There is a great theory that Sean Connery's character in this movie is actually an older James Bond (Connery's timeline) and it fits so well that I think the movie gets even better if you see it that way. It's totally unofficial of course and Bruckheimer himself dismissed the idea, but still... :D
@@bookcollector538 … I’m gonna do the same for Clint Eastwood and Jack Nicholson when they pass away too. I’m gonna watch a marathon of their movies… I say those 2 because it doesn’t seem like they’ll be around much longer… Clint Eastwood is 92 and Jack Nicholson is 85 and he has Alzheimers 😢
@@IndyCrewInNYC Peter Jackson was so desperate for him to agree that they offered him 15% of the Global Box office!!! which is crazy number. I wonder if he was offered the role of a Baddie would he have taken it. His screen magnetism would have be great for Saruman as in the books he was a charmer. But i don't want to be down on the cast of the films as they all really embraced their roles and were all fantastic, no weak lionks anywhere.
One of my all time favorite fan theories is that this is really a James Bond film. That Sean Connery is really reprising his role as James Bond. It's been denied by everyone, but I still thought it was a cool idea.
This is Michael Bay’s best movie by a mile. The cast is perfect. This is one of those movies that when I’m channel surfing and I come across this I stop and watch the rest.
@@lisag5002 No, he sucks. He's the worst director of his generation, was before Transformers and remained so after Transformers. Everything he's ever done has been garbage. Including this movie though it's also clearly his best. The Island is probably #2.
Sean Connery's movie career started in the mid- 1950's . His first James Bond movie "Dr. No" came out in 1962 so after that he had leading man roles till he retired in 2006 with "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen".
He also passed on playing Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, even when he was offered 15% of the series box office takings (apparently $400M). That being said, I can't imagine anyone other than Ian McKellan playing him as well
Nicolas Cage has his own style-for better or worse he feels very singular and genuine in how he performs. Always gives 110% with each role. I definitely love him when he’s more serious like Leaving Las Vegas (he won his Oscar in that) or Adaptation but he’s so entertaining in things like Con Air, Face/Off, or Matchstick Men.
Just posted a very similar comment. His acting in Leaving Las Vegas and especially Adaptation in excellent! Great movies too, also Matchstick Men is a great movie with a great performance.
"National Treasure" is a hidden gem that needs to be mentioned, also. That movie wouldn't be nearly what it is today without Nicholas Cage's performance.
It really says something about how great Ed Harris and his character are in this that the movie feels the need to kill him off just to make sure we're rooting for the right side during the climax.
@@despayre3914 I love how in that Harris says about Jude Law "he shoots scared he sneaks doesn't seem to move positions in broad daylight" or something along those lines and that's exactly how Vasily gets him, broad day in the open down the train tracks so brilliant!!
When Connery found out Disney was upset with Michael Bay for shooting over schedule, he took matters into his own hands. Sean asks him, ‘You want me to help?’ Cut to: Having lunch with the Disney execs, Bay announces that Mr. Connery would like to visit and say hi. Sean comes in, sits down across from the open-mouthed executives.” Bay continues, “In classic Sean Connery style, he belts out in his Scottish brogue: ‘This boy is doing a good job, and you’re living in your Disney F*cking Ivory Tower and we need more f*cking money!!’ Without missing a beat, they responded. ‘Ok. How much?'”
@Fredrick Frederickson The Mobster in question was Johnny Stompanato, who was dating Lana Turner at the time. Stompanato jealous of Turner being over in England out of his sight. I'm not sure if Connery was ever implicated with his co-star Turner, or if he was just the guy who happened to be there to step in.
and he was right, it grossed $335m world-wide at the Box-Office against a total production cost of $75m, and that's before DVD, Cable, Satellite and TV rights sales ...
FYI, Sean Connery's initial conversation with Nic Cage's character, where a nervous Nic says "I'm Stanley, Stanley Goodspeed" is a throwback to Sean's 1971 movie "Diamonds are Forever" where James Bond is introduced to the character Plenty O'Toole: Plenty O'Toole : Hi, I'm Plenty. James Bond : But of course you are. Plenty O'Toole : Plenty O'Toole. James Bond : Named after your father perhaps?
A not yet too maniac Cage, a badass Connery, a frickin Ed "Captain America" Harris, with a fantastic theme from Zimmer and Michael Bay at his best. You can´t get any better than that.
Glad to see Ed Harris getting some love. Did you know, that in the same year The Abyss was released Ed Harris starred in another movie called Jacknife alongside Robert De Niro? They both play Vietnam veterans trying to fit back into society. And Nicolas Cage has quite the resume, and not just him being Nicolas Cage "Nicolas-Cage-ing it up". I'd like to mention some he was in, starring or otherwise, that may have not been mentioned a lot up until now: Raising Arizona - comedy (1987) Red Rock West - neo-noir thriller (1993) Kiss of Death - crime thriller (1995) Leaving Las Vegas - drama (1995) 8MM - neo-noir psychological thriller (1999) Lord of War - crime drama (2005) Joe - independent crime drama (2013) Color Out of Space - science-fiction/Lovecraftian horror (2019) Pig - drama (2021)
Nic Cage chews the scenery in "Moonstruck," but it somehow works and the rest of the cast is perfect. There is a great article floating around the web that lines up the timelines of the Connery Bond films and Mason's backstory and they just align perfectly. I'm convinced. 😄 Assuming that Mason is Bond definitely adds to the fun of "The Rock"..
Fun fact: It's sort of a lowkey homage to him being James Bond. He was an SAS operative in the 60s and was arrested since then. So Mason could effectively have been James Bond and this was his fate. The monkey wrench was Hummel's men. When they first capture the Rock he said that he hadnt worked with them before, but thus far they had conducted themselves well. So they had no chemistry, and thats why things went sideways. Face/Off is definitely the next great Nick Cage movie. Yeah, Nick Cage is a Coppola. He actually changed his name. Another Good one is the Coen Brothers movie Raising Arizona. I'd add Kick-ass, because he wasnt as big in the 2000s, and he really brought his own thing to Kick-ass. And a big underrated one. Actually two; Adaptation and The Faux-reality 'The Unbearable weight of Massive Talent'
Tony Todd was also in Platoon with John C McGinley. They both play squad leaders- Todd is Sgt. Warren, and McGinley is Sgt. O'Neill. Tony Todd was pretty young then and it's easy to miss recognizing him.
I still can't believe that "Perry Cox" is in this 🤣 his appearance makes me laugh every time I re-watch this film. Regardless, all actors showed their absolute best, especially Cage, Connery and Harris. Great movie. Watched it first time as a schoolboy in about when it came out.
I remember playing modern warfare 2 on xbox 360 with great fondness and many scenes from the game are 100% lifted from this movie. The underwater incursion, the shower room and the running to the roof waving green flares at the Whitehouse - it was like being in this movie.
Firstly RIP John Spencer, absolute legend. This probably topped my list of favourite movies back in the mid-90's. Nick Cage's best movie (and a showcase of him at his absolute craziest) is Bringing Out The Dead.
One of my absolute favorite movies growing up. I remember my older brother and I rented this movie from a store in a small town in Saudi Arabia. Ever since we watched it in the late 90s, we dreamed of visiting San Francisco and Alcatraz, which finally happened in 2016! Glad people still enjoying it decades later. ♥️
If you think about it, it was in Sean Connery's character's interest to make a big scene when he was trying to escape. They had buried him for decades to keep what he knew from getting out. By causing a massive scene while escaping, it increased the odds they would have to acknowledge his existence in some way to the public, which could only be to his advantage if he got caught again.
The Rock was Cage's first true action role, and the first in the Cage master trilogy with, Con Air and Face/Off. They used real Navy SEALs for the Alcatraz assault/shower room scenes.
The Rock holds a special place to me as it was the first movie I saw in theaters with the family. The funny thing was it wasn't the movie we were meant to see; we were suppose to see Twister but we were already there and saw whatever was starting. Best decision 👏. To this day it's still one of my favorite movies ever.
Connery was already mid-60's in this and he still stole the show! I'm no great impressionist but I have mastered Connery's, "Welcome to The Rock", and, "THAT's the Chicago way", from The Untouchables.
A favourite Nic Cage movie for me is Family Man from the early 2000s. I watched it as a young adult and now, as a father in my 40s to young kids, I love the movie from a new perspective.
If you want younger Sean Connery, the original James Bond is great but you also need to throw in Darby O'Gill and the little people... For a totally different side of Sean Connery. And just a little trivia, the working theory is that the character Sean Connery plays in this movie is actually 007 after the Americans think that he betrayed them.
@@nrkgalt That would be an interesting one to see them react to...they would see a lot of people that they might not recognize because they were so young in that one...of course, I am sure they would spot Connery....but they would probably laugh at how young he looks. 💯😂✌
It's fun to see this movie as a James Bond movie. Sean Connery is playing Bond in his later years. If you ever wondered what would have become of Bond, this movie tells you.
While I think the fan theories that say Mason is Bond are absurd, clearly Mason is intended to make the audience think that Mason is basically James Bond.
Agreed, love this fan theory, when I heard it I thought hey probably didn’t get the rights too call him bond, so they got creative and gave just enough to figure it out!
Easily one of my fave Nic Cage movies. A nice balance between Cage being an actor and Cage showing his trademark Cage-isms 🤣 Sean Connery was also great (he was blatantly playing "old James Bond who was wrongfully locked up"). Add a group of interesting villains led by an actor who really elevated this mediocre script and a kick ass soundtrack, it resulted in a very entertaining action movie 😁
Michael Bay's best movie. Hands down. "Armageddon" is really the only other Michael Bay movie that comes close, and that's also because of the cast elevating an otherwise mediocre script to legendary status.
Of course he could never get any door open from inside the cell , first door locking levers have lock , then those levers are in locked boxes and to open a cell door the lever is pulled to opposite direction from the door , hard to push a lever with a string . Getting off the island to mainland , is proven to be possible and some people could get away from their cells or others parts of the prison .
Quentin Tarantino did some of the script, but was uncredited because he wasn't part of the Writer's Guild at the time. Aaron Sorkin also wrote some of the dialogue between Mason and Godspeed. Nicholas Cage is actually named Nicholas Coppola, but took his last name from his favorite comic book hero, Luke Cage, as he wanted to make it on his own instead of using his family name. Also Talia Shire's (Adrian from Rocky) maiden name is Coppola, and she is the sister of Francis Ford Coppola.
This is such a fun movie! I watched this so many times as a kid and teenager. Quintessential 90s action movie you just should have a good time with and not try to take seriously at all. The humor is fantastic, the plot works, the cast is stacked -- excellent. A HIGHLY underrated Sean Connery film (that is of a completely different genre though, mind you) is "Just Cause" which also has Ed Harris in it, along with Laurence Fishburne and a baby Scarlett Johansson. Extremely good movie!
Your first start on Nic Cage films?!?! Ohh yea, let's go!!! FACE OFF, FACE OFF, FACE OFF!!! CON AIR!!! Leaving Las Vegas, Raising Arizona, Matchstick Men, Adaptation, Kick Ass, even City of Angels which was my Ma's fave back in the day but honestly a good film, and even Season of the Witch is a fun sorta B movie without trying to insult it haha. Let's go!! Yinz are awesome 💖
You two CRACK me up 😂. That Nick Cage impression was spot on. Please watch Man on Fire at some point, I noticed it on the poll and cannot wait to see your reaction to it - Also for another Michael Bay gem, Armageddon is brilliant
Long before Harvey Dent said it in Dark Knight, General Hummel exemplified "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
As a Scotsman love watching Sir Sean, sure somebody has said already but there is a theory that his character here is an old Bond. Great movie to react to, 90s action at its finest
Nicholas Cage's real name is Nicholas Coppola, but didn't want to be accused of using his family name to get ahead, so he took on the last name of a favorite super hero, Luke Cage. He also named one of his kids, Kal-el after Superman's Kryptonian name. He was supposed to play Superman at one point, even going so far as shooting a screen test in a Superman costume, but the movie was shelved and it never happened.
I knew you guys would love The Rock! It’s a slamdunk really, peak 90s action fun and probably Bay’s best, when he was still proving himself as a director and wasn’t given carte blanche to do what he wanted. It’s got a lot of heart too, a lot of which I think is down to Ed Harris insisting that his character have a much deeper background, rather than be a by-the-numbers villain. Made it all much more compelling. Also, congratulations! You’ve just watched your first Sean-Connery-as-James-Bond film! I noticed that other commenters mentioned it, and it’s definitely one of my favourite internet rumours, that the John Mason character is actually the real identity of James Bond, with Bond being an artificial persona created as a spy cover. I’ve no idea if this possible connection was ever intentional on the part of the writers of The Rock, but it all synchs up with actual timeline of when Connery was playing Bond, too, with the stuff Mason is supposed to have done all happening between the release dates of several of the Connery Bond movies… and it explains why different actors played the role after the mid 60s! Anyway, yes, it would be fun to see you guys reacting to the original Bonds, and also more Nic Cage. You can’t go wrong, there 😁
Love the review and the upload time. Waking up and starting to watch your videos. Sneaking in a few minutes at work then looking forward to finishing your video at home......priceless. My favourite Sean Connery film is Finding Forrester(2000). No action or glitz but a really great story.
Great movie. You should see Sean Connery in The Name Of The Rose (Still as an old man) beside his James Bond movies . Also Nick Cage has some great movies beside Con Air and Face Off. movies like The National Treasures movies (Which are both great), Snake Eyes a great thriller. 8 mm a really dark and powerful movie. The Sorcerer Apprentice a really great fantasy comedy movie.
Name of the Rose is a favorite of mine, for sure.. That an Amadeus were 2 movies that opened my tastes at an impressionable age.. 12-15 years old.. Good call..
One of the things I love about "Daylight" is that Viggo Mortenson plays a bit part in the flick. I never saw that actor in a film again, until "The Lord of the Rings" came out about a decade later. lol
Aside from James Bond, I think the first Sean Connery movie I ever watch was the Disney movie called "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" (1959). I believe it was the 2nd or 3rd movie he had been in.
Adaptation with Kaufman & Bringing Out the Dead with Scorsese he said was one of his best & for a reason. This man could’ve had his whole career hits after hits if he hadn’t pick crappy projects, but this man loves his craft so you can’t really hate him.
Omigod. This is one of my fave movies. Cage and Connery both do an amazing job and the whole thing is nonstop action. I get choked up in a couple of places too. Can't wait to see y'all's reaction!
to be fair there was a point to him hitting EVERYTHING as he tried to escape, he was making debris to obstruct those chasing him and slow them down, and it worked!
This movie is awesome. I couldn’t stop watching when it came out. FYI, atropine comes in an auto injector that stick in your thigh, not your heart. That was just added for drama. The needle doesn’t come out until you press hard against something.
I love "The Rock" and really loved your reaction to it :) But I hope you also react to some of the movies that didn't win the poll. Especially "Man on Fire." The acting performances of Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning in this movie are outstanding and the movie itself is really great, but also very emotional. I am 100% sure that if you watch this movie, you will love it. The Bourne movies are also a must see in my opinion. Although they are very action packed, they still seem very realistic. Just cold and raw action, without a lot of frills. And a good story, of course.
Oh shit we're delving into the 90s era Micheal Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer era Nick Cage? He was how Johnny Depp is to Tim Burton for a while during this era, and we couldn't get enough. I also love the theory that Sean Connery's Mason and his interpretation of James Bond 007 could be the same character, like this is where ge ended up, it's such a fun theory.
Yes! This movie was one of my absolute favorites when I was younger. I watched it so many times. Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage were the dynamic duo none of us realized we needed, LOL! Big fan of both of them. I'm also a huge fan of Michael Biehn. His exit so early in the film was a complete shock for me. I really enjoyed Ed Harris' role in this film. Technically, he's the villain, but he's not really villainous. He was so complex. A man of honor doing something wrong to make things right. Fascinating. Great supporting characters too.
Connery's Bond films are both iconic and classic. Bond films and characters *do* tend to come off as representing a far more sexist and chauvinistic era of society, especially to younger generations. Connery's are all '60s and into the '70s, so his probably embody those old "Mad Men" style societal values the most (because it's a film franchise created to appeal to mass moviegoing audiences of those times, which were predominantly men until around the '80s and '90s). But Connery established the role and character and his portrayal is considered by most Bond fans to be the definitive one against which all subsequent actors were tasked with somehow matching without copying and distinguishing themselves from. I think they're worth watching for any film enthusiast, especially if one has an interest in the secret agent genre. If one can keep in mind that society of old is dated, it's possible for young audiences to both appreciate and enjoy those old Bond films. Definitely recommend checking them out.
The Rock is one of my favorite action movies of all time. The 90s have a lot of great action movies like Con Air, Total Recall, Face/Off, T2 Judgement Day, Air Force One, The Matrix, Speed, Point Break, Starship Troopers, The Eraser, True Lies, Demolition Man, The Fifth Element, Bad Boys, The Legend Of The Drunken Master, Fist Of Legend, The Mask Of Zorro, Blade, First Strike, Mr. Nice Guy, Rumble In The Bronx, Desperado, The Last Boy Scout, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Independence Day, & The Mummy.
Was great seeing you guys laugh at Nic Cages random craziness 😂 I really hope you haven’t saw Con Air so we can get a reaction to that lol very campy but so much fun!
This is such a great action movie by Connery & Cage. It is so underrated. I have to believe it was poorly marketed by the studio's marketing department. I enjoyed your reactions & watching it again with both of you. Please consider reacting to Matchstick Men (2003), starring Cage & Sam Rockwell as con artists, which has a very interesting script. This is not an action movie. This movie shows Cage was more than just an action star. Cage can act.
The best movie of Michael Bay. Don´t forget FACE OFF, another classic action movie of 90s with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage, An action-packed movie with practical effects, zero CGI, and very expensive.
Why was Connery in prison? Unofficially but wholly intended, he was a disavowed 007. More essential Connery classics: _Outland_ (1981) _The Man Who Would Be King_ (1975)
Hell yeah. I LOVE this film. Never knew how much I needed to see you guys react to this till now. Can't wait, sitting down to watch now. Oh and you guys need to check out Con Air and Face Off. Along with The Rock, they were the BEST Nic Cage films of the 90s.
In the late nineties I was living in California about three hours drive north of San Francisco. My nephew was around twelve years old and he came to visit with my mother. My nephew loved this movie so we all went to Alcatraz so he could see where some of the movie was filmed. That was my second out of four trips to Alcatraz, I had to take other relatives there when they came to visit.
Sean Connery is such a great actor and character. By the way, James Bond, played by Sean Connery, escaped Alcatraz. "The Man Who Would Be King" and "The Name of the Rose" are fantastic films, already commented here. He also co-starred in Hitchcock's movie "Marnie" with Tippi Hedren ("The Birds"); and in the sci-fi film "Outland" as well, worth watching; or "Rising Sun", with Wesley Snipes. Denzel's "Man on Fire" is a must see. And with respect to Nicolas Cage, I would strongly recommend "8mm", with Joaquin Phoenix, and "Snake Eyes".
There is a great theory that Sean Connery's character in this movie is actually an older James Bond (Connery's timeline) and it fits so well that I think the movie gets even better if you see it that way. It's totally unofficial of course and Bruckheimer himself dismissed the idea, but still... :D
When Connery passed away, I watched a marathon of his movies to honor him and celebrate his life and career.
@@bookcollector538 … I’m gonna do the same for Clint Eastwood and Jack Nicholson when they pass away too. I’m gonna watch a marathon of their movies… I say those 2 because it doesn’t seem like they’ll be around much longer… Clint Eastwood is 92 and Jack Nicholson is 85 and he has Alzheimers 😢
m.th-cam.com/video/9FdnevXjqdc/w-d-xo.html here’s a video with a pretty in depth look at why it might be the last James Bond movie
Yeah, I'm convinced it was
Definitely worth watching the fun breakdown on TH-cam about the Connery in Rock is Bond
Fits incredibly well…
Connery’s screen presence is so overwhelming no matter the scene or movie just awesome! Thanks again
Imagine Connery as Gandalf, he was the No1 Choice and was offer silly money for the role but he turned it down as he didn't understand the story.
he is a Legend
He's easily stealing the show from Cage
@@tommy5675 According to figures, he lost out on approximately $400 million USD as they offered points as well.
@@IndyCrewInNYC Peter Jackson was so desperate for him to agree that they offered him 15% of the Global Box office!!! which is crazy number.
I wonder if he was offered the role of a Baddie would he have taken it.
His screen magnetism would have be great for Saruman as in the books he was a charmer.
But i don't want to be down on the cast of the films as they all really embraced their roles and were all fantastic, no weak lionks anywhere.
One of my all time favorite fan theories is that this is really a James Bond film. That Sean Connery is really reprising his role as James Bond. It's been denied by everyone, but I still thought it was a cool idea.
There is some mystery regarding his real name and origins. His skill level and training sure fits.
There is actually a youtube video demonstrating that this is possible in the James Bond timeline.
That's how I view the film as well and it makes the movie even more entertaining from that angle.
Yeah, I like this theory alot too 😁. I believe it!! And nobody can tell me otherwise.
He's definitely playing James Bond, they just can't admit it.
This is Michael Bay’s best movie by a mile. The cast is perfect. This is one of those movies that when I’m channel surfing and I come across this I stop and watch the rest.
What about Bad Boys 1 and 2?
I loved Armageddon, 2007 Transformers, 13 Hours, and Ambulance wasn't too bad either. He just got a bad name from toxic Transformers fans.
Nah dude Armageddon is much better. It has a lot more emotion than The Rock. Second best definitely.
@@lisag5002 No, he sucks. He's the worst director of his generation, was before Transformers and remained so after Transformers. Everything he's ever done has been garbage. Including this movie though it's also clearly his best. The Island is probably #2.
Michael Bay's greatest and most innovative contribution to onscreen entertainment ever was the original "Got Milk?" commercial from 1993.
Welp, now you guys gotta watch Face/Off & Con Air to complete the Nic Cage 90s action trilogy.
Also referred to as the “beige Volvo” trilogy.
@@Maat1932Never get tired of Face Off.
Bruce Willis in 'The Last Boy Scout' is such an underrated gem.
One of my favorites 😎💯
the one liners in that movie....you're right...superb action movie
I didn't have my glasses on and read this as "Bruce Willis in 'The Last Boy Scout' is such an underrated porn" 🤣🤣
@@supersizesenpai Selective reading :)
The, "And if you touch me again.......", scene is one of those 'Oh shit' moments.
I like the fan theory, where Sean Connery is this old and captured James Bond from back in the day. Makes it a whole nother movie^^
Another must watch with Nick Cage is Face-Off with John Travolta. It's a mind bending action fest!
Face/Off and The Rock are 90's action high water marks no doubt
@@Nick_CF con air and bringing out the dead
el señor de la guerra también es una muy buena película para mi es la mejor de NICK CAGE
@@SuperEfedrina ABSOLUTELY AGREED
His latest movie the unbearable weight of massive talent is pretty decent
Sean Connery's movie career started in the mid- 1950's . His first James Bond movie "Dr. No" came out in 1962 so after that he had leading man roles till he retired in 2006 with "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen".
Sean Connery quit acting because of The League film.His experience on the movie set was THAT bad.
His last film was actually a Scottish animated movie called Sir Billi.
He also passed on playing Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, even when he was offered 15% of the series box office takings (apparently $400M). That being said, I can't imagine anyone other than Ian McKellan playing him as well
@@Drforrester31 Yeah, trying to imagine Sean Connery screaming "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!" at the Balrog, just does not work for me. lol
@@jacob4920 “When did Sharuman the Wishe abandon reashon for madnessh?!”
Nicolas Cage has his own style-for better or worse he feels very singular and genuine in how he performs. Always gives 110% with each role. I definitely love him when he’s more serious like Leaving Las Vegas (he won his Oscar in that) or Adaptation but he’s so entertaining in things like Con Air, Face/Off, or Matchstick Men.
"Adaptation" is one of my top 5 films. He's so good in that.
Cameron Poe
Just posted a very similar comment. His acting in Leaving Las Vegas and especially Adaptation in excellent! Great movies too, also Matchstick Men is a great movie with a great performance.
"National Treasure" is a hidden gem that needs to be mentioned, also. That movie wouldn't be nearly what it is today without Nicholas Cage's performance.
Matchstick Men is definitely my favorite of his. Never fails to surprise me during the opening credits when I see Ridley Scott directed it.
It really says something about how great Ed Harris and his character are in this that the movie feels the need to kill him off just to make sure we're rooting for the right side during the climax.
Same with Enemy at the gates.....I love that ending!!!
100%. When this came out I thought he was the most sympathetic bad guy I’d ever seen!
@@despayre3914 I love how in that Harris says about Jude Law "he shoots scared he sneaks doesn't seem to move positions in broad daylight" or something along those lines and that's exactly how Vasily gets him, broad day in the open down the train tracks so brilliant!!
RIP Sir Sean Connery (August 25, 1930 - October 31, 2020), aged 90
You will always be remembered as a legend.
When Connery found out Disney was upset with Michael Bay for shooting over schedule, he took matters into his own hands. Sean asks him, ‘You want me to help?’ Cut to: Having lunch with the Disney execs, Bay announces that Mr. Connery would like to visit and say hi. Sean comes in, sits down across from the open-mouthed executives.”
Bay continues, “In classic Sean Connery style, he belts out in his Scottish brogue: ‘This boy is doing a good job, and you’re living in your Disney F*cking Ivory Tower and we need more f*cking money!!’ Without missing a beat, they responded. ‘Ok. How much?'”
@Fredrick Frederickson The Mobster in question was Johnny Stompanato, who was dating Lana Turner at the time. Stompanato jealous of Turner being over in England out of his sight. I'm not sure if Connery was ever implicated with his co-star Turner, or if he was just the guy who happened to be there to step in.
I've heard Bay tell that before such a good story that's so Sean Connery 🤣
Sean Connery is a BOSS !!! LOL.
That’s just every Scottish person 😂
and he was right, it grossed $335m world-wide at the Box-Office against a total production cost of $75m, and that's before DVD, Cable, Satellite and TV rights sales ...
" Welcome to the Rock" was one of the best cinematic moments in the 90s
I love the long discussion you two have after you watch the movie.
FYI, Sean Connery's initial conversation with Nic Cage's character, where a nervous Nic says "I'm Stanley, Stanley Goodspeed" is a throwback to Sean's 1971 movie "Diamonds are Forever" where James Bond is introduced to the character Plenty O'Toole:
Plenty O'Toole : Hi, I'm Plenty.
James Bond : But of course you are.
Plenty O'Toole : Plenty O'Toole.
James Bond : Named after your father perhaps?
Ed Harris is such a great actor. His General Hummel is one of the best and deepest "villains", for me.
A not yet too maniac Cage, a badass Connery, a frickin Ed "Captain America" Harris, with a fantastic theme from Zimmer and Michael Bay at his best.
You can´t get any better than that.
A great early Nic Cage film that is hilarious and very underrated is Raising Arizona. It's a must watch and launched his career.
I think they would love that film.
So much HELL YES! One of my favorite comedies of all time.
One of my favorite Cohen brothers movies
As someone said....there is more before the opening credits than in most movies...
Glad to see Ed Harris getting some love. Did you know, that in the same year The Abyss was released Ed Harris starred in another movie called Jacknife alongside Robert De Niro? They both play Vietnam veterans trying to fit back into society.
And Nicolas Cage has quite the resume, and not just him being Nicolas Cage "Nicolas-Cage-ing it up". I'd like to mention some he was in, starring or otherwise, that may have not been mentioned a lot up until now:
Raising Arizona - comedy (1987)
Red Rock West - neo-noir thriller (1993)
Kiss of Death - crime thriller (1995)
Leaving Las Vegas - drama (1995)
8MM - neo-noir psychological thriller (1999)
Lord of War - crime drama (2005)
Joe - independent crime drama (2013)
Color Out of Space - science-fiction/Lovecraftian horror (2019)
Pig - drama (2021)
“Do they have to hit everything?”
Michael Bay “yes, they absolutely must hit everything! And more!”
Nic Cage chews the scenery in "Moonstruck," but it somehow works and the rest of the cast is perfect. There is a great article floating around the web that lines up the timelines of the Connery Bond films and Mason's backstory and they just align perfectly. I'm convinced. 😄 Assuming that Mason is Bond definitely adds to the fun of "The Rock"..
A Connery movie I highly recommend is "The Man Who Would be King" with Michael Caine. A terrific adventure movie
NEXT is my favorite N Cage movie.
An outstanding suggestion.
Fun fact: It's sort of a lowkey homage to him being James Bond. He was an SAS operative in the 60s and was arrested since then. So Mason could effectively have been James Bond and this was his fate.
The monkey wrench was Hummel's men. When they first capture the Rock he said that he hadnt worked with them before, but thus far they had conducted themselves well. So they had no chemistry, and thats why things went sideways.
Face/Off is definitely the next great Nick Cage movie. Yeah, Nick Cage is a Coppola. He actually changed his name.
Another Good one is the Coen Brothers movie Raising Arizona. I'd add Kick-ass, because he wasnt as big in the 2000s, and he really brought his own thing to Kick-ass.
And a big underrated one. Actually two; Adaptation and The Faux-reality 'The Unbearable weight of Massive Talent'
Tony Todd was also in Platoon with John C McGinley. They both play squad leaders- Todd is Sgt. Warren, and McGinley is Sgt. O'Neill. Tony Todd was pretty young then and it's easy to miss recognizing him.
LOL...and McGinley went on to become a Scrub and Tony Todd became an alien...actually, he became several aliens. 😂😂😂😂
I still can't believe that "Perry Cox" is in this 🤣 his appearance makes me laugh every time I re-watch this film. Regardless, all actors showed their absolute best, especially Cage, Connery and Harris. Great movie. Watched it first time as a schoolboy in about when it came out.
I remember playing modern warfare 2 on xbox 360 with great fondness and many scenes from the game are 100% lifted from this movie. The underwater incursion, the shower room and the running to the roof waving green flares at the Whitehouse - it was like being in this movie.
He really called him the Rocket man, I believe he meant to say is Candyman!
Firstly RIP John Spencer, absolute legend. This probably topped my list of favourite movies back in the mid-90's. Nick Cage's best movie (and a showcase of him at his absolute craziest) is Bringing Out The Dead.
Leo from west wing
Other great movies:
Nicholas Cage - Leaving Las Vegas
Ed Harris - Apollo 13
Michael Biehn - Tombstone
Sean Connery - The Man Who Would be King
One of my absolute favorite movies growing up. I remember my older brother and I rented this movie from a store in a small town in Saudi Arabia. Ever since we watched it in the late 90s, we dreamed of visiting San Francisco and Alcatraz, which finally happened in 2016! Glad people still enjoying it decades later. ♥️
OMG. Samantha's a fugitive from Alcatraz! 😱 Notice how she just dropped in the "I've been here" 5:46. 😱😱
If you think about it, it was in Sean Connery's character's interest to make a big scene when he was trying to escape. They had buried him for decades to keep what he knew from getting out. By causing a massive scene while escaping, it increased the odds they would have to acknowledge his existence in some way to the public, which could only be to his advantage if he got caught again.
The Rock was Cage's first true action role, and the first in the Cage master trilogy with, Con Air and Face/Off. They used real Navy SEALs for the Alcatraz assault/shower room scenes.
The Rock holds a special place to me as it was the first movie I saw in theaters with the family. The funny thing was it wasn't the movie we were meant to see; we were suppose to see Twister but we were already there and saw whatever was starting. Best decision 👏. To this day it's still one of my favorite movies ever.
@32:14: Yes they did. With Tony Todd, you need to make extra sure he's dead, and sometimes, not even that slows him down.
"Welcome to the Rock." Loved this movie as a kid!
Connery was already mid-60's in this and he still stole the show! I'm no great impressionist but I have mastered Connery's, "Welcome to The Rock", and, "THAT's the Chicago way", from The Untouchables.
A favourite Nic Cage movie for me is Family Man from the early 2000s. I watched it as a young adult and now, as a father in my 40s to young kids, I love the movie from a new perspective.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Kick Ass; Cage channeling Adam West's Batman is great.
If you want younger Sean Connery, the original James Bond is great but you also need to throw in Darby O'Gill and the little people... For a totally different side of Sean Connery.
And just a little trivia, the working theory is that the character Sean Connery plays in this movie is actually 007 after the Americans think that he betrayed them.
I think they should definitely also watch Zardoz...mostly because I want to see the looks on their faces. LOLOLOLOL
@@iKvetch558 right! Zardoz was a very weird movie! But yeah I wanna see their reaction to Connery in that red speedo and boots
They may also want to see The Longest Day, from around 1962. Sean Connery was in that.
@@nrkgalt That would be an interesting one to see them react to...they would see a lot of people that they might not recognize because they were so young in that one...of course, I am sure they would spot Connery....but they would probably laugh at how young he looks. 💯😂✌
@@iKvetch558 they have to watch “the Untouchables” with Kevin Costner. That was Connery’s Oscar winning role for best supporting actor
It's fun to see this movie as a James Bond movie. Sean Connery is playing Bond in his later years. If you ever wondered what would have become of Bond, this movie tells you.
Yup, there is a great fan theory that I love that explains the connections to Bond.
While I think the fan theories that say Mason is Bond are absurd, clearly Mason is intended to make the audience think that Mason is basically James Bond.
Agreed, love this fan theory, when I heard it I thought hey probably didn’t get the rights too call him bond, so they got creative and gave just enough to figure it out!
@@Col_Fragg not as absurd as you think.
@@AregPone yeah the time line lines up with Connery Bond. Shockingly well.
Easily one of my fave Nic Cage movies. A nice balance between Cage being an actor and Cage showing his trademark Cage-isms 🤣 Sean Connery was also great (he was blatantly playing "old James Bond who was wrongfully locked up"). Add a group of interesting villains led by an actor who really elevated this mediocre script and a kick ass soundtrack, it resulted in a very entertaining action movie 😁
Cage-isms! lol!
I would say this is lower on nick cage being wild vary sane and normal like 2 or 3 but compared to something like ghost rider is 7 or 8
Michael Bay's best movie. Hands down. "Armageddon" is really the only other Michael Bay movie that comes close, and that's also because of the cast elevating an otherwise mediocre script to legendary status.
Of course he could never get any door open from inside the cell , first door locking levers have lock , then those levers are in locked boxes and to open a cell door the lever is pulled to opposite direction from the door , hard to push a lever with a string .
Getting off the island to mainland , is proven to be possible and some people could get away from their cells or others parts of the prison .
It's not a Cage movie. It's a Connery movie.
Also Talia Shire ( Adrian from Rocky and Connie from The godfather) is Nic Cage's aunt.
‘Do they have to hit everything?!’……….of course they do…..it’s Michael Bay!🤣
Quentin Tarantino did some of the script, but was uncredited because he wasn't part of the Writer's Guild at the time. Aaron Sorkin also wrote some of the dialogue between Mason and Godspeed. Nicholas Cage is actually named Nicholas Coppola, but took his last name from his favorite comic book hero, Luke Cage, as he wanted to make it on his own instead of using his family name. Also Talia Shire's (Adrian from Rocky) maiden name is Coppola, and she is the sister of Francis Ford Coppola.
This is such a fun movie! I watched this so many times as a kid and teenager. Quintessential 90s action movie you just should have a good time with and not try to take seriously at all. The humor is fantastic, the plot works, the cast is stacked -- excellent.
A HIGHLY underrated Sean Connery film (that is of a completely different genre though, mind you) is "Just Cause" which also has Ed Harris in it, along with Laurence Fishburne and a baby Scarlett Johansson. Extremely good movie!
TBR Schmitt is right; Hummel didn't know Darrow and Fry well enough. That was his main mistake.
"Raising Arizona" is prime Nic Cage from the 80's. Given that it is also the Coen Brothers, you got to react to that one.
Your first start on Nic Cage films?!?! Ohh yea, let's go!!! FACE OFF, FACE OFF, FACE OFF!!! CON AIR!!! Leaving Las Vegas, Raising Arizona, Matchstick Men, Adaptation, Kick Ass, even City of Angels which was my Ma's fave back in the day but honestly a good film, and even Season of the Witch is a fun sorta B movie without trying to insult it haha. Let's go!! Yinz are awesome 💖
You two CRACK me up 😂. That Nick Cage impression was spot on. Please watch Man on Fire at some point, I noticed it on the poll and cannot wait to see your reaction to it - Also for another Michael Bay gem, Armageddon is brilliant
Now all of Cage's films are straight to video.
@@powerbad696 we will always have this and Con Air though
@@ashtonlewis9624 Well said.
@@powerbad696 I heard Pig was really good.
@@andrewburgemeister6684 PIG ??? Is that a movie ???
Nick Cage is on another level. Gone in 60 Seconds is another good action flick with cage.
I think the year this came out Sean Connery received a life achievement at the Golden Globes awards show and Nick Cage presented it him.
Long before Harvey Dent said it in Dark Knight, General Hummel exemplified "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
As a Scotsman love watching Sir Sean, sure somebody has said already but there is a theory that his character here is an old Bond. Great movie to react to, 90s action at its finest
Nicholas Cage's real name is Nicholas Coppola, but didn't want to be accused of using his family name to get ahead, so he took on the last name of a favorite super hero, Luke Cage. He also named one of his kids, Kal-el after Superman's Kryptonian name. He was supposed to play Superman at one point, even going so far as shooting a screen test in a Superman costume, but the movie was shelved and it never happened.
For more Ed Harris, check out Enemy at the Gates!
For more Sean Connery, check out The Mask of Zorro and of course the early Bond films!
Uh...Connery was never in a Zorro movie as far as I know. You sure you didn't mistake him for Anthony Hopkins? 🤔
For more Cage - Leaving Las Vegas
Connery wasn’t in Mask of Zorro, that was Anthony Hopkins
Good catch guys. Yes, I was thinking of Anthony Hopkins! So Bond films for more Connery, Mask of Zorro for some Hopkins.
Ohh the Mask of Zorro would be a good one tho. Desperado!
I knew you guys would love The Rock! It’s a slamdunk really, peak 90s action fun and probably Bay’s best, when he was still proving himself as a director and wasn’t given carte blanche to do what he wanted. It’s got a lot of heart too, a lot of which I think is down to Ed Harris insisting that his character have a much deeper background, rather than be a by-the-numbers villain. Made it all much more compelling.
Also, congratulations! You’ve just watched your first Sean-Connery-as-James-Bond film! I noticed that other commenters mentioned it, and it’s definitely one of my favourite internet rumours, that the John Mason character is actually the real identity of James Bond, with Bond being an artificial persona created as a spy cover. I’ve no idea if this possible connection was ever intentional on the part of the writers of The Rock, but it all synchs up with actual timeline of when Connery was playing Bond, too, with the stuff Mason is supposed to have done all happening between the release dates of several of the Connery Bond movies… and it explains why different actors played the role after the mid 60s!
Anyway, yes, it would be fun to see you guys reacting to the original Bonds, and also more Nic Cage. You can’t go wrong, there 😁
Love the review and the upload time. Waking up and starting to watch your videos. Sneaking in a few minutes at work then looking forward to finishing your video at home......priceless. My favourite Sean Connery film is Finding Forrester(2000). No action or glitz but a really great story.
I absolutely love the fan theory that Sean Connery is the Bond 007 character. read about it . it makes absolute sense
Great movie. You should see Sean Connery in The Name Of The Rose (Still as an old man) beside his James Bond movies . Also Nick Cage has some great movies beside Con Air and Face Off. movies like The National Treasures movies (Which are both great), Snake Eyes a great thriller. 8 mm a really dark and powerful movie. The Sorcerer Apprentice a really great fantasy comedy movie.
You mention 8mm
Did you ever see the movie Hardcore 1979 ?
@@petermulder7480 no
If you like 8mm you might love Hardcore 1979. Look up the trailer.
@@petermulder7480 I like 8mm but that is a really dark and shocking subject which I don't like to explore.
Name of the Rose is a favorite of mine, for sure.. That an Amadeus were 2 movies that opened my tastes at an impressionable age.. 12-15 years old..
Good call..
The musical scores by Hans Zimmer are legendary in this film. So many amazing pieces man.
40:30 It’s a side joke, meaning that he was 007, British intelligence.
If you haven’t done FACE OFF with Nicolas Cage and John Travolta you really should! Such a GREAT movie! Y’all will love it!!!! 😊
Loved this! Another great movie that this one reminds me of is “Daylight” with Sylvester Stallone, y’all should check it out sometime!
Daylight is a GREAT film !!! Oh my stars and garters. LOL.
One of the things I love about "Daylight" is that Viggo Mortenson plays a bit part in the flick. I never saw that actor in a film again, until "The Lord of the Rings" came out about a decade later. lol
Daylight is awesome!
Daylight was the first film of Sly’s I’d ever seen.
Angrily: "I WANT MY FUCKING MONEY!"
Calmly: "There is no fucking money."
Aside from James Bond, I think the first Sean Connery movie I ever watch was the Disney movie called "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" (1959). I believe it was the 2nd or 3rd movie he had been in.
Did you see Another Time, Another Place with him?
That was before Darby O’Gill
@@nsasupporter7557 Not yet, but its now on my list of movies to watch!! :)
Peggie Sue Got Married and Moonstruck are great quirky Cage roles. He's fun to watch. You don't take him too seriously but he's always a fun ride.
Gone in 60 Seconds, Face Off, The Rock, Con-Air, National Treasure, and Matchstick Men are all Nick Cage at his best.
Uhhh Leaving Las Vegas man, Cage's BEST.
Yes all!! Oh man, Matchstick Men!
Bad Lieutenant...
National Treasure was pretty corny
Adaptation with Kaufman & Bringing Out the Dead with Scorsese he said was one of his best & for a reason. This man could’ve had his whole career hits after hits if he hadn’t pick crappy projects, but this man loves his craft so you can’t really hate him.
My favourite "old" Sean Connery movie was The Great Train Robbery (1978)
First Bond film premiered in 1962 with a 32-yr-old Connery.
Yeah Nick Cage is actually a Coppola but, he changed his name so he could get acting gigs based on his abilities and not his family name.
Omigod. This is one of my fave movies. Cage and Connery both do an amazing job and the whole thing is nonstop action. I get choked up in a couple of places too. Can't wait to see y'all's reaction!
to be fair there was a point to him hitting EVERYTHING as he tried to escape, he was making debris to obstruct those chasing him and slow them down, and it worked!
This movie is awesome. I couldn’t stop watching when it came out.
FYI, atropine comes in an auto injector that stick in your thigh, not your heart. That was just added for drama. The needle doesn’t come out until you press hard against something.
probably been mentioned before: Connery - "The Wind and the Lion" '75; "Robin and Marian" '76
For the Halloween season, I recommend watching CREEPSHOW (1982) and you will see a young Ed Harris in it as well as many other stars.
I was wondering what James Bond has been up to all those years! lol
I love "The Rock" and really loved your reaction to it :)
But I hope you also react to some of the movies that didn't win the poll.
Especially "Man on Fire." The acting performances of Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning in this movie are outstanding and the movie itself is really great, but also very emotional. I am 100% sure that if you watch this movie, you will love it.
The Bourne movies are also a must see in my opinion. Although they are very action packed, they still seem very realistic. Just cold and raw action, without a lot of frills. And a good story, of course.
I recommend 'Outland'. Cool 80s-Space-Western-Movie with Sean Connery. High Noon in space. 🤠🚀
Oh shit we're delving into the 90s era Micheal Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer era Nick Cage? He was how Johnny Depp is to Tim Burton for a while during this era, and we couldn't get enough. I also love the theory that Sean Connery's Mason and his interpretation of James Bond 007 could be the same character, like this is where ge ended up, it's such a fun theory.
Yes! This movie was one of my absolute favorites when I was younger. I watched it so many times. Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage were the dynamic duo none of us realized we needed, LOL! Big fan of both of them. I'm also a huge fan of Michael Biehn. His exit so early in the film was a complete shock for me. I really enjoyed Ed Harris' role in this film. Technically, he's the villain, but he's not really villainous. He was so complex. A man of honor doing something wrong to make things right. Fascinating. Great supporting characters too.
Connery's Bond films are both iconic and classic. Bond films and characters *do* tend to come off as representing a far more sexist and chauvinistic era of society, especially to younger generations. Connery's are all '60s and into the '70s, so his probably embody those old "Mad Men" style societal values the most (because it's a film franchise created to appeal to mass moviegoing audiences of those times, which were predominantly men until around the '80s and '90s).
But Connery established the role and character and his portrayal is considered by most Bond fans to be the definitive one against which all subsequent actors were tasked with somehow matching without copying and distinguishing themselves from. I think they're worth watching for any film enthusiast, especially if one has an interest in the secret agent genre. If one can keep in mind that society of old is dated, it's possible for young audiences to both appreciate and enjoy those old Bond films. Definitely recommend checking them out.
Fun fact: Quentin Tarantino Co wrote this movie but he didn't get credited for it
Face/Off is another must watch Nic Cage action movie!
Yes! Face Off was an awesome movie
The Rock is one of my favorite action movies of all time. The 90s have a lot of great action movies like Con Air, Total Recall, Face/Off, T2 Judgement Day, Air Force One, The Matrix, Speed, Point Break, Starship Troopers, The Eraser, True Lies, Demolition Man, The Fifth Element, Bad Boys, The Legend Of The Drunken Master, Fist Of Legend, The Mask Of Zorro, Blade, First Strike, Mr. Nice Guy, Rumble In The Bronx, Desperado, The Last Boy Scout, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Independence Day, & The Mummy.
Was great seeing you guys laugh at Nic Cages random craziness 😂 I really hope you haven’t saw Con Air so we can get a reaction to that lol very campy but so much fun!
For more more Harris, Connery, Cage watch, Enemy at the Gates, Entrapment and Face Off respectively.
Con Air.....is a must watch Nic Cave movie
That soundtrack is fire for that film
It’s a great movie, definitely hope they watch it.
Put the bunny back in the box!
@@EchoFoxtrot21 I truly feel there are few people besides Nic Cage that can make that line sound awesome.
Within what is action cinema for me, the best of Nicholas Cage: The Rock, Face Off, Con Air, Gone in Sixty Seconds and Lord of War.
This is such a great action movie by Connery & Cage. It is so underrated. I have to believe it was poorly marketed by the studio's marketing department. I enjoyed your reactions & watching it again with both of you. Please consider reacting to Matchstick Men (2003), starring Cage & Sam Rockwell as con artists, which has a very interesting script. This is not an action movie. This movie shows Cage was more than just an action star. Cage can act.
The best movie of Michael Bay. Don´t forget FACE OFF, another classic action movie of 90s with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage, An action-packed movie with practical effects, zero CGI, and very expensive.
Face Off is John Woo, but awesome.
My favorite movie score of all time and the "I got green smoke" scene is so haunting is always brings tears to my eyes.
Wow, Sam, you were at Alcatraz? What were you in for? 😂😂😂
Great react, y'all. I love this flick. ❤👍
This was Michael Bays second movie as a director ( I believe ) and he was scared shitless having to direct Sean Connery.
I've always said that this is one of the most underrated movies ever...I know for sure that this is an awesome movie.
Why was Connery in prison? Unofficially but wholly intended, he was a disavowed 007. More essential Connery classics:
_Outland_ (1981)
_The Man Who Would Be King_ (1975)
Hell yeah. I LOVE this film. Never knew how much I needed to see you guys react to this till now. Can't wait, sitting down to watch now.
Oh and you guys need to check out Con Air and Face Off. Along with The Rock, they were the BEST Nic Cage films of the 90s.
Face Off is a “forgotten movie” unfortunately. It certainly doesn’t deserve it it was an awesome movie
In the late nineties I was living in California about three hours drive north of San Francisco. My nephew was around twelve years old and he came to visit with my mother. My nephew loved this movie so we all went to Alcatraz so he could see where some of the movie was filmed. That was my second out of four trips to Alcatraz, I had to take other relatives there when they came to visit.
Finding Forester is a sweet 90s Connery film
Sean Connery is such a great actor and character. By the way, James Bond, played by Sean Connery, escaped Alcatraz. "The Man Who Would Be King" and "The Name of the Rose" are fantastic films, already commented here. He also co-starred in Hitchcock's movie "Marnie" with Tippi Hedren ("The Birds"); and in the sci-fi film "Outland" as well, worth watching; or "Rising Sun", with Wesley Snipes. Denzel's "Man on Fire" is a must see. And with respect to Nicolas Cage, I would strongly recommend "8mm", with Joaquin Phoenix, and "Snake Eyes".
All great films! I deliberately recommend them to see him in _Woman of Straw_ with Gina Lollobrigida. Very atypical role by Connery.