Review of Rock, The (Criterion 2 disc set)

Introduction

It`s very fitting that a DVD of such high quality should be the 100th DVD that I come to review. After all, that`s part of the attraction of DVD - top quality. For this milestone review I have chosen the Criterion edition of "The Rock", a film that has been sadly neglected on DVD up until now.

A combination of high-octane action and three great leads - Sean Connery, Ed Harris, and Nicolas Cage, makes this film into a great piece of entertainment. Cage was only really known for his excellent work in "Leaving Las Vegas" before this, but his role kick-started his career as an all-action hero. He of course went on to make Face/Off and Con Air, two other big action films.

Video

A 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, which looks excellent almost all the way through. There are a few specks of dirt and a few blobs on the print early on, but this is pretty much perfection. It has director Michael Bay`s seal of approval too, or so the box tells you!

The San Francisco locations all acquit themselves well, along with the obligatory car chase (are there films based in San Francisco that don`t feature at least one car chase?) And the scenes on Alcatraz all look great too, and you can see why they went to a lot of trouble during filming. It all looks beautifully clear and pin-sharp. Even the darker scenes look excellent.

As I seem to be saying more and more, if you`ve only ever seen this film in 4:3 (on VHS or on Channel 5 for example), then you`re really missing a lot!

There are some great special effects here too, some of them so good that you might not have realised that they were special effects. You can find out more about this during the extra features.

Audio

A selection of audio tracks, including DD2.0, DD5.1 and dts. I chose the dts soundtrack, as I`m a big fan of dts. And it performs very well indeed, showcasing plenty of good audio effects including (but not limited to) gunfire, gun battles and explosions. Plenty of bass to shake your speakers too.

There`s also a nice little score to help the film along at key moments, and this sounds very good too. If you choose the other audio options, you still won`t be let down, as the DD5.1 track is pretty much identical to the dts track. The DD2.0 track is good too, but doesn`t offer as much as the others obviously.

Features

Well, this is a Criterion release, so that should give you a clue. And it`s a two disc set, so there`s another clue. Yes, it`s packed with some good quality extras.

On disc one you`ll find the biggest extra, which is a commentary track featuring director Michael Bay, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Harry Humphries (a technical advisor), plus two of the three leads in Cage and Harris. This is another excellent commentary, with all participants eager to tell you their stories about certain scenes, or to give some technical information. A nice touch is that you can access the commentary track in chapters, as well as the movie itself.

The second disc is also filled with extra features. There are several documentaries of varying lengths, including "Secrets of Alcatraz" which concentrates on the history of the place, "Do`s and Don`ts of Hollywood Gunplay" tells you all about how to use guns and shoot people, and how not to copy your favourite Hollywood stars, as you`re more likely to shoot yourself than your enemy!

More featurettes include a piece concentrating on the Navy Seals, with more about shooting and guns, and "The Rock on Movie Magic", which is a more traditional behind-the-scenes type documentary. Another making-of style documentary is also featured, which concentrates on "The Dive Sequence". This gives some good background into how this particular scene was realised on film.

You`ll also find out-takes, which are very amusing, even when Ed Harris loses his rag because he can`t remember his lines. There are trailers and TV spots, and also a short feature on the film`s world premiere. Which was held on Alcatraz. Which is a bit of a logistical nightmare.

There`s also a massive stills section, which features publicity shots, on-set shots, extensive storyboards and further production drawings.

An excellent package of extras, and I can`t think of anything that they missed!

Conclusion

This is a fantastic DVD of a highly entertaining action film. The picture and sound are excellent, and Criterion have done another great job. There are loads of extras packed on to this two disc set, and these just add more value to the package.

This is without doubt the best version of the film that you can currently own. Another bonus is the fact that the region 2 release was quite heavily cut by the BBFC, and even the region 4 release has suffered cuts. So you get to see all of the little bits that they didn`t want you to see. By the way, unlike most Criterions, this is definitely coded for region 1.

The plot itself isn`t the strongest in the world, and the storyline isn`t perfect. But there`s so much action up on screen that you don`t have time to sit and pick holes in it, you just enjoy the ride. Great performances by the cast also help.

An excellent action film showcased on a great two disc set. Highly recommended for action fans everywhere.