The weapons-theft scene is praised: the "bubble face" guy trapped in the vault, the rockets with green balls inside, and David Morris's "sorry, dude"; a take follows that Bubbleface deserved to die for dropping the rocket.
Connery's first scene, 25 minutes in, with long hair in prison, is called one of the coolest entrances ever; the "lead left in your pencil" line and William Forsy's needlessly cutting insults are singled out.
The balcony escape (haircut on the balcony, lobster for the Secret Service, flipping John Spencer over the rail with a rope) is everything wanted in a rewatchable action scene: nine things wrong with it, but super fun; it shows a 66-year-old being underestimated, after the quarter cutting the interrogation window.
Any San Francisco movie with an out-of-control trolley going down the hills gets a defense of the car chase.
"Welcome to the Rock" follows Connery remembering the fire pattern; Bay himself pointed out the boiler would not still be working at Alcatraz, and remembering the sequence 30-plus years later is questioned.
The shower room shootout sets a record for slow-motion bullet deaths with arms-out convulsions; "I cannot give that order / you will give that order" is as good as it gets, and Michael Bean's commander scene is the first test of Hummel's morals, with Harris visibly upset.
The mine cart chase is the walkthrough's favorite: it feels like an abandoned Disney World or Pirates of the Caribbean ride, with a cart impenetrable to bullets like a protective bathtub.
Connery versus Harris is fun as two preeminent bald actors go head to head, though Connery wears a toupee; a Robert Duvall cameo is wished for.
Asked whether the mutiny shootout (with Tony Todd killed by a rocket) was Tarantino's one uncredited contribution, the reply is that after Reservoir Dogs everybody wanted every character pointing a gun at one another at the same time, perhaps with Tarantino suggesting a mutiny within the mutiny, as in John Wu and Tony Scott movies until about 2001. — Chris Ryan
The mutiny shows who is hardcore: Tony Todd (Candyman) signals he is not fooling around, Boeem Woodbine is softer, and David Morris delivers the ultimate betrayal; Harris should not have chosen new guys for the mission.
The green flares finale gets slow motion from many angles and green smoke; Bay flashes back to the Chekhov's flares rather than trusting viewers, it is unintentionally funny, Cage does another Christ pose, and it is guessed to be Bay's favorite part, with F-16s under the Golden Gate Bridge.
Favorite scene: the decontamination chamber where Stanley Goodspeed is first seen in action ("you want me to stick this into my heart?"), which sets a grittier tone for an R action movie. — Chris Ryan
Also rewatchable: the situation room call where Ed Harris calls in, with John Spencer, the White House Chief of Staff and Philip Baker Hall in the room; no movie has ever suffered from a situation room. — Chris Ryan
The situation room is felt to be a couple of that-guy types short (where was Robert Ridgely?); Harris announcing "Hummel from Alcatraz" and looking straight into the camera after the shower room scene are highlighted.
Favorite is the "Cistern scene" with a "Welcome to the Rock" attempt; second is the morgue scene, with the knife throw ("You must never hesitate"), the air conditioner kill, "that's just about the most awful thing I've ever seen," and the kicking feet. — Mina Kimes
A further most-rewatchable answer names the shower assault (SEALs versus Marines in the shower) and the mine cart chase; the answering voice is unresolved.

What’s Aged the Best?

Alcatraz; San Francisco car chases; Simpson-Bruckheimer logo card; characters who don't exist; former That Guys; Claire Forlani what-if; Connery's Alcatraz cabin; the film's politics

In the discussion (9)

Approx. transcript time · 00:49:50Read transcript

Alcatraz: no movie using it has failed to be cool.
San Francisco car chases are one speaker's pick, over the others' disagreement.
The "losers always whine about their best; winners go home and fuck the prom queen" line is raised: it seemed the coolest thing at 13 but now reads as bizarre and very 90s.
The Simpson-Bruckheimer logo card, and RIP to Don Simpson, whose last film this was; a 1996 EW piece quoted Connery that Simpson did not look right on set, and his legendary appetite for cocaine is noted.
Action-movie characters who "don't exist" because their records were wiped clean are a winner every time.
The cast list of former that-guys who graduated: David Morris, John C. McGinley, Philip Baker Hall, John Spencer, William Forsyth and Michael Bean, whose fan following is joked about as the "Bean Hive" and who always plays military men, as in The Abyss and Terminator.
Claire Forlani's what-if: after Mallrats it seemed she would happen until Meet Joe Black; the belief that it still could happen has aged best.
Too good for half-assed internet research: Connery made the producers build him a cabin on Alcatraz rather than travel to the mainland, compared with Arnold's private-plane demands on T2.
The politics have aged well, unusually for Bay: a nuanced view of government and patriotism in the Hummel-Mason conversation, where Connery cites Oscar Wilde; the bluff ending, where Hummel refuses to kill a million people, keeps the film resting on whether he would do it.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Runtime; grunge-guitarist line; the wrestler's name overshadowing the title; Anthony Clark's hairstylist; the first third; Carla

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 00:58:17Read transcript

The movie is too long, about two hours and 15 minutes; a three-minute car chase or a foot chase would have saved time and money.
The "unless you're a 20-year-old grunge guitarist from Seattle" line is a specific 1996 line that has aged worst.
The Rock the wrestler and actor overshadows the film in search results; you must type "the Rock 1996 movie."
Anthony Clark as the super gay hairstylist would not be run back today.
The first third has a lot of fat; Craig, watching for the first time, was dubious a third of the way in, while the other two-thirds go hard.
Carla draws mixed feelings and leads into picking nits.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Gregory Sporleder

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:02:18Read transcript

The last guy standing at the end with the pronounced chin, "Gregory, spoiler," whose name the speaker does not know, could sweep the That Guy, Dionne Waiters and Vincent Hanna awards; "I think he wins."
Also mentioned: the nanny from Jerry McGuire, the campus rapist from 90210, and Costner's brother in American Flyers.
Stanley Anderson plays the president in both The Rock and Armageddon, suggesting a Michael Bay universe.
Danny Nucci, the Marine hanging upside down after the shootout, turns up in many 90s action movies, including Crimson Tide.

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Tony Todd

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:03:59Read transcript

Eight people could be mentioned, but the finals are Tony Todd and Greg; Tony Todd is called ridiculous in this movie, borderline aged-worst, and a better actor in the part might make a better movie.
Defense: he shows the kind of guy Hummel has to hire, and the two who drift from military discipline into lying on the bed ("locked and ready to rock") are enjoyable.
The film sets Tony Todd up early as a psycho, carrying Candyman baggage since Candyman came first.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

VX gas; William Forsythe

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:07:25Read transcript

Everyone is on a heat check; Anthony Clark tries to win it but it goes badly.
The first inanimate-object nomination in Rewatchables history: VX gas, with very small screen time, looking great, and as bad as imagined when stuffed in a mouth, "a literal heat check"; the nomination is welcomed.
Most usual candidates are poor parts (Claire Forlani, the hairdresser) or, like Connery, in the movie too much.
A vote for William Forsyth as the FBI man: an early asshole who is kind when Cage pukes (a Cage improvisation), then lets it slide that Mason is alive; with Raising Arizona history, quietly very good; he gets it if a person must win.

Apex Mountain

Nicolas Cage; nerve gas; Alcatraz movies; naked guitar playing; Vanessa Marcil; 1996 action movies; Michael Bay creatively; Hummers

In the discussion (13)

Approx. transcript time · 01:15:03Read transcript

Nicolas Cage is a yes: coming off the Oscar and leading the fourth-biggest movie of 1996 at $330 million, "It's definitely this."
Connery is a no, as is late-career Connery, with Crusade cited instead.
Nerve gas rockets, not nuclear, mark the peak moment for nerve gas; the film is said to have been a source of misinformation for British intelligence ahead of the Iraq invasion, and fear of nerve gas persists.
Ed Harris is a no.
Alcatraz movies: The Rock is judged better than the slow Escape from Alcatraz, which was filmed during tours and was being shot during a 1980 family visit.
Naked guitar playing is absolutely Apex Mountain.
Movie mutinies go to Crimson Tide, with this and Mutiny on the Bounty possibly a Mount Rushmore.
Vanessa Marseille, after 90210 and dating Brian Austin Green, peaks as the lead female in an action movie; she gets it.
Christ poses go to The Last Temptation of Christ, then Platoon; needles in the heart stay with Pulp Fiction.
It is called the best action movie of 1996, better than Independence Day, Twister, Mission Impossible and Eraser, which all made more money; agreement follows.
With Armageddon raised as Bay's earnings peak, asked whether creatively this was the apex, the answer is "a hundred percent": the only Bay movie that rises to excellent, with Bad Boys 2 and the original Transformers merely okay. — Mina Kimes
Another view likes many Bay movies, even recent ones, but calls the Transformers films an anvil on his career.
It was an apex year for Hummers.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Series with more hostage and mutiny politics; David E. Kelley-style version

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:26:00Read transcript

The premise is unimpeachable, but actors of the core three's caliber would be hard to find; a series could answer how the hostages ate or used the bathroom, with more hostage and mutiny politics. — Mina Kimes
David E. Kelly's The Rock: the wives and girlfriends drinking wine in Montecito, hoping it works out on the Rock; "That could work."

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Kennedy microfilm; the 1996 Hummer; underwater approach vehicles

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:28:51Read transcript

The microfilm that reveals how Kennedy really died; "That's the right answer."
The game-used 1996 Hummer from the film, possibly product placement.
The underwater vehicles used for the approach, which were probably about 200k each.