The Rock

The Rock is a widely revered action movie. In visual terms, it is an example of great genre craftsmanship. It’s dynamically edited, filmed through cool filters, contains one of the best car chases ever (Hummer vs. yellow Ferrari on the streets of San Francisco), and it has likable and well-cast good-guy characters. But... it doesn't have a proper bad guy (!!!) and everything in it is so artificially timed and polished that I was never in suspense, I didn’t fear for the protagonists and I thus didn’t care what would happen next. Formalistically overwrought and formulaic banality. (07/05/2002)

“Personally, I think you're a fucking idiot.” When I was ten, I thought The Rock was the best action movie ever made. With the passage of many years, I still wouldn’t change my opinion. There are different reasons for why I admire Bay’s (and Bruckheimer’s and Simpson’s) masterpiece. He created a world in which everything is subordinated to the maximum action experience. The characters’ decisions don’t have to make much sense (and they don’t) – the main thing is that their actions look good (of course there is the characteristic circling around the actor from above) and generate more action situations. Despite its ambitious runtime and relatively long but later fully utilised exposition (we don’t get to Alcatraz until after an hour), The Rock is gripping from start to finish thanks to the actions happening in parallel, the deadline set immediately at the beginning and the continuous reminders of it, and the relentlessly driving soundtrack that transforms the film into a ready-made Zimmerfest. We don’t have a chance to catch our breath, thanks especially to the film’s brilliant rhythmisation. At first every ten minutes and then at even shorter intervals toward the end, a new obstacle/character brings about a key decision or the situation becomes more serious every. The diverse range of action scenes (car chases, shootouts, hand-to-hand combat) reveal new information and push the narrative forward. In addition to the horizontal forward movement, there is a vertical deepening of the bond between Goodspeed and Mason (the dynamics of their relationship become one of the drivers of the narrative in the second half) and of our knowledge of the characters and their motivations (Ed Harris definitely does not play a one-dimensional supervillain; on the contrary, the film’s first shots suggest that he could be the hero). The film, which thematises paternal responsibility in the second plan and offers a distinctive way of coming to terms with the trauma of Vietnam, continuously changes and develops, never ceasing to keep us in suspense and to surprise us, and never letting up for even a moment. Connery throw out one-liners like crazy, expensive cars are gleefully demolished and the bad guys are dispatched in inventive ways. The humour and ingenuity of the polished screenplay (in which Aaron Sorkin, among many others, had a hand) don’t turn The Rock into either light entertainment or an overly clever, self-reflexive deconstruction of the genre. Both of these aspects mainly help to humanise and better flesh out the main duo (in contrast to the deadly seriousness of the soldiers and the people running the FBI). Behind all of the spectacular explosions, daring heroic deeds and insane plans to exterminate humanity, we perceive throughout the film a believable human element, thanks to which we never lose interest in what’s happening and what comes next. In short, The Rock is a perfectly balanced mix of Bond, western and buddy movie. 95% (13/11/2015)

An American action classic of the 1990s that fulfills all necessary qualitative parameters with flying colors. Michael Bay's perfect direction, excelling in the work with image filtering, as well as brilliantly composed action scenes. The star-studded cast of Sean Connery, Richard Harris and Nicolas Cage simply cannot disappoint. The plot is attractive plot and the screenplay is full of impressive explosions and action, and let's not forget about the excellent music by the duo of Nick Glennie-Smith and Hans Zimmer. The Rock may have slightly weaker sound and occasionally a few awkward cuts, but the positives easily outweigh the few shortcomings, and the viewer cannot be bored for a minute. One of those great action movies that we loved in the 1990s and usually underestimate in the new millennium. (08/01/2006)

Sean Connery made this film. His Mason is a truly desolate version of James Bond after 30 years in prison. His sarcasm and dry humor are simply great, and when I say that despite being at the retirement age, Connery does not lose the sparkle and viability of his youth, I am not far from the truth. Michael Bay did his job decently, and I would like to kick his ass for the occasional pathetic blabbering, which is underscored by agitation compositions with the American flag and an F-18, but I have to say that the film flows very nicely. If it wasn't for the great actors, it would be barely as good... unfortunately, the "villain" Ed Harris is extraordinarily likable, and "good guy" Connery is totally incalculable, so there is fun to be had. Add the possibly overacting neurotic Cage, great editing (especially the opening sequence with the warehouse robbery is excellently rhythmic), Hans Zimmer's perfect soundtrack, and we can fill the hole left by the starlet missing from the film from Connery's stockpile. Here we have action relaxation with style. (05/12/2004)

A nostalgic hit that, even after all these years, is a textbook example of a confidently and effectively directed action story. It has insight, great actors and an amazing pace, which in some moments is taken by the brilliantly combined and outrageous Zimmer soundtrack to the experiential gates of the most luxurious genre pieces. BUT at the same time, everything is so very half-assed, absurd and somehow machine-like – from the characters themselves, each of whom defines exactly a certain popular archetype, to the very stupid dialogue to some of Bay's traditional formal gimmicks (fire after almost every impact) – that The Rock is really nothing more than a cleverly manipulative and audiovisually handsome B-movie for any audience on any intellectual level. What's more, some of the action scenes, however impressive and cool, are awkwardly edited and slowed down, which takes away from their realism and gives them a cold character. But hand on heart, you simply won't find a more thoroughbred and entertaining 90s action flick anywhere else... 80% (03/09/2012)