The Rock
While Director Michael Bay made a name for himself with his debut film, "BAD BOYS", his 2nd film, "THE ROCK",with the same producing team of Bruckheimer and Simpson, is much better!  That's not to say it's particularly good, just better!  The film suffers from the same predictable script problems and 2-dimensional characters that all of Simpson/Bruckheimer films have, but at least Bay gives the film's action sequences a visual flair.  In "THE ROCK",
Nicolas Cage stars as an F.B.I. agent skilled in handling chemical threats.
Ed Harris plays a crazed General whom has taken over Alcatraz prison, threatening to destroy San Franciso if his demands aren't met.  Because Alcatraz is considered impenetrable, the only former prisoner known to have escaped, Sean Connery, is enlisted to help a Navy Seals team break in.  The premise is extremely silly, but style does overcome the lack of substance, as evidenced in the brilliant sequence of the "Ambush".  The entire cast is excellent, especially Claire Forlani, who leaves us wanting more, in her brief role as Connery's daughter.
BUENA VISTA HOME ENTERTAINMENT has improved their previously already sharp looking dvd transfer of 1998.  While that dvd presentation was sharp, it suffered from artifacting in several sequences.  This new dvd presentation features the same 2.35:1 aspect ratio.  However, now it's been enhanced for 16:9 screens, and there's much better resolution.  The colors are more solid, and there's no oversaturation.  Fleshtones are perfectly natural.
Contrast is excellent with deep grays and blacks.  In some of the darkest scenes, there's incredible detail!
Another item making this presentation really stand out is the soundtrack!
BUENA VISTA HOME ENTERTAINMENT has chosen to offer both the Dolby Digital "and" DTS 5.1 soundtrack options.  The soundmixes are incredible!  Comparing both the Dolby Digital 5.1 and "DTS" soundmixes to their laserdisc counterparts, the mixes sound better on the dvd!  They're both very aggressive, with virtually non-stop surround and directional effects, however the dvds offer better quality in the low-end range of frequencies. While the "DTS" sounds phenomenal here, it's actually less aggressive than the Dolby Digital mix!  Even the bass, which is typically better in DTS, is less impressive than the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix.  It's not a bad mix, but the Dolby Digital is definitely the better of the two mixes.
Because this is a Criterion/BUENA VISTA release, most of the supplements are the same as those featured on the spectacular Criterion laserdisc.   One notable exception is an intriguing television commercial by Director Michael Bay that first got him noticed in Hollywood.
There's a great audio commentary as well.  Really, it's a compilation of
interviews and commentary, featuring Bruckheimer, Michael Bay, technical advisor Harry Humphries, Ed Harris and Nicolas Cage.  All of them contribute their own personal characteristics and insight, making this informative and entertaining. 
Other supplements are broken down into three segments on the 2nd disc. PRODUCTION SECRETS offers four featurettes.  "ON THE RANGE WITH THE NAVY SEALS" explores the rigors of becoming a Navy Seal.  "THE DOS AND DON'TS OF HOLLYWOOD GUNPLAY" explores the realistic use of guns in film.  "THE ROCK ON MOVIE MAGIC" explores two action sequences, delving into how these scenes were accomplished.  "BEHIND THE SCENES ON THE DIVE SEQUENCE" explores the technical aspects of filming this great sequence.  It has an audio commentary as well. 
Other featurettes on the 2nd disc include, "THE SECRETS OF ALCATRAZ", a mini-documentary previously developed for tours of the prison. "INTERVIEW WITH JERRY BRUCKHEIMER" wasn't available on the previous Criterion laserdisc edition.  The 3rd segment on the 2nd disc is "PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION" offering various trailers, stills(hundreds!), outtakes and more!