The Rock **** (1996, Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris, David Morse, William Forsythe, Michael Biehn, John C McGinley, Vanessa Marcil) – Classic Movie Review 2726

Everybody just loved The Rock. The cheeky 1996 action thriller about a threatened nerve gas attack on San Francisco stars Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris and is directed by Michael Bay, for producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson.

Cage stars as mild-mannered biochemist Stanley Goodspeed, who lives in Washington DC and works for the FBI.  Stanley  must lead the counter-strike when a rogue group of military men, led by a renegade marine General Francis Xavier Hummel (Ed Harris), threaten a nerve gas attack from Alcatraz against San Francisco. Stanley knows how to disarm the bombs, but he needs someone who knows Alcatraz well enough to get him inside – former British intelligence agent and ex-con John Patrick (Connery).

All three stars are a perfect fit and are at their best in this highly engaging, hugely entertaining slice of action thriller hokum, heart-poundingly delivered by director Bay. A great helter-skelter rollercoaster ride, it just never stops for a pause to take breath.

Also in the cast are David Morse, William Forsythe, Michael Biehn, Vanessa Marcil, John C McGinley, John Spencer and Bokeem Woodbine.

Rated R for strong violence, language and a sex scene .

Screenwriter Douglas Cook died on 19 July 2015, aged 56. Cook and his writing partner David Weisberg wrote the screenplays for The Rock, Double Jeopardy and the 2015 film Criminal.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2726

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