User reviews

The Rock is one of my all-time favorite suspense - thrillers. Believability - almost always a problem for this sort of film - is enhanced by a very compelling script, sets, and powerful performances by masters Sean Connery and Ed Harris. Like a good work of fiction, it's the quality of the telling that makes it believable, not the likelihood that it might happen. There are no problems with the way this story is told. The acting, editing, directing and visuals do not slip at all. Nick Cage - in a performance which approaches his best work - adds a bit of campiness and humor to this explosive mixture, and John Spencer, Tony Todd, David Morse, and Michael Biehn all contribute substantially to an exciting, fast-paced and emotionally draining film. Any avid movie-goer will be hard pressed to find a single actor in this sizable cast who has not either become a major star or a fine character actor over the last nine years.

The plot takes a number of twists and turns along the road, so to discuss almost any aspect of it in detail would require at least mild spoilers. None of the plot twists are unbelievable if you are willing to accept the basic premise. The story begins with Ed Harris - a Viet Nam war hero and field leader who is now a general and has become fed up with the abandonment of covert forces operatives by the US government. To get what he wants, he recruits some of the best officers under his command to take control of and hold Alcatraz Island, holding 70-some-odd civilians hostage and aiming four missiles loaded with deadly Sarin gas directly at the heart of San Francisco.

Biehn heads an elite Navy SEAL team assigned to infiltrate and disable Harris' capabilities. Cage joins him as the FBI biochemical specialist assigned the task of disarming the warheads, and the only man who can get them in to do their respective jobs is an aging British intelligence agent who has been incarcerated for 30 years or so by the government that now needs his help. Connery's John Mason escaped from Alcatraz during his incarceration, and for all intents and purpose - is a much rougher, more real James Bond character without the gadgets and the comic-book super-villains. All of the above is established in the first ten minutes of the film and the next two hours is a wild ride, with some very tense moments and some very intense performances.

I'm sure a lot of people will pick this film apart for the occasional unbelievable scene, etc, but it's worth while to remember - as my spouse is always telling me - "its only a movie".

If you want reality, take a walk outside or go to work!

There are no discernible powerful political messages in this film. While it must be acknowledged that the USA does sometimes treat members of its armed forces in an unappreciative and cavalier manner, this film does not really drive this point home in the way that, for example, Saving Private Ryan did. While it is also true that the US government does occasionally cover-up its own illegal activities, or soft-pedal them with propagandistic white lies, these issues are not really the subject of this film. This is made abundantly clear by the oddly out-of-place references to Roswell, New Mexico. The writers either did not want to dignify any perceived political messages by bringing up real-world transgressions and cover-ups - many of which are far more sinister than the secret development of stealth planes. This film is pure entertainment and - at that - a work of art. Treat it as such and you might just have a good time with it.

Renegade general Hummel (Ed Harris) has stolen 15 VX rockets, taken over Alcatraz, taken 81 hostages, and threatens to strike San Francisco unless The Pentagon pays him $100M from their slush funds. He intends to use the money to pay the families of the soldiers under his command who the government has disavowed over the years. In order to disarm the rockets, the FBI is sending their chemical weapons expert Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage). And they're digging up a mysterious British agent prisoner John Mason (Sean Connery) who once escaped from Alcatraz. When the team sent in to take on Hummel is decimated, Goodspeed and Mason must disarm the rockets on their own.

This is Michael Bay audacity to bring his heart pumping action style to bear. The action is big time bombastic joy. And for the best effect, he allows the actors to have fun in between the action. Nicolas Cage brings a lot of his manic energy and a bit of his crazy humor. And Sean Connery brings the Bond gravitas to the action. Plus the Cage Connery duo is a lot of fun, and they have great chemistry together. This is the best kind of popcorn movie-making.

The Rock is amazing because it mixes an outrageously cornball plot with some of the best acting in an action movie.

The 90s was home to a slew of great raw, uncut, action flicks that shot straight for the rated "R," despite the guarantee that it would make less money than the money-friendly PG-13 rating. While Die Hard and Lethal Weapon may have jump-started this craze, the peak of this was during the next decade, when we saw the likes of Terminator 2, Speed, Face-Off, Con Air, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, The Matrix, Bad Boys, Point Break, Under Siege, True Lies, Desperado, among others (Quite a list I accumulated, eh?). The 90s was certainly a good decade for action fans, but few movies of this genre can quite top the powerful, gripping, and edge-of-your seat action blockbuster The Rock. The name alone sounds powerful, and behind it is two hours of incredible special effects, superb acting, great action set pieces, and good dosage of writing, and Michael Bay on top of his game.

Few action movies carries as much morality and questionable circumstances as this one. In The Rock we follow a furious general (Ed Harris) leading a group of Marines to take control of Alcatraz Island (along with tourist hostages), a location that used to house criminals. Accompanying them are over a dozen missiles that can spell tens of thousands of innocent lives with every blast. However, he isn't just a trigger-happy man gone crazy, he is a man seeking justice for the dozens of lives he saw taken from warfare without compensation. A villain with a "moral" agenda, yikes. The only hope for the United States is the only man that has ever broken out of that prison (Sean Connery) and a chemical "superfreak" (Nicholas Cage). With the odds obviously against them, the Pentagon is one order away from destroying the entire location regardless of the innocent lives located in the island. Mindless this movie is not, as the stakes are high, there is always a risk of an innocent life going under, and our heroes rarely ever have the scenario under control. It's just enough to make you squeal in frustration.

With the tension remaining edgy and the solution never being oh-so-close, we can thank the writers for delivering a slam-bang storyline full of great one-liners, likable characters, and a villain that isn't as simple to figure out as the average evildoer. The writing staff ranges from the writer of the third Die Hard to even Tarantino. A major reason for the film's quality is the casting. Sean Connery and Ed Harris are excellent in their roles and Nicholas Cage albeit a few lines does a good job. The supporting staff helps as well, as we see the likes of David Morse, John Spencer, and Cage's love interest Vanessa Marcil.

Unlike Michael Bay's latest films, which run from mediocre to just plain bad, he blends plenty of drama and suspense along with action here. As a matter of fact, the first half of the movie is all suspense, as the situation is developed, and the risks are presented. Disregarding a superb car chase, there isn't much exploding in the first 80 minutes. However, once the protagonists enter the Rock, it all goes on the uphill action swing. We get brutal fights, brutal shootouts, near-misses, double-crosses, triple-crosses, chases, and enough explosions for action fans to sink their teeth into. The funny thing, the two main actors at the time weren't expected to be in such action. Connery was aging, and Nicholas Cage just didn't have the look or the attitude for it. Fortunately for us, they proved us dead wrong.

Bottom Line: If you want to see a true action classic, The Rock is a great example. Rising above the average action movie and above the decent ones as well, this is by far Michael Bay's best work and one of the signature flicks of the 90s. Combining tension you can cut with a steak knife with thrills, chills, and plenty of carnage, The Rock has aged well and continues to influence the work of modern action movies and the work of Michael Bay as well. Grab some popcorn and enjoy this ruthlessly clever movie. Recommend to the max, as long as you don't mind a bit of blood spewing onto the screen. They just don't make em' like they used to.

"The Rock" combined action, adventure, comedy, romance, special effects and a great plot into one of the biggest worldwide blockbuster action films in decades. Add to the mix, Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris and a great supporting cast including John Spencer, William Forsythe and David Morse, and "The Rock" is one of the best ways to spend two hours. This film also devotes a great deal of time and effort to character development, something that most action movies neglect. This film is definitely underrated and is worth more praise than it has received.

In an attempt to get the US Government to pay for soldiers lost on secret missions General Hummel and a group of soldiers steal biological weapons and take control of Alcatraz, threatening to launch on San Francisco if their demands are not met. Running out of options the FBI take Mason out of prison as he has a knowledge of the island, being the only man to have escaped from there. Mason and bio-chemical expert Goodspeed join a group of Navy SEALS to enter the island and destroy the weapons before they can be used. However the death of the whole SEAL unit leaves Mason and Goodspeed to use stealth to avoid the terrorists and destroy the weapons.

This is nothing more than a big summer blockbuster that relies on plenty of big bangs to get it's audience. It relies on the usual Die Hard set-up of "one man (2 men!) take on heavily armed group in set location". However here the plot is a little iffy - Hummel isn't a terrorist, in fact his stance is almost sympathetic. This makes it all a little funny morally but the film turns it round at one point to go back into traditional good guy/bad guy roles so that the audience don't start to think too much! The action is very good - plenty of bangs for your buck! Even though it's all pretty OTT (like the car chase at the start) the mood of the film is such that it's all a great deal of fun.

Connery is really good in the lead and is funny and rather dashing! Cage's character is not as good and is too weedy at the start and some of his dialogue is grating. The support cast is deep and really good - usually big budget action movies have some well known support actors but this has tonnes! Check the names - Ed Harris, David Morse, John Spencer, William Forsythe, Michael Biehn, John C. McGinley, Bokeem Woodbine - the list goes on!

Overall, if you hate big, dumb summer movies then you'll hate this. I'm split down the middle but the sheer sense of fun that this brings combined with a great cast makes this a winner in my book!

Its greatest strength is a compelling, well-developed and sympathetic villain whose motivations are consistently clear and understandable while he himself never strays from being anything other than a conscientious human with complex emotions. It is unfortunate, then, that the protagonists and ensuing action sequences are goofy as can be. 'The Rock (1996)' separates its bursts of militaristic patriotism, underlined by 'cool' slow motion, with quirky Cage quips and over-the-top explosions. These aspects all fall a little flat in the end, but they're fun enough while they last. 6/10

The Rock was an awesome film to see in the cinema. Over the top action, amasing driving scenes, an all round enjoyable film. Excellent casting of Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage, interesting idea, ex-military take tour hostage and threaten chemical warfare. But it's all in a days work for the FBI. Scientist risks life and limb to rescue city while pregnant girlfriend looks on. Sean Connery' character is portrayed as a hard ex SAS spy and Nicholas Cage is the mild mannered Scientist/Chemical Expert. Good film, not too taxing on the brain and overall, very enjoyable! A must see for Action Fans.

This movie is definitely for action junkies. If you enjoy disecting a movie looking for silly dialogue, plot holes, or looking for inner-meaning in a movie, you might want to skip The Rock. This movie is 2 hours, 15 minutes, but the action is almost nonstop and the movie moves briskly. It's typical Jerry Bruckheimer fare, including plenty of action, an implausible storyline, and big stars doing a fine job of acting.

Some Bruckheimer characteristic events were obvious, such as the scene immediately after the car chase where Cage stands, and the camera rotates around him. This is reminescent of a similar scene in Bad Boys, another Bruckheimer film, where Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are standing in a similar pose with the same rotating camera view. Also present was the presidential address and accompanying slow-motion dramatic scenes near the end, ala Armageddon. I'm not saying it's bad for Bruckheimer to reuse his old ideas, just that if I was able to spot them, other people probably did as well.

Some of the dialogue was way over the top, and tended to get a bit macho and silly. When Mason tells Lomax, "...you're between the Rock and a hard case", I felt like groaning. There was plenty of self-referential comments, such as this one where Mason refers to himself as a "hard case". There were also other comments where the characters would try to "build up" the other characters, such as when Lomax says, "You don't know Mason." I hate it when movies do this. They try to make you believe how tough a character is by other characters talking about him. I would prefer to SEE how tough he is by his actions, rather than be told about it constantly using dialogue. Several parts of the movie, such as the stalemate in the shower, seemed melodramatic and reheased. I couldn't imagine Michael Biehn, in real life, giving the "We spilt the same blood in the same mud" speech to a general that's holding a gun on him, but that's just my opinion.

Cage plays the geek very well, with some very humorous scenes. The scene near the beginning where he's difusing the bomb, and finding the Playboy mags and gas mask, and his assistant screaming about the long needle, was darkly hilarious. I love that sort of humor. There were lots of very good scripting, such as the dialogue between Cage and Connery about the difference between winners and losers, and Cage's "Actually, I'm a chemical SUPER-freak" response was a great one-liner.

I did feel like there some were plot holes, or at least some weird occurances. For example, when Cage calls his girlfriend and tells her not to come to San Francisco, she yells back into the phone, "Like hell I won't!" and hangs up. Why would she do that? Wouldn't she more likely ask something like, "Why not?" Or at the very least, maybe start accusing him of being with another woman? Of course, this was the perfect vehicle for her to come to San Francisco against his wishes and have to be rescued. It didn't make sense, but it made the story move along. Also, she runs away from the FBI agent when he comes to pick up her. Why? Because the FBI agent refused to answer her questions about where her boyfriend (Cage) is. Why would she run away? I would assume the FBI agent is there to take me to safety or to her boyfriend. But again, by running away this furthers the plot--now she's in danger and Cage can agonize about her fate, and thus he has motivation to disarm the poison rockets. If she had stayed and allowed the FBI to whisk her to safety, he would not have been motivated to save the city. He'd already been shown to be a bit of a coward in the scene where he's throwing up out of nervousness. Of course, in other scenes he's terribly heroic. His character was a bit inconsistent, but you could explain it as him being thrust into the situation and once there, exceeding his prior limits.

The incinerator was another weird plot device. It looked a bit unrealistic. It was obviously something dreamed up for an action movie, with moving cogs (wheels) that would turn and have to be dodged by the hero, all the while fire is rushing through the same area. I've seen an incinerator, and it didn't resemble this monstrosity at all. I have no idea if the motion sensor that detected the marines arrival was accurate and if the military really has something this sophisticated, but I thought it was an ingenius idea.

You may feel differently, but I actually enjoyed the villains of the story more than the heroes. Most of the lines that struck me as powerful were delivered by the noble villains, Harris and Morse. I found the combination of Ed Harris, David Morris, and Michael Biehn (admittedly not a villain in this movie) a powerful combination. I consider all these actors excellent, and the stalemate in the shower room was especially powerful, as well as the standoff with the villains near the end. These scenes didn't feature Connery or Cage, or the occasional humorous tension breaker. These scenes showed us that all villains are not the same, and that some villains are evil, and some just misguided. This degree of gray, in an otherwise black and white character movie, added a level of complexity to the film. Thus, a film that I would have otherwise said was "okay" became a really good action movie with some characters that I actually cared about.

There was lots of violence and profanity, and a brief sexual situation (although no nudity) near the beginning. Despite my problems with some of the dialogue and plot, I found this movie enjoyable and engaging. If you don't mind overly macho acting and some silliness in the dialogue, and you love action, then you'll probably love this movie. If seeing serious characterization and motivation if more your style, you might want to check out Steel Magnolias and leave The Rock at the video store.

"The Rock" is an action movie, alright, but it's an action move about its characters, and that's what saves it. It has a strong cast and strong characters and therefore the plot, about a militia group taking Alcatraz hostage and threatening to fire bombs into San Francisco if they don't get 100 million dollars, isn't what comes off the best.

There are four central characters in this film. Hummel is the man in charge of this hostage takeover. He is a highly-ranked general who is doing this to teach the government a lesson: they've been neglecting forgotten soldiers who died in the Gulf and Nam, and instead of their families being told the truth, they've simply been marked as "Missing in Action." He is played by Ed Harris, who does such a good man torn between duty, conscience, and vengeance, he is the best film villain since Jack Nicholson in "The Shining."

Goodspeed is a computer nerd working for the C.I.A. He's never been in combat situations, but because of his advanced knowledge of chemical bombs, they've sent him into Alcatraz with a group of Navy SEALS, and he has no idea how to react in war-like situations. Played by Nicolas Cage, his performance is believable and powerful.

Anderson is the man in control of the Navy SEALS on the mission to Alcatraz. Tough as nails, bound by duty, he freely admits he agrees with Hummel's reasoning, but he says those are risks that are part of the job, and Hummel is wrong in his action because he took an oath to serve his country no matter what. He is played by Michael Biehn, who delivers a top-notch performance, and one similar to his role in "Terminator."

But the most powerful character in the film is Mason, the only man who has ever escaped from Alcatraz. Tough, cunning, and full of one-liners, he has been caged up in a maximum security prison for years. It's hard to say whether the viewer can trust him or not, and he has many secrets and much knowledge of the facility...which is why he was chosen to go with the SEALS. He is played by Sean Connery, who's performance is perfectly Sean Connery-ish. But who would want it any other way?

This film is great, and it is a great character study for anyone who might be majoring in it or just likes to watch films with good casts. Recommended. ****1/2 out of *****.

This movie is all a man could hope for in a movie these days. Action packed, but followed with a meaningful story that relates to today. The harsh reality is, what takes place within the movie is not too far off from what could happen in reality. I feel that if anyone fears domestic terrorism as well as foreign terrorism, this movie is a must see, while it bends the facts a tad for action and interest sake, its central story is compelling and thought-provoking.

The best quote of this movie: "This isn't about terrorism, this about justice. It's about reminding you people of something you find politically convenient to forget."

-General Hummel

Great story. Another contribution to the "corrupt government covering its corruption" theme (vis-a-vis Outbreak).

Ed Harris is awesome. His character for me is the most complex. He is a true sympathetic not-so-bad bad guy (like Gene Hackman in Crimson Tide AND Extreme Measures; they make you not only understand, but almost to root for them...almost. Harris here is about the closest).

Connery is standard excellent. Cage gets on my nerves with his whining voice. I can think of several other actors who could have played this role without getting on my nerves. But, anyways...

I love when movies like The Rock make us question our assumptions; when they challenge us to reconsider ethical dilemmas, what is right or wrong in life.

Plenty of action. Very significant scene when the soldiers squared off.

I'd love some more development of why Hummel's team fell apart as it did. I study social psychology and could write a paper on why, but the movie didn't supply enough info to make it plain enough (or, it did but I must have missed it).

One shortcoming -- we never saw the hostages again after they were first locked up during the tour. They were referred to in the presidential soliloquy (which I hated; the portrayal of the president in this film was critical to the dilemma value in the movie; contrast this presidential portrayal with what we see in Air Force One, or, better yet, Independence Day) but we never see them again; how can we feel for them? (Perhaps this was what made it so easy for the prez to make the decision he made, above and beyond the fact that to admit wrong was politically out of the question).

Loved it.

I hope i won't be cursed for this comment. You may find what you may call 'Profanity, obscenities, or spiteful remarks', ;-P and here they are: This one is ultra-pathetic Hollywood-bullsh!t as seen so many times before. I didn't even like the car-races (seen Blues Brothers, the first and only?), and the plot itself is just - ridiculous. Teenagers might like this one for its undoubted action-factor, but you have to leave your brain outside the cinema or inside the Videodrome. Lots of explosions, running countdowns and weird pathetic moral mixed with a bunch of Kitsch doesn't do a good movie, imho.

Wow! The Rock is one of the most rewatchable films I own. I've watched it countlessly, and it seems to have the quick, energizing effect of a good song that we love to play again and again. The dialogue is at times funny, always fresh, and sometimes intelligent. This film shines as an actioner that actually has a great, plausible plot, with some characters we wouldn't mind following on a journey. (I really liked Sean Connery's character; maybe a sequel with "Mr.John Mason"?)

And then there are the heavyweights in acting, a rarity in action films. Ed Harris, Sean Connery, Nic Cage, and a few others are so talented in reading their lines in a unique way, one can see that these are truly great actors. I loved Ed Harris' character, since it was not the standard black & white type, but a complex person. Who would've thought I'd be saying "complex" in an actioner? Well, that's how The Rock surprises you, like a vicious left hook to the face. Oh yeah, the Hans Zimmer score is a knockout, as always.

THE ROCK / (1996) ***1/2

Starring: Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris, Jon Spencer, David Morse, William Forsythe, Bokeem Woodbine, and Vanessa Marcil. Directed by Michael Bay. Running time: 135 minutes. Rated R (for strong intense violence, language and brief sexuality)

Notes taken while screening The Rock:

· The film contains superior character development of both the antagonist and protagonist. Each is clear and well defined. We also learn the characters motives, reasoning, dramatic situation, and premise--all brilliantly introduced within the setup.

· Sean Connery provides us with strong character development through John Patrick Mason--although the character is somewhat a rip off of the Anthony Hokins' Hannibal from "The Silence of the Lambs."

· It is uncanny how well the movie's visual style works. It propels the film's suspense the extra mile, increasing the tension and enticement. Also contributing to the style is the fitting soundtrack.

· Some of the events are excessively coincidental. For example, during an exciting chase scene, Mason dashes out of a building, escaping the clutches of concealing police, discovering a Hum-V seemingly awaiting his arrival. Experienced chemist, Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage), chases after him, in a high speed Ferrari sitting outside his position in a building. Another coincidence occurs in the high security prison, where Mason escapes a grenade blast by dashing at random into a room, where, of course, there just so happens to be a secure bathtub to climb in.

· There is a stolid, aggressively effective cast present. Each actor contributes a taut, penetrating performance, especially Ed Harris as the film's villain, General Francis X. Hummel who demands a moral purpose holding the lives of an urban area at stake.

* The character's motives and perfectly defined, especially General Francis X. Hummel. Even as the film's bad guy, he serves an understandable position, thus we empathize with him, unlike most villains witnessed in modern day thrillers.

· The standard three act structure is flawless: each scene propels the plot forward. The sequences either create a new problem or complicate a previous conflict, favoring with the later concept. This raises the line of tension even further.

· Most of the production takes place in a high security prison, Alcatraz, crafted with a complex, awe-inspiring atmosphere towering over that of most action movies.

· Sean Connery handles the complicated role of John Mason with mere simplicity, yet easily torments the audience with a sense of omniscient knowledge of the plot.

· The picture is unpredictable and contains several inducing and unexpected twists proving this movie is imaginative and free to surprise us. The conclusion is not fomulatic. "The Rock" is filled with artful design and crafty performances. It is one of the year's best action films.

Brought to you by Hollywood Pictures.

The Rock has what people go to the movies for (well, the majority anyway), big action, good characters and reused plot stuffers, not to mention Sean Connery. While I can't say I thought everything in the Rock was great, I must say it did give a good show. Ed Harris plays a disgruntled Marine who holds Alcatraz hostage and only Biochemist Cage and Connery (the only man to escape it) can save it's hostages. Big, loud and often Hokey, however it is gripping overall. A-

This movie is awesome! This is truly one of the greatest action movies of all time brought to you by Micheal Bay, the director of great action movies like "Armageddon", "Bad boys", and "Pearl Harbor" and the Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer of such movies like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Crimson Tide", and "National Treasure". I am not a big fan of Micheal Bay's movies because "Pearl Harbor" sucked. But this is clearly his best movie. There is a great story, a great script, great acting, great special effects, its funny, and its dramatic. The music is also great. I think its the same music used in "Pirates of the Caribbean" but as a good thing. Its good music. Over all, this is truly a great movie. I don't want to give anything away. This is a great movie. 10/10.

Without a constant CGI explosion overload overshadowing his sense for classic action Bay actually manages to do something solid.

Though the thin plot is full of improbabilities and morally more then questionable, the dialog corny at best, with the Bay'esqe lines of humor merely randomly distributed throughout the movie disregarding script and situation and though the fact that Bay doesn't manage to make you shed a single tear for any of these people one is still constantly on the edge of his seat while the kind of entertaining Connery-Cage duo might get you trough the rest.

Enjoy with popcorn.

6/10

This has to be one of the best Action Films ever made!!! Nicholas Cage's performance as Stanley Goodspeed, is one of his best, far better than that of Memphis in Gone in 60 Seconds...And Sean Connery? a true movie legend, when these two get on screen together the two have a perfect chemistry. Ed Harris also shines as the Good/Bad General who just wants a Burial for his Ex-Comrades, and he especially shines when he and Commander Anderson (Brilitantly played by Michel Biehn) have an argument in the now famous Shower Room Massacre scene, one of the best bits of the film...

All in all, a very good Action film, with a truly wonderful cast!, A classic!

Some people think that this is a terrible movie. People say that the point of the car chase was to destroy things. Of course it was! The Rock is an *action* movie. You are supposed to see thing blow up, people shot, cars being crashed. As for the fact that the director changes camera angles often: it adds to the action. It's a boring action movie seeing one shot of an explosion. You want to see the thing being blown up, and then the people's expressions as they run away.

To sum up my thoughts: It's an action movie, not a drama. Judge the movie according to its genre.

Let me start by saying that I'm absolutely no fan of action movies. I find most of them ridiculous and try to avoid them as much as possible. That's of course not a good start when you are about to watch a movie like "The Rock". But before you think that you know where this review will go, I also have to say that this is probably one of the few action movies for which I'll make an exception. That's right, I really like this one and there are many reasons for that. But let me start by telling you what the story is about.

General Hummel has spent most of his career carrying out covert operations. Over the years, he has lost many men, because they got killed during one of these operations or because they had to be left behind. Since these operations were secret, those men or their families have never received any recognition or compensation. After trying to get them that through normal channels, Hummel now decides that it's time for drastic measures. Together with a group of renegade marine commandos he seizes a stockpile of chemical weapons and takes over Alcatraz, taking 81 tourists hostage. If the government doesn't pay 100 million dollar, he will launch 15 rockets, aimed directly to San Francisco and carrying deadly VX nerve gas. As time is running out, the Pentagon sends in an elite SEAL team, together with an FBI chemical warfare expert and a former Alcatraz escapee...

So even though I'm not a fan of action movies, I must say that for this one I'm glad to make an exception. I like it so much because of the very good acting, the good character development, some fine special effects, the believable action and the unexpected twists in this well-written story. I know that's a lot to discuss, so let's start with the acting. With a top cast like this one, including people like Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris, William Forsythe... you can't expect anything less but some top-notch performances, but that doesn't mean that you'll get it of course. Too often you'll see some good actors who don't seem to belong in a certain movie or who just seem to have a day that nothing works. Not in this movie. Every single actor has done a very fine job, which of course is a pleasure to watch. The fact that they had some interesting and believable characters to work with will have helped them with that of course.

Think for instance of Dr. Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage). He is no superhero who will just walk in through the main gate, shooting every bad guy with his eyes shut and rescuing all the hostages at the same time. No, this is a man with no decent military training, good at working with chemicals, but afraid to be confronted with the enemy. The same for John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), he's no superman either. He's a retired SAS commando, so he knows how to kill a foe, but he's also an old man who has spent most of his time in a prison cell. And it's the same about the other characters. No-one of them is just good or just bad and that's what I like so much about this movie. The characters have a certain depth, which is a rare thing for an action movie.

Next to the good acting and the interesting characters, I also liked the action and the special effects. Of course there are a lot of explosions and yes there is a major car chase to be seen in it, but then again: this is still an action movie. If it isn't allowed in this one, where can you use it in then? And it has to be said, it is sometimes a bit much and too prominent, but it is never completely unbelievable like in so many other action movies. The fact that it all looks so good and that it all seems believable also has a lot to do with the nice special effects. Even though this movie is about ten years old now, it doesn't look dated at all. It adds a lot to the tension and the suspense and it feels like it was made only yesterday and that's something that you'll not find in every movie.

So now I'm only left with the good story and the unexpected twists. I'm not going to give too much away about it of course, because that would spoil all the fun for those who haven't seen the movie yet. I just want to say that the story is a nice mix of action, drama, laughter and suspense. It's one big whirlpool that will probably suck you in and will not let you go until the end. I really liked that and that's why I give this movie a 7.5/10.

Nothing but formulaic drivel. There is only one surprise in this whole movie, and that involves a missile and a stadium. Everything else is unbelievable and unbelievably stupid. I fear for our nation's safety if our best soldiers (the Navy SEALs) are the idiots we see here. I fear for the future of entertainment if so many people consider this a good movie. Avoid it.