... That film being “The Rock” (no WWF references please!!).
Channel 5 does occasionally surprise me with the films it puts on. Normally it’s shock at the amount of rubbish the pump out. Which is why I was surprised to see this on as it is such an enjoyable film.
“The ... Read review
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 2003 - Action/Adventure - Director: Jonathon Mostow - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, Kristinna Loken, David Andrews
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Advantages: very enjoyable, full 2hr 30min Disadvantages: where???
...back to what I enjoy the most, so I decided to review a favourite film of mine that was on Channel 5 last night (Tuesday). That film being “The Rock” (no WWF references please!!).
Channel 5 does occasionally surprise me with the films it puts on. Normally it’s shock at the amount of rubbish the pump out. Which is why I was surprised to see this on as it is such an enjoyable film.
“The Rock” ... ...and the effervescent Sean Connery (is it me or has he stopped ageing?). So automatically it’s a winner in my book. Probably two of the best actors still on the circuit. So what’s it all about?
~~THE PLOT~~
Nicholas Cage plays Stanley Goodspeed, Bio-Chemist. He spends his day playing around with deadly viruses, nerve gas, and basically anything that can kill you from a hundred feet away. Cool huh? He does ... more
Ah well it’s been a long time since I got back to what I enjoy the most, so I decided to review a favourite film of mine that was on Channel 5 last night (Tuesday). That film being “The Rock” (no WWF references please!!).
Channel 5 does occasionally surprise me with the films it puts on. Normally it’s shock at the amount of rubbish the pump out. Which is why I was surprised to see this on as it is such an enjoyable film.
“The Rock” stars two of my all time favourite actors, Nicholas Cage and the effervescent Sean Connery (is it me or has he stopped ageing?). So automatically it’s a winner in my book. Probably two of the best actors still on the circuit. So what’s it all about?
~~THE PLOT~~
Nicholas Cage plays Stanley Goodspeed, Bio-Chemist. He spends his day playing around with deadly viruses, nerve gas, and basically anything that can kill you from a hundred feet away. Cool huh? He does this for the Government of the United States and is happy in his work. He has a lovely wife (Carla) and is expecting their first child.
Enter a rather mad US General (portrayed by Ed Harris) who has decided to take it upon himself to right the wrongs of the US Government. Hacked off with the fact that the US have failed to recognise the hundreds of thousands of US soldiers who have died in the many wars they have fought, he decides to “acquire” a large amount of a rather deadly nerve toxin, place it in a few rockets, and threaten to fire it over US soil unless a rather hefty ransom is delivered. The place he decides to take to launch them from is the now defunct Alcatraz prison, now a tourist attraction, with 81 tourists as hostage.
Finding themselves in a rather large predicament, the US Government enlist Goodspeed (Cage) to neutralise the threat of the nerve gas and defuse the rockets. One problem though – how to get into Alcatraz, which is currently housing several rockets and a small army of specially trained soldiers led by the mad General (Harris). Please put your hands together for the entrance of Mr. Sean Connery.
Connery plays John Mason, an ex-British spy (sounds familiar!), and the only man alive to have been incarcerated in Alcatraz and successfully escape its confines. Mason has been held in a high security prison for more years than you can shake a stick at. His identity is not recognised, and technically he does not exist. This is due to the fact that he was imprisoned for stealing microfilm from the US Government containing such information as to who killed JFK, and the Roswell alien landings (interesting!). As he will not give up this microfilm, or its whereabouts, a long spell in prison is on the menu. Oh well, that’s what you get for doing your job.
Now however the US Government require Mason’s help. His reward? A full pardon and freedom. So he is released, promptly tries to escape, is re-captured, then agrees to help. And that is just all in the first 45 minutes !! Mason is joined up with Goodspeed and off they pop to secluded prison island to disarm all and sundry who would threaten the freedom and safety of the American people - how many times have we heard that one before?
~~THE FILM~~
Although the plot itself may be fairly weak in terms of originality, the film itself is absolutely brilliant. The camaraderie between Connery and Cage is excellent, and both play off each other with relative ease. It’s a bit like the teacher/pupil relationship. Connery plays an all action hero, Cage is basically a wuss. The banter between them is very good, humourous at times, serious at others. Both are class acts in terms of acting capability. You could throw them in an amateur dramatics version of “Last of The Summer Wine” and they could adapt to it. It’s not just the acting that appeals though. It’s a very fully action packed movie filled with car chases, explosions and fight scenes. The script and dialogue are well put together, as is the music score behind it all. The stunts are well thought out and add to the film. It’s not all over in 5 minutes either as a lot of other action movies. You are looking at approximately 2 and a half hours worth of film here and well worth every minute. Anything with either of these two actors is usually a damn good turn and worth watching at least twice. Throw into the mix that it is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson (RIP), the team that made another favourite of mine “Bad Boys” and you know this is a film with a pedigree. I highly recommend this to all and sundry, and a must buy video (or tape if off the TV like I did!)
Advantages: Pure action flick Disadvantages: Plot holes and some cheese, but nothing major
The Rock is the 1996 film from Transformers director Michael Bay. It features the world's most notorious prison, Alcatraz, in an action packed film featuring Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery as a pair of unlikely heroes. The Plot
Renegade Colonel Hummel takes a team of US marines over to the infamous prison island of Alcatraz and takes control, threatening to unleash biological weapons on San Francisco unless the US government pay $1 million in reparations ... ...command in covert operations for the US. He has 81 hostages on the island as well as his band of US marines turned mercenary. The only two men who can stop them are Stanley Goodspeed, a chemical weapons expert, and the only man to have ever successfully escaped from the island. The only problem is getting them back on there to stop Hummel and his men. But first, they have to convince them to do it!
The Cast and Performances
Nicolas Cage is well ...
pmcds 05.03.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Rock DVD
Advantages: Great performances, amazing action scenes, blood, people melting, the best score ever in a film. Disadvantages: it Ends
The title is part of what a very stereotypical gay male hairdresser says in the film, infact this is it in full :- I never saw you throw that gentleman off the balcony. All I care about is are you happy with your haircut. General Hummel: Put the phone down. Major Baxter: I'm calling them Frank, I'm asking for more time. General Hummel: You're being asked by a friend. [Baxter continues.] General Hummel: You're being ordered by a superior officer! ... ...So ‘The Rock’ isn’t the most original movie in the world, in fact it lends parts off a lot of movies, but the real surprise is how well all these parts work in this film. How many other films would dare to bring back Sean Connery as a spy for Her Majesty’s Secret Service, but this time named John (Mason not Bond). The story follows General Hummel (Ed Harris) as a highly decorated and respected officer in the US Army who has ...
Silent_Bob 03.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Rock DVD
Advantages: Breakneck, excellent action sequences Disadvantages: Low on brainfood, but what did you expect?
...me here. I just discovered the wonder that is netradio, and I'm having trouble turning it off; Hence, an op on a movie which doesn't take too much analysis.
The Rock is another classic from the stable of Bruckheimer/Bay. Indeed, it was producer Don Simpson's swan song (at least nominally,) and in keeping with Simpson's fast-shiny-drugfuelled-drunk-abuse lifestyle, this is all sepia tinted skies and huge explosions; set pieces are tied together with ... ...is beyond dispute. Locations include the oft-pastiched San Francisco car chase, claustrophic chemical labs and... Alcatraz prison, where the bad guys are holed up, and the final showdown takes place.
In action terms, this is a by-the-numbers high concept picture. Nicholas Cage is the hero, 'chemical superfreak' and the only man who can save the eastern seaboard from a nasty facemelty gas attack. Said attack is the weapon used by Ed Harris in order ...
revere 11.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Rock DVD
Advantages: Thrilling action film Disadvantages: none
...and Ed Harris. The film has been produced by the same people who brought us Bad Boys (Martin Lawrence and Will Smith) Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It is rated 15 and just over 2 hours long, but you will never look at the time once you start watching this film as the plot is brilliant from start to finish. There is quite alot of swearing (nearly ever other sentence) and violence but not enough to be off putting as I guess a film like this would ... ...can no longer deal with the thought of losing so many men in combat without any of them getting a proper funeral or recognition. He decides now is the time to take matter into his own hands and visits the Naval Weapons Dept where he steals 15 missiles which are loaded with VX poison gas. A very deadly weapon and kills extremely quickly as you will see when one of Hummel's men are killed in the attack by this gas.
Alcatraz is now a historic prison ...
sarah.shipley 28.02.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Rock DVD
Advantages: Great cast and stunning action Disadvantages: None
...them into San Francisco unless the US government come up with the $100 million ransom. The reason he is doing this is so he can get the money to compensate the families of fallen war comrades. The only men able to stop his evil plan is ex-SAS operative and former Alcatraz resident John Mason (Sean Connery) and Biochemical expert Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage).
The acting is superb from all the cast. Ed Harris is excellent as the war hero turned ... ...will if forced into it. The strong bad guy makes Sean Connery and Nicolas Cages job easy. Connery although aging proves he still has what it takes to be an action man. He plays the calm an collected ex-con very well and he cotrasts interestingly with Cages character. Cage plays the biochemical scientist very well. His character has never been out in the action before and so portrays fear yet motivation to get the job done. The supporting cast of ...
Douglas334 21.02.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Rock DVD
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