One of the smartest action films made

Rating: 9/10 (24 January 2000)

"The Rock" stands out as one of the best action films made. A film that not only contains the big explosions and quick shootouts, it's faithful to it's storyline. The plot follows marine Frank Hummell, a fed up general angry at the government for ignoring the covert operations he was in that claimed the lives of his men. Frank, along with his faithful group of marines steal 16 rockets from the government. These rockets contain a very deadly toxin that could wipe out humans in mere seconds by literally disintegrating them. Teaming up with a group of ex-marines intent on getting back in the action, they seize Alcatraz, make the tourists hostages, and threaten to launch the rockets at San Francisco. A worried group of military officials and FBI men enlist the help of an uptight FBI chemist named Stanley Goodspeed and an incarcerated British spy named John Mason who has been behind government bars for years with a knowledge of Alcatraz (a former inmate/3 time escapee). The two embark with an FBI crew that is later wiped out leaving the two of them to stop the general and his band of marines. "The Rock" manages to deliver the goods with spectacular car chases (an intense daylight car chase through the hills of San Francisco that results in utter mayhem and destruction with a wham bam finale) to excellent performances by the cast, Ed Harris as the disgruntled general, Sean Connery as the wise and wisecracking spy, and Nicolas Cage as the seriously uptight chemist. Other notable performances include David Morse, Michael Biehn, William Forsythe, Tony Todd, John Spencer, and Gregory Sporleder. One of Jerry Bruckheimer's best films. I seriously recommend "The Rock" to anyone looking for a hard core action movie. Incredible action sequences are a major plus in this excellently crafted film.