The Rock Critic Reviews

A first-rate, slam-bang action thriller with a lot of style and no little humor.Read the full review

It's a popcorn-movie deluxe.Read the full review

A raucous, in-your-face, commando-style action thriller that makes provocative use of Alcatraz as a lunatic's lair and San Francisco as a sitting duck.Read the full review

Although not as expertly-crafted as "Die Hard" or "Speed," The Rock is exhausting in its own right -- and that's just one of several convincing reasons to see this film.Read the full review

This is a pure popcorn picture that benefits heavily from its trio of highly skilled, charismatic leading thesps, an unusual setting that provides plenty of visual stimulation, and a confrontational standoff that actually stems from a legitimately provocative premise.Read the full review

Seldom is it clearer that a film is nothing more than high-gloss jokey escapism, or that when visual cliches are this relentless they become weirdly fascinating in their own right.Read the full review

Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage inject tasty bits of personality into their roles.Read the full review

Buried under an avalanche of action. (1996 June 7, pg. D1)Read the full review

Slick and forceful, largely unconcerned with character, eager for any opportunity to pump up the volume both literally and metaphorically, The Rock is the kind of efficient entertainment that is hard to take pleasure in.Read the full review