Scenes We Love: The Rock
Filed under: Action, Scenes We Love
Whenever the furious fanboys take an easy shot at director Michael Bay, I get slightly annoyed. Not because I think Pearl Harbor is underrated (it's junk) or I think Bad Boys 2 is entertaining (it's garbage), but because of one simple opinion: The Rock is the best pure action film since the original Die Hard -- and I consider Die Hard the Gone with the Wind of action flicks. Which would make The Rock sort of like Casablanca, I suppose.
I was always particularly impressed by the opening credits sequence of The Rock, mainly because it summarizes a lot of pertinent plot points in very slick and efficient fashion -- plus it comes with some pretty visuals, a great Hans Zimmer theme, and Ed Harris at his authoritative best. (Have you ever seen an army guy with THAT many medals??) But what's most interesting is that this credit sequence narrative is in the service of the antagonist! Yes, all this time spent setting up the villain, and not the hero! Plus you get a good taste of the great taste that Bruckheimer's people have when it comes to casting a movie.
Anyway enjoy the clip. I bet it inspires a few of you to watch The Rock again. My work here is done.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-15-2009 @ 3:32PM
David Sztypuljak said...
The Rock is and has been one of my favourite films for a long time. I never saw it at the cinema in 1996 when it came out and I've hoped I'd one day be rich enough to rent a cinema with all my friends and watch it.
The opening sequence, as you say is the perfect beginning. I have the score running aroud in my head as I type. It's perfectly done by Hans Zimmer and I love it! I own The Rock on VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray and have the score.
Whilst Zimmer's audio plays, you hear Hummel talking to his marines who are stuck in some far away country assuring them that they'll get help.... help which never comes. The way Bay shot this is so cool; with the helicopters breaking through the sunlight... but we all know Bay is the king of 'action cool.'
And then there's the break in for the VX gas... so good.
The Rock is a film which, although cheesy in places, is a film Iove. It's action packed from start to finish and keeps you gripped and on the edge of your seat. Even Nicolas Cage puts in a good performance.... something which has been lacking of recent times.
I've been waiting for a film which provides as much action and entertainment since The Rock and the only one that has come close is Transformers..... with the possible exception of a couple more... anyone else?......
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2-16-2009 @ 9:49AM
jdslater said...
Dude, I still have the Criterion lazerdisc set of this aswell as their DVD.
2-15-2009 @ 4:24PM
Tom Whitaker said...
"The Rock is and has been one of my favourite films for a long time. I never saw it at the cinema in 1996 when it came out and I've hoped I'd one day be rich enough to rent a cinema with all my friends and watch it."
Haha! So close to what happened to me, only for my leaving do from my last job, they rented a screening room for my friends and colleagues and we watched, quoted and cheered at The Rock. A brilliant evening and one of my favourite action films of all time.
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2-15-2009 @ 5:11PM
doa766 said...
there's one scene in The Rock that shows what an incredible stupid director Bay is, more than anything on Armaggeddon, Pearl Harbor adn bad boys 2 (I won't say The Island because the stupidity of the scene where the black guy suddenly decides he has to shot one of the Ewans for no reason other that they're standing side by side and looked the same is imposible to top)
the soldiers with Cage and Connery arrive at a locked door on the way into the Rock, Connery explains that he will have to go through the fire gears and open the door from the other side, he tells them that when he escaped he spent days learning how to cross, then he does it, the music rises, the soldiers look impressed and there's the hero shot with the "welcome to The Rock" tag line
2 problems: first since this is not a Resident Evil video game, heavely armed soldiers wouldn't have any problem in opening that door with an explosive or a welder if they want to be quiet
and second (and most startling) last time Connery's character was there he was going out, not in, so there was no need for him to go through the fire, during his escape he could've just open the door and walk out, so the whole thing makes no sense
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2-15-2009 @ 5:55PM
Tom Whitaker said...
I've noticed that before. I think we have to just assume the door was locked from both sides last time :)
2-16-2009 @ 2:27PM
William said...
that's a good point; I can't believe I never noticed that before.
maybe the door is locked from the other side and Mason had to pick the lock when he escaped? that way, the door would still have to opened from the other side when the SEALs come in with Mason and Goodspeed, hence Mason needing to break in to pick the lock on the other side? (although this would mean that he wouldn't have need to memorize the timing. Unless he did that also, just to be thorough?)
I know, a little tenuous, but the only plausible solution I could come up with.
2-15-2009 @ 6:35PM
doa766 said...
how did he know that it wasn't going to be locked this time too?
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2-15-2009 @ 8:03PM
vegimorph said...
i just rented the Rock this weekend and i've never seen it before so i'm glad this article popped up. I decided to watch the movie out of curiousity mostly because i mean i think Transformers and the Island are ok but i on't know what to think of Michael Bay's work. I guess I'l be watching just to see what my opinion of him will be. Plus I love Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery's good too
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2-17-2009 @ 9:27PM
Craig Kessler said...
I love this movie and actually just watched it today on TNT. One of my favorite quotes is from this movie. So many good action scenes, one of Cage's best.
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2-16-2009 @ 1:33PM
jdslater said...
The thing about the opening scenes at the graveyard is on his wifes' gravestone it actually says "His Wife"! Just in case you were going to spend the whole film wondering who was buried!
If you have this on DVD/BD watch the outtakes and Connery going in to the lift. Comedy gold.
In fact I'm going to watch this now!
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