The Rock

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3:08

The Rock

R

Released Jun 7, 1996

2h 16m

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

73 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

FBI chemical warfare expert Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) is sent on an urgent mission with a former British spy, John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), to stop Gen. Francis X. Hummel (Ed Harris) from launching chemical weapons on Alcatraz Island into San Francisco. Gen. Hummel demands $100 million in war reparations to be paid to the families of slain servicemen who died on covert operations. After their SEAL team is wiped out, Stanley and John deal with the soldiers on their own.

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Critics Consensus

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

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Very entertaining action hokum that benefits hugely from the uses made of the three stars.

Jun 14, 2022

Full Review

Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

There isn't a shot, scene or sequence in The Rock that doesn't move furiously, typically with colored lights flashing into our faces or onto those of the actors.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 27, 2014

Full Review

Doug Thomas

Seattle Times

You might need to take Dramamine before entering a Michael Bay movie. The one-time music-video director has an annoying habit of finding the tightest shots, editing the heck out of them and scoring the works to loud music.

Rated: 2/4

May 27, 2014

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

“The Rock” is fueled by big action scenes and thrilling set pieces. But it’s true bread-and-butter is found in burgeoning action star Nicolas Cage and the ground-shaking charisma of Sean Connery.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 18, 2024

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Zita Short

InSession Film

The Rock still feels generic and lacking in any of the flourishes that distinguish hacks from legendary auteurs.

Rated: D+

Feb 2, 2023

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Much of the action feels thin and inauthentic.

Rated: C

Sep 1, 2022

Full Review

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Jerod S

It's all bombs and guns and action - but the A lister combo of Cage, Connery, and Harris make it where you just can't help but like it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/22/25

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Andrew P

They don't make good movies like this anymore

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/05/25

Full Review

Richard P

Neither as cartoonish as Con Air, nor as sentimental as Armageddon, this most satisfying of blockbuster movies deserves further kudos for establishing Nicolas Cage as one of Hollywood's unlikeliest action heroes.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/22/25

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Alexis I

The action in this film is pretty good, but the realism went completely out the window. Otherwise it’s quite decent.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/15/25

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K W

The movie's best asset is the old-fashioned, buddy-movie interplay between Cage and Connery - Cage as the frantic, white-collar lab technician who doesn't like guns, Connery as the weathered, resourceful old pro.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/25/25

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Jedi D

Very entertaining and fun, but if you're looking for something Oscar-worthy, look elsewhere.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/24/25

Full Review

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Michael Bay

Director

Sean Connery

John Patrick Mason

Nicolas Cage

Dr. Stanley Goodspeed

Ed Harris

General Francis X. Hummel

Michael Biehn

Commander Anderson

William Forsythe

Special Agent Ernest Paxton

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The Rock: Trailer 1

3:08

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Synopsis

FBI chemical warfare expert Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) is sent on an urgent mission with a former British spy, John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), to stop Gen. Francis X. Hummel (Ed Harris) from launching chemical weapons on Alcatraz Island into San Francisco. Gen. Hummel demands $100 million in war reparations to be paid to the families of slain servicemen who died on covert operations. After their SEAL team is wiped out, Stanley and John deal with the soldiers on their own.

Director: Michael Bay
Producer: Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenwriter: Douglas S. Cook, David Weisberg, Mark Rosner
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Hollywood Pictures, Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Rating: R
Genre: Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 7, 1996, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $134.1M
Runtime: 2h 16m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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