Details
Movie Description
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.
Synopsis
A mild-mannered FBI chemical weapons expert and an aging prisoner who's the only man ever to have escaped from Alcatraz team up to rescue a group of tourists being held hostage on the Rock. The last film produced by the legendary Simpson-Bruckheimer team, this nonstop action-thriller packs an unrelenting pyrotechnic wallop.
Film Notes
Theatrical release: June 7, 1996.
Coproduced by Don Simpson-Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
Harry Humphries was the technical adviser on the film.
This was the last film of high-living producer Don Simpson, who died on January 19, 1996, at the age of 52. Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, his longtime producing partner, were known for their hugely successful, fast-paced, high-testosterone movies, including TOP GUN, the first two BEVERLY HILLS COP films, DAYS OF THUNDER, CRISOM TIDE and BAD BOYS. Known in Hollywood for his self-indulgent, wild (and self-destructive) lifestyle, Simpson died of an apparent drug overdose. The film is dedicated to him.
Although he was one of the film's writers, Jonathan Hensleigh's name is not listed in the credits because of a decision by the Writers Guild of America. That decision made the film's director, Michael Bay, so angry that he wrote an open letter to the guild, labeling its arbitration process "a sham" and "a travesty."
Industry Reviews
"...High-octane action and rowdy fun....Dazzling teamwork from Cage and Connery..."
Rolling Stone - p.61-2 - Peter Travers (06/27/1996)
"...[The] blistering pace boasts an A-list acting trio in roles precisely tailored to their personas..."
USA Today - p.1D - Mike Clark
"...The movie slams forward in a jackhammer frenzy. The camera never stops moving..."
Entertainment Weekly - Owen Gleiberman (06/14/1996)
"...Entertaining, a high-octane, kick-butt actioner....Connery trades winningly on his sophisticated, elegant sense of cool..."
Variety - Todd McCarthy (06/03/1996)
"...THE ROCK is a first-rate, slam-bang action thriller with a lot of style....Each element has been lovingly polished to a gloss. And there are three skillful performances..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (06/07/1996)
4 stars out of 5 -- "The pictures are sumptuous, with the San Francisco skyline offering an eye-pleasing backdrop..."
Ultimate DVD - David Richardson (05/01/2008)
Quotations
"Well, yeah, OK, that's just about the most awful thing I've ever seen."--Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage), after seeing a villain crushed to death
"This isn't about terrorism, this is about justice."--Gen. Francis X. Hummel (Ed Harris), about his reason for taking hostages at Alcatraz
"I'm too old for this."--John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery)
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