Review of The Rock (1996) by David A — 18 Apr 2012

(from The Watermark 06/08/96).

Forget the plot; the elements are familiar: The advanced weapons from every Schwarzenegger film, the teletype titles from Hunt for Red October, the claustrophobia of Die Hard, the fish-out-of-water thrown into the action from Broken Arrow, and the chase scenes from Speed. It's all the same testosterone-driven action-adventure stuff that requires you to suspend your disbelief a bit, but is fun to watch. But get this QUEER QUOTIENT: After seeing The Celluloid Closet, you will not believe one of the scenes in this film. Connery asks to have his hair cut, and they bring in a lisping queeny hairdresser. He's not one of those self-confident over-the-top gay incarnations (like, say, Martin Short in the Father of the Bride flicks). He's actually a little arrogant, but as soon as a gun is pulled, he turns into a screaming sissy. Didn't they stop writing characters like this in the 1930's? Action-adventure films are a little too butch as it is; the last thing they need to do is alienate the gay people who might attend just to lust after Cage or Connery. And the sad part is, it seems like the film makers thought this would appease us on some level.