The Rock

The Rock is a 1996 American action thriller film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and written by David Weisburg and Douglas S. Cook.

Storyline[]

Plot[]

A mild-mannered chemist and an ex-con must lead the counterstrike when a rogue group of military men, led by a renegade general, threaten a nerve gas attack from Alcatraz against San Francisco.

Genres[]

Action
Adventure
Thriller

Motion Picture Rating[]

13 (Argentina)
MA (Australia)
16 (Brazil)
14A (Canada)
16 (Denmark)
K-16 (Finland)
Tous publics (France)
16 (Germany)
K-15 (Greece)
16 (Hungary)
16 (Iceland)
15 (Ireland)
VM14 (Italy)
18SG (Malaysia)
16 (Netherlands)
R16 (New Zealand)
15 (Norway) (1996, cinema rating)
18 (Norway) (video rating)
14 (Peru)
PG-13 (Philippines)
M/12 (Portugal)
16+ (Russia)
M18 (Singapore)
15 (South Korea)
18 (Spain)
15 (Sweden)
R-12 (Taiwan)
15 (UK)
R (USA)

Images[]

Cast and Crew[]

Director[]

Michael Bay

Writing Credits (WGA)[]

David Weisberg (story) and
Douglas Cook (story) (as Douglas S. Cook)
David Weisberg (screenplay) and
Douglas Cook (screenplay) (as Douglas S. Cook) and
Mark Rosner (screenplay)

Cast[]

Sean Connery - John Patrick Mason
Nicolas Cage - Stanley Goodspeed
Ed Harris - General Francis X. Hummel
John Spencer - F.B.I. Director Womack
David Morse - Major Tom Baxter
William Forsythe - Ernest Paxton
Howard Platt - Louis Lindstrom
Michael Biehn - Commander Anderson
Vanessa Marcil - Carla Pestalozzi
John C. McGinley - Marine Captain Hendrix
Gregory Sporleder - Captain Frye
Tony Todd - Captain Darrow
Bokeem Woodbine - Sergeant Crisp
Greg Collins - Private Gamble
Brendan Kelly - Private Cox
Steve Harris - Private McCoy
Jim Maniaci - Private Scarpetti
John Laughlin - General Peterson
Danny Nucci - Lieutenant Shepard
Claire Forlani - Jade Angelou
Anthony Clark - Paul the Hotel Barber
Sam Whipple - Larry Henderson
David Marshall Grant - Chief of Staff Hayden Sinclair (uncredited)
Stuart Wilson - General Al Kramer (uncredited)
Stanley Anderson - The President (uncredited)
Xander Berkeley - Lonner (uncredited)
Philip Baker Hall - Chief Justice (uncredited)

Producers[]

Kenny Bates (associate producer)
Jerry Bruckheimer (producer)
Sean Connery (executive producer)
Don Simpson (producer)
Louis A. Stroller (executive producer)
William Stuart (executive producer)
Barry H. Waldman (associate producer) (as Barry Waldman)

Details[]

Country[]

USA

Language[]

English

Release Dates[]

June 1996 (Malaysia)
June 7, 1996 (Canada)
June 7, 1996 (USA)
June 21, 1996 (UK)
June 21, 1996 (Ireland)
June 21, 1996 (Iceland)
June 27, 1996 (Netherlands)
July 5, 1996 (Norway)
July 5, 1996 (Sweden)
July 11, 1996 (Germany)
July 12, 1996 (Denmark)
July 12, 1996 (Portugal)
July 13, 1996 (South Korea)
July 25, 1996 (Australia)
July 25, 1996 (Belgium)
July 26, 1996 (Finland)
July 31, 1996 (France)
August 1, 1996 (Hungary)
August 2, 1996 (Switzerland)
August 8, 1996 (Argentina)
August 8, 1996 (Czech Republic)
August 8, 1996 (Spain)
August 8, 1996 (Slovakia)
August 14, 1996 (Philippines)
August 16, 1996 (Estonia)
August 16, 1996 (Poland)
August 22, 1996 (Hong Kong)
August 23, 1996 (Turkey)
August 23, 1996 (Uruguay)
August 30, 1996 (Italy)
September 6, 1996 (Brazil)
September 14, 1996 (Greece)
September 14, 1996 (Japan)
October 1, 1996 (Russia)
October 10, 1996 (Slovenia)

Home Media Release Dates[]

December 17, 1996 (USA) (VHS)
September 1, 1997 (UK) (VHS)
December 3, 1997 (USA) (DVD)
November 23, 1998 (UK) (DVD)
June 3, 2002 (UK) (DVD re-release)
August 16, 2005 (USA) (UMD)
July 2, 2007 (UK) (Blu-Ray)
January 8, 2008 (USA) (Blu-Ray)
February 1, 2010 (UK) (DVD re-release)

Reception[]

Box office[]

The Rock grossed $335,062,621 worldwide on a $75 million budget.

Critical response[]

The film has a 7.4 rating on IMDb and a 66% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Company Credits[]

Production Companies[]

Hollywood Pictures (presents)
Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Distributors[]

Buena Vista Pictures (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
Buena Vista International (1996) (Argentina) (theatrical)
Buena Vista International (1996) (Germany) (theatrical)
Buena Vista International (1996) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
Buena Vista International (1996) (UK) (theatrical)
Gaumont Buena Vista International (1996) (France) (theatrical)
Roadshow Films (1996) (Australia) (theatrical)
Buena Vista Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
Buena Vista Home Video (1997) (UK) (VHS)
Buena Vista Home Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
Warner Home Video (1998) (UK) (DVD)
Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2002) (UK) (DVD)
Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (UMD)
Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2007) (UK) (Blu-Ray)
Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (Blu-Ray)
Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2010) (UK) (DVD)

Special Effects[]

Alterian (special make-up effects)
Dream Quest Images (visual effects)

Technical Specs[]

Runtime[]

136 mins

Color[]

Color

Aspect Ratio[]

2.35:1

Trivia[]

This is Michael Bay's favorite movie of his own.
This is the first time Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris played hero and villain. The other being National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007).
Ed Harris and Michael Biehn appeared in The Abyss (1989).
Xander Berkeley and Philip Baker Hall appeared in Air Force One (1997).
Nicolas Cage and Xander Berkeley appeared in Leaving Las Vegas (1995).
Ed Harris, Xander Berkeley, and Todd Louiso appeared in Apollo 13 (1995).
Philip Baker Hall and Stuart Wilson appeared in Enemy of the State (1998).
Nicolas Cage and William Forsythe appeared in Raising Arizona (1987).

Connections[]

References[]

Thunderball (1965)
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Aliens (1986)
Die Hard (1988)
Die Hard 2 (1990)
Bad Boys (1995)

Referenced in[]

National Treasure (2004)
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)