A Review by Phil Calabro
1996, Hollywood Pictures, Dir. Michael Bay - Starring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris, John Spencer, David Morse, William Forsythe, Michael Biehn, Vanessa Marcil, John McGinely, Greg Sporleder, Tony Todd, Bokeem Woodbine, Jim Maniaci, Brendan Kelly
If there is one man who can get away with making 'stupid-but-fun' movies, it would have to be Jerry Bruckheimer. Hollywood's infamous bombs-and-boobs producer has dedicated his career to simply entertaining the average moviegoer - because his movies contains the necessities of a popcorn blockbuster. I have absolutely no problem with that, but some might ask why. I understand entirely that 'The Rock' is not meant to be a masterpiece. Explosions and unlikely heroes are its fuel, and it runs perfectly well. Sure, it's a low medium to hit, but it's not supposed to be Citizen Kane either. 'The Rock' is a prime example of such a film. It's a visceral rollercoaster ride that is guaranteed to have you cracking your knuckles on the armrests - thanks to the neurotic acting job by Cage and the bad-ass played by Connery.
Disgruntled brigade general Francis Hummel (Harris) has grown sick and tired of how his brigade's heroic duties in the Gulf War were left unnoticed by the government - even when he testified in Congress for them to be recognized. So, in a trigger-happy state of mind, his remaining brigade from the past wars he's fought in joins him in seizing the island of Alcatraz, which has become a California landmark. In the former prison, they hold 81 tourists hostage - and threaten to shoot poison gas missiles on the city of San Francisco unless the government pays the soldiers' families for their losses. In order to stop them, FBI director Womack (Spencer) has to send in a brigade of his own to stop them - picking out the best of the Marines as well as a biological weapons doctor from the FBI, the neurotic and unexperienced Stanley Goodspeed. But they have no idea how to go through Alcatraz, so they release the only escapee from the infamous prison - British spy John Mason (Connery). But when the Marines are all killed by Hummel's army, it's up to Mason and Goodspeed to save the day.
I'm learning to have a lot more respect for Nicolas Cage as I rewatch his old films - he's got a great knack of playing the least likely hero with this subtle nervous touch. He's always in this goofy state, yet he speaks each of his lines with a deadpan tone - together they create a great personality. The character of Stanley Goodspeed is much in line with that of his character in 'National Treasure', not coming as quickly to realization of what's going around him, trying too hard to be the savior, all that jazz. But with a quick mind, he ends up accomplishing the impossible. Sean Connery is in prime form as the sneaky John Mason, a brilliant con man who wants nothing more than to be with his family. His character is rather self-centered, but as every film hero does, he finally realizes his faults and comes to save the day. Had Connery not played Mason, I'm not sure the film would be at all the same - he has this foreign touch to him that many actors lack. Ed Harris is kind of a complex character to place in a Michael Bay film - he seems insane at the beginning, but he slowly finds himself in the middle of hypocritical circle. Why would he want to patriotize a few of his friends by killing another million innocent people? His character is hard to interpret, but he comes across as a humble portrayal of the angry American - but his character is ended in a very unfashionable style, one of the film's stupider moments.
One thing I admire about 'The Rock' is its haywire mindset. The thought of a couple nuclear warheads on a big island with a crazy general in charge of them is enough to set any city into panic - and it lets our audience bask in the horror. We're waiting desperately for a couple of heroes to pop up, but when our only hope is a Beatle-maniac chemical weapons expert who doesn't know how to control an oxygen tank, we hope for the best. Comic relief is a great thing when it comes to action films - especially when the least likely man is the one dishing it out. Nic Cage and Sean Connery go great together - one's macho, one's a wimp. And add a nuclear war into the mixture, you've got explosions on top of that. It never denies that it's an absolutely absurd idea for a movie, and so it assures me that I'm not crazy for not liking it. Not to mention one early car chase that sets the stage for the rest of the movie - loads of crashes, bombs, and screwed-up Corvettes.
'The Rock' is worth every last kernel in your popcorn bucket - an action movie that will not die down any time soon. It's not surprise people add this to their favorite movie lists, because it's everything a moviegoer wants - detonations and all. Can you blame the average audience for wanting a crazy premise and lots of action instead of a serious film that would provoke a bit of thought? I certainly wouldn't.
