Le Rocher

One of my all-time favorite films. An absolute action hit for the time and quite possibly one of the best action films ever made. I was 10 the first time I saw it, and I told everyone at school about it until they had to see it too. :) Even with the distance of time, I'd gladly watch The Rock again anytime. The filmmaking is absolutely excellent, plus Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage have long been my favorites... (2009-05-13)

I've seen The Rock many times and I wouldn't say it's that much better than other action movies. Of course, Bay has proved what a masterful director he is, the technical aspect is a real feast for the eyes, and Connery and Cage deliver brilliant performances. But it's a bit spoiled by the cliched script, and, overall, it's kind of a copy of all other action movies. So why am I giving it five stars? There is one, absolutely crucial aspect. It’s Hans Zimmer's music, which perfectly captures the whole atmosphere of the movie and makes it an absolutely unforgettable work. If I were to name a movie with the best soundtrack ever, it would be The Rock. In hindsight, having seen other movies with Zimmer’s soundtrack, I could say this about each and every one of them, but none of them are as memorable. (2012-09-10)

I remember this movie definitely differently than how I saw it this time. The child's mind beautifully obscures certain facts. For example, that the plot is illogical in so many places and there is so much paper rustling that it's not pleasant. But it is still a good action movie with simply excellent characters that you will remember, not just the main ones. (2015-03-25)

The Rock is a widely revered action movie. In visual terms, it is an example of great genre craftsmanship. It’s dynamically edited, filmed through cool filters, contains one of the best car chases ever (Hummer vs. yellow Ferrari on the streets of San Francisco), and it has likable and well-cast good-guy characters. But... it doesn't have a proper bad guy (!!!) and everything in it is so artificially timed and polished that I was never in suspense, I didn’t fear for the protagonists and I thus didn’t care what would happen next. Formalistically overwrought and formulaic banality. (2002-05-06)

Sean Connery made this film. His Mason is a truly desolate version of James Bond after 30 years in prison. His sarcasm and dry humor are simply great, and when I say that despite being at the retirement age, Connery does not lose the sparkle and viability of his youth, I am not far from the truth. Michael Bay did his job decently, and I would like to kick his ass for the occasional pathetic blabbering, which is underscored by agitation compositions with the American flag and an F-18, but I have to say that the film flows very nicely. If it wasn't for the great actors, it would be barely as good... unfortunately, the "villain" Ed Harris is extraordinarily likable, and "good guy" Connery is totally incalculable, so there is fun to be had. Add the possibly overacting neurotic Cage, great editing (especially the opening sequence with the warehouse robbery is excellently rhythmic), Hans Zimmer's perfect soundtrack, and we can fill the hole left by the starlet missing from the film from Connery's stockpile. Here we have action relaxation with style. (2004-12-05)