The sophomore film from former music video and commercial director Michael Bay.

Rating: 6/10 (13 November 2010)

What does one need to know about The Rock? Well, it's one very entertaining and thrilling film, but there's not much else to it. Still, I think it's one of the best action films of the 1990s. At times it's somewhat dumb, at times it's inconsistent, the whole package however is so appealing that you can watch it again and again and not get tired of it. It features some breathtaking San Francisco scenery. The performances are memorable, especially by the three leads. Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris are very good in this film. The scenes on Alcatraz are exciting, and the prison was filmed very well. Michael Bay, however, is not a great director. The jokes and action are impressive but tight filmmaking this is not. Bay relies too much on quick cuts and snappy dialogue instead of trying to build truly impressive scenes. The story too is hardly anything to write about. Bay can deliver the visuals though. The score by Hans Zimmer is another strong point. Most of all The Rock is a feel-good film. It's by far my favourite film by Bay, and I recommend seeing it.