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Movies / On DVD / The Rock
The Rock

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The Rock (1996)

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Reviews Counted:46

Fresh:30

Rotten:16

Average Rating:6.5/10

Consensus: For visceral thrills, it can't be beat. Just don't expect The Rock to engage your brain.

Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: In Michael Bay's THE ROCK, gung-ho general Francis Hummel (Ed Harris), armed with deadly chemical rockets and aided by violent cohorts, takes over the island of Alcatraz, holding 81 tourists... In Michael Bay's THE ROCK, gung-ho general Francis Hummel (Ed Harris), armed with deadly chemical rockets and aided by violent cohorts, takes over the island of Alcatraz, holding 81 tourists hostage. Hummel promises to deploy the missiles over San Francisco if Washington doesn't make amends to ignored combat victims to the tune of $100 million. A cadre of Navy SEALs are dispatched to quell the situation, assisted by the mysterious, macho John Mason (Sean Connery), the only man to ever escape from Alcatraz, who must now help the SEALs break back in. Joining them is mild-mannered chemical weapons expert Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage), who is unaccustomed to such things as guns and military maneuvers. Their high-octane mission is filled with surprises, particularly after Hummel and company quickly annihilate the SEALs--leaving Mason and Goodspeed to save the day all by themselves. [More]

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris, Michael Biehn

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris, Michael Biehn, William Forsythe, David Morse, John C. McGinley, Bokeem Woodbine, Vanessa Marcil, Claire Forlani, Brendan Kelly, David Bowe

Director: Michael Bay

Director: Michael Bay
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenwriter: David Weisberg, Douglas S. Cook, Mark Rosner
Producer: Don Simpson
Composer: Nick Glennie-Smith, Harry Gregson-Williams

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Dec 2, 1997

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Reviews for The Rock

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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The movie, directed by sophomore Michael Bay (Bad Boys) is almost unwatchable.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment 3 Comments
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Connery was very good in this role, and his presence is the reason why The Rock doesn't suck as bad as it could have.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/20/03
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

It's as tough and hard as it sounds. It's also good fun.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
01/01/00
Joe Baltake
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee

Producers Jerry Bruckheimer and the late Don Simpson have a highly-successful resume that includes Top Gun and Crimson Tide. The Rock will add more luster to that reputation.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Despite ample gunfights, chases and explosions, the tension in The Rock never translates into excitement for the audience.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

[A] 2 1/4-hour exercise in overkill.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It may not be an original, but it's certainly a good knock-off.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
04/09/05
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Slick, brutal and almost human, this is the team-spirit action movie Mission: Impossible should have been.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
09/19/08
Richard Corliss
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Rock's ads urge you to 'get ready to rock.' After seeing this energetic action-packed ride that truly does 'rock,' I can't think of better advice.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

A first-rate, slam-bang action thriller with a lot of style and no little humor.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The movie's extreme violence, exhausting action and macho posturing make it an unlikely ticket choice for women and unsuitable for children.

Full Review Source: Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) | comment 4 Comments
06/25/04
Judith Egerton
Judith Egerton
Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)

Flabby and trite.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia City Paper | comment Comment
01/01/00
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
Philadelphia City Paper

Fake countdown and knowing reactionary tone, but the best SF car chase to date.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Wally Hammond
Wally Hammond
Time Out

Entertaining action, nothing more nor less.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Chris Hewitt (UK)
Chris Hewitt (UK)
Empire Magazine

By the time Cage says, late in the film, 'OK, that's just about the most awful thing I've ever seen,' the audience should be ready to agree.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment 3 Comments
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

The movie deteriorates into a long commercial for the home-game version of itself.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Hal Hinson
Hal Hinson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

In a summer already bursting at the seams with amazing special effects and star-driven excitement, The Rock redefines nail-biting suspense and heart-pounding action.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
06/11/02
Louis B. Hobson
Louis B. Hobson
Jam! Movies

When film more or less took over melodrama from the theater ninety years ago, it proudly provided real oceans instead of canvas waves rippled by stagehands; but the plots remained humbug ... The Rock is as ridiculous an example as one could want.

Full Review Source: New Republic | comment Comment
01/01/00
Stanley Kauffmann
Stanley Kauffmann
New Republic
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Rock is a B-movie blast!

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
06/11/02
Bruce Kirkland
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies

From a helicopter's point-of-view, The Rock is just typical big American dumb fun. It's only when you look underneath at the film's underlying assumptions that you want to recoil.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment 1 Comment
04/12/02
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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