Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Rock’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

When one thinks about action films in this day and age, our minds immediately drift to some common elements. For these are films that definitely deliver on the action, since they feature breathtaking stunts that drop our jaws and the plots are always larger than life since the hero or heroine or group of do-gooders face insurmountable odds as they square off against an epic villain who is out to cause all kinds of harm. And well, when all is said and done, these movies are fun in their own right and they definitely manage to keep the popcorn flowing because they really are incredibly entertaining.
 
But there was a time, when the action movie desired to be more than mere popcorn entertainment. They wanted to provide the audience with meaning and depth by offering up characters that felt like people we knew or could relate to, and they featured intricate plots that gave the audience plenty to chew upon. This was in essence, a golden era for the genre, one that ironically paved the way for the giant spectacles that we are treated with now, and while this era may have seemingly come to a close, the wonder of home video keeps these rare stories alive and recently, I took the time to revisit one such action film that offered more than just mere thrills and chills in 1996’s, The Rock.
 
Now, we won’t spend a lot of time on the plot of this particular film today and for good reason. Because this is a movie that we all know and love, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to as soon as humanly possible, simply due to the fact that this is one magnificent motion picture. And really, what I want to spend time talking about today, is what makes this action movie so memorable and wonderful and one important element that has given it longevity is its impressive action sequences. After all, this is a movie that features some breathtaking, edge of your seat moments and quite possibly, one of the coolest car chase scenes in modern cinematic history and it is in fact the action and adventure that brought so many of us to the theater when it first came out. 

---

​But what truly makes this motion picture stand out above the rest, is the sheer fact that it has so much more to offer. Take for example the fact that the plot here, is far more intricate than one might expect since the story here goes beyond a mere mad man looking to cause harm to other people. There’s a real cause for General Hummel to get behind, and he desperately wants to see justice for his fallen comrades and really, that grandiose plot, one that brings everyone together on Alcatraz Island is what allows for this film’s true strength to shine; its characters. Because everyone in this story has incredible depth to them, especially the General since he is in essence a hero who has lost his way and his desperation drives him to dangerous acts that inspire evil and it’s fascinating to see his arc of redemption as the story goes on.
 
However, fascinating ‘villain’ aside, let’s be honest, it’s John Mason and Stanley Goodspeed who steal the show since they are intriguing heroes to say the least. Because both men have their respective flaws since John is hellbent on enjoying his freedom regardless of the circumstances surrounding his temporary release and Stanley is in essence a fish out of water since he’s never been on a mission like this before. And really, what makes them both so special is the sheer fact that these men grow as the story progresses since John eventually comes to realize that this whole mess is bigger than his needs and of course Stanley, goes from an everyday Joe to badass hero and it’s cool to watch these two inspire one another to be more, and eventually achieve wonders by the end of the movie.
 
Yet, what’s equally more impressive is that the film still has more to offer than dynamic characters and a fascinating plot, because this motion picture is a lot of fun as well. There are some wonderfully delightful comedic moments to be found in this movie, and some seriously quotable one liners as well and truly, this is a just a modern classic. Because it’s rare to find that perfect blend of comedy and action and heart in a movie, but The Rock pulls all of that off thanks to its whip smart script and phenomenal cast and well, this is one that quite frankly needs to be in everyone’s collection and it needs to be revisited often, because with big budget spectacles dominating the box office, it will likely be a long time before we see a film like this in theaters ever again, so it’s best to enjoy this little slice of cinematic magic whenever possible.

---