The Rock

In Michael Bay's THE ROCK, gung-ho general Francis Hummel (Ed Harris), armed with deadly chemical rockets and aided by violent cohorts, takes over the island of Alcatraz, holding 81 tourists hostage. Hummel promises to deploy the missiles over San Francisco if Washington doesn't make amends to ignored combat victims to the tune of $100 million. A cadre of Navy SEALs are dispatched to quell the situation, assisted by the mysterious, macho John Mason (Sean Connery), the only man to ever escape from Alcatraz, who must now help the SEALs break back in. Joining them is mild-mannered chemical weapons expert Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage), who is unaccustomed to such things as guns and military maneuvers. Their high-octane mission is filled with surprises, particularly after Hummel and company quickly annihilate the SEALs--leaving Mason and Goodspeed to save the day all by themselves.

Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson (TOP GUN, CRIMSON TIDE)—Simpson actually died just prior to the film's release—reunited with director Bay, who had collaborated with the pair on BAD BOYS the previous year, THE ROCK benefits from a trio of likeable leads in Connery, Cage and Harris (yes, even the villain of the piece is somewhat endearing), a thundering music score and a bevy of explosive set-pieces that combine to create an action-packed thrill ride of a movie.