Michael Bay’s high-octane romp (and if ever there was a film deserving of the accolade “romp”, it’s this one) is prime 90’s action fodder.
It’s almost nonsensical as spurned US General Francis X. Hummel (Ed Harris) and his team point missiles loaded with deadly VX nerve gas at San Francisco from the former prison on Alcatraz Island – now a haven for seabirds and tourists (81 of whom are now hostages of the General and his gang).
The General is pissed that members of his black ops team who were killed during covert operations have been thrown to the wolves by the government and now demands millions of dollars in repatriations for their families.
The pairing of Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage as imprisoned former British MI6 agent Captain John Patrick Mason and guitar-playing Beatles-loving biochemist Dr Stanley Godspeed is a masterstroke. They make for a hilarious double-act.
Connery is, of course, the only grizzled human to ever make it off the titular Rock alive and chews the scenery with gusto, while Cage’s hapless biochemist evolves into the action hero he’s played ever since.
The City by the Bay doesn’t exactly go unscathed with slews of explosions amidst the iconic cable cars, but Connery and Cage save both the day and the movie. The ending is surprisingly beautiful.
Captain John Patrick Mason
Sean Connery Dr Stanley Goodspeed
Nicolas Cage General Francis X. Hummel
Ed Harris FBI Director Womack
John Spencer Major Tom Baxter
David Morse Ernest Paxton
William Forsythe Commander Anderson
Michael Biehn Carla Pestalozzi
Vanessa Marcil Marine Captain Hendrix
John C. McGinley Captain Frye
Gregory Sporleder Captain Darrow
Tony Todd Sergeant Crisp
Bokeem Woodbine Private Scarpetti
Jim Maniaci Private Gamble
Greg Collins Private Cox
Brendan Kelly Private McCoy
Steve Harris Lieutenant Shepard
Danny Nucci Jade Angelou
Claire Forlani Stacy Richards
Celeste Weaver Marvin Isherwood
Todd Louiso Dr Ling
David Bowe Agent Margie Wood
Raquel Krelle Seal Boyer
Dennis Chalker Seal Reigert
Marshall R. Teague Seal Dando
Duffy Gaver General Peterson
John Laughlin Louis Lindstrom
Howard Platt Francis Reynolds
Willie Garson FBI Agent Cord
Thomas J. Hageboeck FBI Agent Star
Dwight Hicks FBI Agent Hunt
Ralph Peduto Park Ranger Bob
Raymond O’Connor Larry Henderson
Sam Whipple Navy Seals
Steve Decker
Joseph Hawes
Mike Mahrer
Carlos Sandoval
Rick Toms
Billy Devlin Marines
Jack Yates
Juan A. Riojas
Joseph Patrick Kelly
Ingo Neuhaus
Director
Michael Bay
Video
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Captain John Patrick Mason
Major Tom Baxter
Sergeant Crisp
Private McCoy
Agent Margie Wood
Seal Reigert
