The Rock

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3:08

The Rock

R

1996

2h 16m

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

137 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

FBI chemical warfare expert Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) is sent on an urgent mission with a former British spy, John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), to stop Gen. Francis X. Hummel (Ed Harris) from launching chemical weapons on Alcatraz Island into San Francisco. Gen. Hummel demands $100 million in war reparations to be paid to the families of slain servicemen who died on covert operations. After their SEAL team is wiped out, Stanley and John deal with the soldiers on their own.

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Critics Consensus

For visceral thrills, it can't be beat -- just don't expect The Rock to engage your brain.

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Marc Lee

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Jun 11

If you are prepared to remain intellectually unengaged, it's an enjoyable couple of hours.

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Jack Kroll

Newsweek

Jun 6

The presence of Connery is pure balm, purring those Celtic tones like smoky single-malt Scotch.

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David Hunter

The Hollywood Reporter

Jun 6

The screenplay by David Weisberg and Douglas S. Cook (Holy Matrimony) and debut writer Mark Rosner is pulp fiction that requires the actors to shout a great deal, but the dialogue is decent given the rich tradition of adventure films.

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Mike Pearson

Denver Rocky Mountain News

Jun 11

"The Rock" travels familiar ground, but it has a way of making cliches seem fresh.

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Kevin Alexander

Thrillist

Jun 6

One of the things that separates The Rock from more basic Bay fare is the mashing of action styles.

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Nick Rheinwald-Jones

Decider

Jun 6

The Rock isn’t a great movie, but it’s great fun, and I’m glad I can I still watch it with a smile on my face. I’ll be curious to see what we both look like in another 20 years.

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Chris S

@Janomi Jul 19

The Rock is very entertaining because it fully embraces big, glossy ’90s action-movie excess. The Alcatraz setting is perfect, the San Francisco car chase is ridiculous in the best way, and the movie moves with so much speed and confidence that the absurdity becomes part of the fun. Sean Connery gives the film a huge boost as John Mason. He is mysterious, bitter, capable, and still dangerous after decades in prison, and Connery brings enough authority to make him feel like an unofficial later-life Bond. Nicolas Cage is a great contrast as Stanley Goodspeed, playing him as brilliant, nervous, sarcastic, and completely out of his depth. Ed Harris also gives the conflict more weight as General Hummel, a decorated Marine, pushed into an extreme moral position. The plot is wildly over-the-top, piling chemical weapons, rogue Marines, government secrets, tunnels, and last-second heroics together. Still, The Rock is a really solid, loud, stylish action movie.

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Mark H

@ValleyGolfer Jul 15

One of the best action movie classics of all time and an absolute go-to for fans of the genre.

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Melv C

@happymelv Jun 25

Love this movie so much for the first time in 1997 and this present! So much excitement, actions, explosion all the way through! With so much quality actors with Cage, Harris, Biehn, McGinley, Caviezel, Todd, Cruz, Morse, Forsythe, Spencer and specially, Sean "James Bond" Connery! 💪 ...yes that "John Patrick Mason" character is "James Bond" theory to me! 😎

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Zach R.

@ZARman Jun 10

Drawn out a little too long. The general could have just picked a better target, like special op command. Connery and Cage were good. Explosion at the end not killing him was ridiculous.

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Jeton B.

@RT99799097 Jun 8

I love this movie. It's a bit corny, but it builds suspense nicely and has great action. It's dramatic and fun. Not a super smart movie by any stretch but it's just a good fun action film. Classic in my book. Nick Cage and Sean Connery kill it. The bad guy is awesome too just can't remember his name.

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Dave L

@RT29131586 Jun 8

One of my all time best action\drama's. Well wreitten with an amazing cast.

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Michael Bay

Director

Sean Connery

John Patrick Mason

Nicolas Cage

Dr. Stanley Goodspeed

Ed Harris

General Francis X. Hummel

Michael Biehn

Commander Anderson

William Forsythe

Special Agent Ernest Paxton

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The Rock: Trailer 1

3:08

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Synopsis

FBI chemical warfare expert Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) is sent on an urgent mission with a former British spy, John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), to stop Gen. Francis X. Hummel (Ed Harris) from launching chemical weapons on Alcatraz Island into San Francisco. Gen. Hummel demands $100 million in war reparations to be paid to the families of slain servicemen who died on covert operations. After their SEAL team is wiped out, Stanley and John deal with the soldiers on their own.

Director: Michael Bay
Producer: Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenwriter: Douglas S. Cook, David Weisberg, Mark Rosner
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Hollywood Pictures, Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Rating: R
Genre: Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 7, 1996, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $134.1M
Runtime: 2h 16m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo