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The Rock

Play trailer 3:08 Poster for The Rock R Released Jun 7, 1996 2h 16m Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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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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The Rock

The Rock

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Full Review Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault Much of the action feels thin and inauthentic. Rated: C Sep 1, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Thomas R If the story was a little tighter, this could've a great action movie. Otherwise, it is still an entertaining movie that has a solid story, solid characters, and good action. I’m sure most fans of Michael Bay and action movies will enjoy this film, despite it’s shortcomings Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/03/24 Full Review Carson P It’s not the only great movie from Michael bay but it’s by far the best one and the one that has the most nuanced storytelling and charachter development they matter this time and it isn’t just about action spectacle, bay actually made it have important charachters to root for which I did and have an oscar worthy script. Sean Connery gives an outstanding performance as the main protagonist who is a retired special force agent and you can understand his motivations on how he is to stop these terrorists from launching poison gas in San Francisco. Nicolas cage is witty and funny as hell as FBI Dr Stanley goodspeed who is engaged to be married and is a fan of the Beatles you can also relate to him and he and Connery have great chemistry and make a compelling team. Ed Harris is three dimensional as the antagonist who first appears at his wife’s funeral and vowes to take revenge by threatening to destroy San Francisco, the other charachters from John Spencer, to William Forsyth, Michael biehn and the others who play the army guys and the government officials are likeable and entertaining. They are also well developed. The action is among the very best bay has ever filmed and among the best framed in the history of motion pictures especially that car chase which was like a fast paced version of that one in bullit. Easily the best staged car chase scene of all action films you can see and comprehend everything going on within it and the story and narrative inside all the action scenes including the shootouts, the plot moves along exhilarated and is plausible enough to not notice any errors, this concluded the partnership of simpson and bruckheimer due to the formers death and it was an emotional ride and it get like a latter tribute to don simpson as it was dedicated to him he didn’t even live to see it and he would have been proud collecting everything that was great about their movies and making it the most exiting and heartfelt, and also intelligent, this isn’t the typical leave your brain at the door action film this one actually has brain cells and thinking it’s thoughtful and has enough involving drama to have enough substance. Michael bay should have got an Oscar for this masterpiece and work of art it’s that great one of the best films of the 90s and in my opinion the best movie of 1996 even better than Fargo and the English patient ranking along with Independence Day as the best of the best of that year this always has and always will remain an action classic 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌👏👏👏🙌🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/05/24 Full Review pedro m Best action movie in history great plot, great actors and great music. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/22/24 Full Review ilay r awesome action movie! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/09/24 Full Review ikay d awesome action movie! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/18/24 Full Review Audience Member Una buena película de los 90s que la volverías a ver tantas veces Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/15/24 Full Review Read all reviews
The Rock

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Cast & Crew

Broken Arrow 53% 44% Broken Arrow Watchlist Sudden Death 51% 40% Sudden Death Watchlist Face/Off 93% 82% Face/Off Watchlist TRAILER for Face/Off Most Wanted 15% 40% Most Wanted Watchlist Con Air 58% 75% Con Air Watchlist TRAILER for Con Air Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

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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