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The Rock (1996)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
3/06, 3/20
3/06:
Thanks to The Rock, I may have witnessed the genesis of a certain style as shown in many action films that I've been
seeing lately and hate it.
The Rock nails down a good story, and the cinematography is undoubtedly excellent. I like how the secondary characters
are astute and matter-of-factly about what's happening. The acting is fine; having Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage together goes
a long way.
But Michael Bay needs to learn a tried and true adage: less is more. Everything looks overdone, over the top, and dumb. Ed
Harris' character was looking awesome until he turned out to be a wimp. That being said, the final half-hour is a disaster. The
message it sent out is unpatriotic in spirit by saying it's okay for some people to die so the government can save measly $100
million. Really, the most logical solution is to pay the ransom and everybody lives. Afterwards, they can hunt down the bad guys.
All in all, there's no doubt The Rock unleashed the beast in Michael Bay, setting off a dark period that reigns action
cinema to this day.
3/20:
"Welcome to the Rock."
Too long and stupid to be taken seriously, The Rock is an overblown extravaganza that defies how action pictures used to be
put together in the conventional sense. Of course, the 81 hostages mean nothing at all, just the stupid girl who cries profusely
about getting Stanley Goodspeed back. It's the same predictable ending of good guys saving the day, no matter how
sinister, clever, and well-prepared the villains are.
Playing the long-haired James Bond, Sean Connery isn't bad, but Nicolas Cage is somewhat annoying: always shouting and complaining
to get attention. It's hard to believe that Ed Harris involved himself with this tomfoolery because I thought he was a serious actor.
Equipped with fired-up boilers for who-knows-for-what-reason, the extensive maze system of tunnels under Alcatraz is absurd
and looks like a city unto itself when the island is only 0.034 of a square mile. Even more ridiculous is the storyline that's
bypassed a lot, especially when there are eight hours left and then one hour left.
After Hummel is killed, the film overstays its welcome with more mano a mano battles. Then again, how can a chemical weapons
expert who's untrained in combat and a federal prisoner who's been out of action for thirty years be able to take on Hummel's
highly trained, modern killers? It's unbelievable. David Morse's character was a lot more successful than Hummel in wiping
people out when he released a deadly virus from the containers in 12 Monkeys.
All in all, The Rock is bombastic popcorn junk for man-child retards.