Film Review: Reviewed By John Ferguson; 4 out of 5

Neither as cartoonish as Con Air, nor as sentimental as Armageddon, this most satisfying of blockbuster movies deserves further kudos for establishing Nicolas Cage as one of Hollywood's unlikeliest action heroes. The setting is Alcatraz, which has been taken over by disenchanted general Ed Harris and his crack team of marines, who are threatening to launch deadly poison-gas rockets to contaminate San Francisco. In desperation, the FBI pairs chemical warfare expert Cage with jailed former SAS man Sean Connery, who, as the only man to have escaped from the notorious island prison, is seen as their best option to break in. Director Michael Bay's boyish enthusiasm for outlandish stunts and carefree destruction is extremely contagious and even the most cynical viewers will find it difficult not to feel rushes of adrenaline during the numerous slick set pieces.

Plot Summary

Action thriller starring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris. When a disaffected war hero takes hold of the island of Alcatraz and threatens to use chemical warfare to destroy San Francisco, a mild-mannered FBI biochemist and an ex-British spy - notorious for escaping from the maximum-security facility - are called in to tackle the threat.