Like its title, the film is to the point, substantial and does not crack under scrutiny!

Rating: Null/10 (25 November 2001)

THE ROCK and CRIMSON TIDE are arguably Bruckheimer's two mini-masterpieces. (CON AIR was just too over-the-top!) The film is given an extra boost by the presence of Sean Connery, who even in his late sixties would STILL make the quintessential Bond (are you listening Sean?)
As John Mason, a wrongfully imprisoned British Agent who simply knew too much, his services are required now to assist a bunch of Navy Seals break IN to Alcatraz where former war hero, purple heart and majorly p***ed off General Hummel, is threatening to eradicate a few million San Franciscans if his demands to have Uncle Sam pay the families of his men killed in action are not met. (Not often you come across an honorable extortionist!) Mason's expertise being that he remains the ONLY person to have EVER successfully escaped from The Rock!

Cage too is out of his tree as Dr Stanley Goodspeed, a chemical engineer dragged along for the ride, his job being to neutralise some extremely unpleasant biological weaponry Hummel plans on lobbing downtown. He and Connery work together a treat - you will rarely see two actors spark off each other so charismatically.
Even with stalwart commando, Michael Biehn's gung-ho contribution, it remains totally Sean Connery's film who acts everyone off the screen. Even his one face-to-face with Ed Harris as Hummel, yields up perhaps the best and most appropriate line of the movie. David Morse is excellent as Hummel's 2IC and Tony Todd ("Candyman") plays a mercenary just on hand for the big payday! The action is relentless and coupled with a literate script and top of the line production values (except maybe for the curiously unrealistic low-level bombing raid at the end) this is the ultimate action/feelgood flick. No one on their right mind could walk out of this film claiming they were bored. Easily the benchmark by which other action flicks will be measured. Take Connery out of the equation though, it would simply have been a "good film."