Proof that Michael Bay may have some good in him after all. I first saw this movie in theatres when it came out in 1996. I'm a pretty young guy and was even younger then, so I thought that this might be one of those films that wouldn't stand the test of time. Despite some generic chase scenes and action shots, I think that this is still at least a decent popcorn movie. Not as good as I remembered it, but still not completely awful and leagues beyond Armageddon and Pearl Harbor (Though to be fair I couldn't sit through the latter, something that almost never happens. Also Sean Connery's one-liners in this are fantastic.
I own this on VHS.
Gonna have to upgrade to the DVD version soon.
I too loved this film.
Great action and an even better musical score!
Best lines in the movie are:
"I'll take pleasure in guttin' you...boy"
And
"How do you like how that s**t works!?" after Nicholas Cage's character launches the rocket into that guy.
I like THE ROCK, and also have it on VHS. It's one my wife really enjoys, too.
It's a mess, really, but still comes out being a fun film. Of Bay's movies, it's the only one I own a copy of and the only one I care to sit through more than the initial viewing.
Own it on DVD and Video.
Love the movie. It's the first one that got me into Harry Gregson-Williams' work which has become such a staple of popcorn action films, to the point where he essentially parodies himself by scoring Team America's 'cinematic' scenes.
Sure it's not an oscar movie by any strecth, but when it came out I was early teens and it had just enough sex, kick butt action and Connery one-liners to make it a very acceptable action film.
Also the only Bay film I own. The quality of the actors elevates the film above his usual hack work. The characters are mostly cookie cutter, but Cage, Connery, Harris, Spenser, etc. manage to flesh them out. Ed Harris did a particularly good job making Hummel a fascinating and flawed villain. He has a change of heart, but it's too late and his underlings have their own ideas and none of his nobility and loyalty. I actually wanted a sequel or even a prequel built around the Mason character. Kind of the flip side of James Bond.
Overblown but in a good way. For all the noise and ADD editing, there was a brain behind parts of the movie. I even overlooked the jarring, choppy edited thrill ride scenes: the car chase and the mine car chase/shootout. The Mason vs. Hummel patriotism sparring and the Goodspeed/Mason/Wommack interactions made a nice balance to the Bay and Bruckheimer bombast.
True, this one stands as Michael Bay's only good film, although "Bad Boys 2" is its equal in terms of guilty plasureness, and it's thanks mainly because of the cast. My favourite bits are those with Ed Harris. Someone thought it was a good idea to write most of its dialogue in the preaching and pompous style of a XVIIIth century revolutionary, but he manages to deliver even that in the best way possible. That man is a real pro.
And nothing beats Connery scaring to death a gay hair stylist.
Nicholas Cage. That name assures that I will stay far, far away from anything associated with it. The Rock was the movie that finally sealed that for me.
If anybody remembers where "The Rock" left off, there was room for a sequel, and the film did enough business, there was talk of doing a sequel called "The Rock II," but I guess they never could come up with a storyline for the sequel.
As for Michael Bay, while he is directing a film version of "The Transformers," he is more on the producing side of things. Producing not only "The Transformers," but a prequel to "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," a remake of "The Hitcher," and another in the "Friday the 13th" series.
As for Nic Cage, after this year's "The Wicker Man," which was just released, he is booked solid until 2009. He has four pictures coming out next year, including a sequel to "National Treausre" plus "Ghost Rider," "Next," and "Time to Kill." And he has four films scheduled for 2008: "Amarillo Slim," "The Dance," "Time Share," and "Electric God."