The Rock's setup isn't much different than your typical "world held hostage" movie, though much like the movie's premise, it comes with a different spin. A disillusioned general, Francis Hummel (Ed Harris) gains control of a nerve agent and, along with a squad of loyal troops, takes 81 tourists hostage on the island prison. Hummel threatens to unleash the nerve agent if the government doesn't pay $100 million in war reparations to families of soldiers killed in covert operations. In response, the government sends an FBI chemical weapons specialist, Stanley Goodspeed (Nicholas Cage), with a Navy SEALS team to diffuse the situation and make sure the nerve agent is neutralized. Given the prison's reputation as impenetrable, the government also enlists the help of former British spy, John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), the only man to ever break out of Alcatraz.
Though it has all of the markings of an action film, The Rock is a little more. The cast is top-notch. Ed Harris and Sean Connery both turn in convincing performances. Harris, as always, brings a believable intensity to his role. Although he plays the part of a villain, he is surprisingly sympathetic once he makes his case. His rash actions are never justified, though it is really easy to see why he decided to take such drastic measures. He isn't mad or acting out of greed - in his own words, "...this isn't about terrorism - it's about justice."
Connery brings a similar intensity to his performance, though with his signature "Bond" style. Even when the action gets incredibly tense, there's always a charismatic, sly remark that helps lighten the film's hectic pacing.
Though his performance is strong, Cage doesn't completely prove himself as an action star - at least as far as The Rock goes. However, this was sort of his big "action" debut, so it can be forgiven.
The most surprising aspect of The Rock, at least for me, was the quality of the film transfer. The movie already looked great and had a very unique feel, but the increase in resolution helps to make the film's scenery, especially the wide-angle shots of the bay area, pop. Along with the sound quality, it also helps to make the explosions that much better.
The only knock against The Rock is the length. There isn't much reason for the movie to be as long as it is, especially towards the end when it starts to feel like some situations go on just a hair longer than they probably should. The same goes for some of the earlier character development, which could have been expressed in other ways during the film. Still, for an action fan dying to watch action and explosions in hi-def, The Rock is a great choice.
