The ‘masterpiece’ action film is airing on Film4 tonight at 9pm (Image: Getty Images)
An ‘old school’ action film which has been described as ‘an action lover’s dream’ will be broadcast on television tonight.
Hailed by audiences as an ‘exhilarating masterpiece’ and considered a ‘classic go-to’ for fans of the genre, the film stars two of Hollywood’s most legendary actors.
1996 action thriller The Rock will air tonight, September 5, at 9pm on Film4.
Directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, The Rock stars Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage in the lead alongside Ed Harris. The leading trio is joined by Michael Biehn, William Forsythe, David Morse, John Spencer, and Vanessa Marcil in supporting roles.
The Rock’s screenplay was penned by David Weisberg, Douglas S Cook and Mark Rosner, and the film was dedicated to the memory of its co-producer, Don Simpson, who died five months before the movie’s release on June 7, 1996.
The ‘glorious’ action thriller stars some of the biggest names in Hollywood (Image: Walt Disney Company)
The film’s official plot states: “An FBI chemical weapons expert, and a former SAS soldier turned political prisoner, must break into Alcatraz prison when a rogue military group, led by a renegade general, take it over and threaten a nerve gas attack on San Francisco.”
The Rock was nominated for Best Sound at the 69th Academy Awards, and also proved to be a rousing commercial success, earning over $335 million at the global box office against a production budget of $75 million. It went on to become the fourth highest-grossing film of 1996.
The Rock was largely filmed on location in the Alcatraz Prison on Alcatraz Island, and since the prison is governed by the National Park Service, closing the prison for shooting wasn’t a possibility, so filming had to accommodate the tour parties.
Other filming spots included the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, which fielded numerous calls by concerned individuals who reported seeing a man dangling from the balcony (unbeknownst to them, it was a part of filming). Sacred Heart Mission Church in Saticoy, California, was also a filming location.
Two-time Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer, and his longtime collaborator Nick Glennie-Smith, were the principal composers of The Rock’s soundtrack.
Critics were mighty impressed with The Rock, as one wrote: “The mismatched pair are a great team, the spectacular action’s fast, and there are enough twists to keep you guessing to the end.”
It’s been called an ‘action lover’s dream’ (Image: Walt Disney Company)
Another reviewer compared it to Die Hard: “The action sequences are dazzling, and better yet, make dramatic sense within the story—which helps make The Rock the most satisfying mega-action movie since Die Hard.”
While one critic said: “The Rock is a rush. It is exhilarating entertainment,” another commented, “It’s a stunning, breakneck-paced brew of mayhem, action, explosions, and comedy.”
Audiences have been left equally bowled over with the action offering, as one fan writes on Rotten Tomatoes: “The Rock is pure, old-school action movie adrenaline Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage tearing into the screen with charisma, attitude, and just enough insanity. The direction is big, slick, and relentlessly kinetic, while the dialogue crackles with memorable one-liners and smart-ass chemistry.
“It’s loud, ridiculous, gloriously over-the-top, and exactly the kind of action spectacle Hollywood used to make when it had both money and a pair of brass knuckles.”
A IMDB user review of the film says: “The Rock is honestly one of the best action films which I have ever seen in my life. Featuring some of the best actors of this period like Sir Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, and Ed Harris, fantastic direction by Michael Bay, who also considers this film as his personal favourite from all those he ever made, epic music, a lot of memorable and emotional moments, and great production values — everything about this film should be considered as the gold standard of action films and entertainment even to this day.
“It is a shame that they simply do not make films like ‘The Rock’ anymore. It is an action lover’s dream.”
The classic 90s action film has received glowing praise from audiences (Image: Walt Disney Company)
One fan of The Rock added: “One of the best action movie classics of all time and an absolute go-to for fans of the genre.”
While another audience review posted to IMDB reads: “The Rock is one of those ‘they don’t make movies like this anymore’ movies. A gem from 90’s mainstream cinema. The Rock is also Michael Bay’s best film by far to date, in my opinion.
“The Rock is a great, stylish, classy and subtle action film. It is almost an epic that can give you goosebumps. Also the movie has an amazing soundtrack. The action is spectacular here. The direction is subtle and stylish.”
One fan of the film simply said: “The most enjoyable, and the most rewatchable, action blockbuster of the 1990s.”
The Rock will air tonight, September 5, at 9pm on Film4. It’s also available to stream on Disney+.
