*I swear to Christ I did a Chud and Google search for a thread and couldn't find one*
Despite proving to be utterly useless in the film this is the movie that convinced me and several of my friends that we wanted to be Navy Seals when we were 11. Thankfully we, mostly, figured out that a) the Navy Seals are American, not British and b) joining the military would be a bad idea. But for those three days I was adamant I wanted to be a Navy Seal.
Anyways, THE ROCK. It's one of my favourite action movies and despite being a little long, although Michael Bay tends to make his films a little too lengthy, but it moves like a motherfucker. It never feels inert or that it's spinning its wheels and it's major action setpieces, whilst never reaching the excessive joy of BAD BOYS 2, are lean and mean affairs.
Ed Harris is definitely the star of the film, his Hummel is an interesting character in that a film as brash as THE ROCK he's humane and conflicted. Of course he gets replaced by uber-villains by the end, but it's interesting have what is essentially a villainous protagonist at the heart of the film.
I also remember this being a revelation at the time due to Nicholas Cage, who was best know for comedies and for drinking himself to death in LEAVING LAST VEGAS, being an action star. Of course this film is the pupa from which CRAZY CAGE would emerge, but at the time it was jarring.
Sean Connery should have totally retired after this film, he's not fantastic in it but it's a more fitting end than THE AVENGERS or LXG.
Biehn is barely in the film, but the rest of the ancillary cast are great. In particular Morse, McGinnley and Todd are great as the eviler members of Hummel's crew.
The score is absolutely amazing too, Hummel Steals The Rockets is one of the pieces of music which is just utterly evocative.
My only real issue with the movie is Bay's fondness for his comedy stereotypes but even they can't detract from what is a great, well staged and genuinely fun movie.
Despite proving to be utterly useless in the film this is the movie that convinced me and several of my friends that we wanted to be Navy Seals when we were 11. Thankfully we, mostly, figured out that a) the Navy Seals are American, not British and b) joining the military would be a bad idea. But for those three days I was adamant I wanted to be a Navy Seal.
Anyways, THE ROCK. It's one of my favourite action movies and despite being a little long, although Michael Bay tends to make his films a little too lengthy, but it moves like a motherfucker. It never feels inert or that it's spinning its wheels and it's major action setpieces, whilst never reaching the excessive joy of BAD BOYS 2, are lean and mean affairs.
Ed Harris is definitely the star of the film, his Hummel is an interesting character in that a film as brash as THE ROCK he's humane and conflicted. Of course he gets replaced by uber-villains by the end, but it's interesting have what is essentially a villainous protagonist at the heart of the film.
I also remember this being a revelation at the time due to Nicholas Cage, who was best know for comedies and for drinking himself to death in LEAVING LAST VEGAS, being an action star. Of course this film is the pupa from which CRAZY CAGE would emerge, but at the time it was jarring.
Sean Connery should have totally retired after this film, he's not fantastic in it but it's a more fitting end than THE AVENGERS or LXG.
Biehn is barely in the film, but the rest of the ancillary cast are great. In particular Morse, McGinnley and Todd are great as the eviler members of Hummel's crew.
The score is absolutely amazing too, Hummel Steals The Rockets is one of the pieces of music which is just utterly evocative.
My only real issue with the movie is Bay's fondness for his comedy stereotypes but even they can't detract from what is a great, well staged and genuinely fun movie.
