, it is one of those action thrillers you are never going to look away from because there are so many explosive moments to get your attention, making it a brilliant film. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Sound. Nicolas Cage was number 33, and Sir Sean Connery number 8 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, Connery was also number 3 on The 50 Greatest British Actors. Very good!