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The Hunt for Red October

The Hunt for Red October

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: HUH?! BY a 13 year old reviewer from NOT WHERE YOU ARE!!
Review: Well, Tom Clancy's books and this movie are great. The reason why I give it for stars because it isn't a true story. There was a captain that almost defected, but was intercepted by the Russians. He was a captain of a russian ship, not a submarine. Tom got the idea for his book from there, but a ship running away that's is visible didn't sound like an exciting idea. A sub that has nukes and can dissappear? OH MAMA!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Suspense Thriller!
Review: Sean Connery does a GREAT job here as the captain of the Red October, a Russian submarine on the run. I was very impressed with Alec Baldwin as well, as the primary American contact. This movie really keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just when you start settling down, something comes out of nowhere and brings you right back to the edge! Subs out of nowhere, secret agents, James Earl Jones stepping in at just the right moment... It's GREAT! :>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A suspenseful and nail biting movie
Review: Russian Submarine Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) has command of the Soviet navy's newest sub, the Red October, named for the 1917 Bolshevik revolution. The Red October is the newest of the Typhoon class missile subs. She is, however different; being larger and having a new drive system. Ramius sends a letter to Moscow before he leaves. All that is known by C.I.A is that the Russian navy immediately sent orders to sink Red October. It is thus believed that Ramius intends to attack the U.S. C.I.A analyst Jack Ryan (Played wonderfully by Alec Baldwin) believes Ramius wants to defect. He has just three days to prove it. Various problems stand in the way however, from a sub captain whom wants to get Ramius first to an attempt at sabotage. Will Ryan get to Ramius before the Russians and the Americans?

The acting is top notch, from Connery and Baldwin's performances to James Earl Jones as Admiral Greer and Sam Neill as a Red October officer. A great film for people who like suspense films or for James Bond fans. Sort of a thinking man's James Bond that will keep you riveted to the very end.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Hunt for Red October
Review: As a ten year veteran of the US Navy Submarine Service, I was literally glued to my seat when I saw this movie for the first time. In fact, during some of the undersea scenes twoard the end, I could feel myself swaying back and forth in the seat, just as I did when I took my turn while the sub was on high speed manuevers in the early 70's. Any time this movie is on TV, I usually try to watch but my wife finally bought me my own copy.

The book was far more detailed and a little hookey in places but both the book and the movie did justice to the sub force. Here is to us, and those like us ... damn few! Qualified in Submarines.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Excellent film, poor DVD
Review: THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER is a submarine thriller masterpiece.It has a great plot, and cast. Sean Connery is excellent as Captain Marco Ramius, his character is complex but great. This film is not only a submarine thriller, but it is highly political. This balance makes the film a classic.

However, the DVD version is not very good. It has poor picture and sound quality. It's lack of features is revolting. If not for my extreme fondness of this film, I would not own this DVD. If you really like this film, buy the DVD. If not, then you have two options. First option: don't buy it all. Second option: buy the VHS tape. The choice is yours. Join the hunt today.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: outstanding feature film
Review: Sean Connery, Alex Baldwin & Sam Neil made this movie a MUST SEE! From the opening credits, this movie will keep the viewers on the edge of their seats. The underwater scenes were great & the plot was very well done. If you enjoy Connery & a great action movie rent or buy this DVD. Kenny

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Best Of The Jack Ryan Movies...
Review: ...but man, does the DVD transfer fall flat.

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER is a movie that, surprisingly, gets better through repeat viewings; it's a masterfully done Cold War thriller about a super-quiet sub, a Russian sub master who's trying to defect, and a London-based CIA researcher who figures out the whole plot and finds himself thrust into a situation that even experienced agents would shy away from.

Tom Clancy's books, filled with their wordy descriptions and political statements disguised as exposition, are notoriously dense and hard to translate into visual spectacles. Thus, one gets the horrendous PATRIOT GAMES and CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER. The saving grace in THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER is that it's a much shorter book than the others, and contains more that can be translated visually. The filmmakers wisely concentrate on the action in the book and leave much of the politics aside, and the long scenes of Jack Ryan's thought processes as he tries to sort out the details of Captain Ramius' possible defection are perfectly captured in an Alec Baldwin monologue that is both audibly interesting (Baldwin displays his talent for mimicking voices as Ryan privately mocks the suspicious Navy officers he encounters) and great eye candy (Baldwin must have had a clause in his early contracts that he appear shirtless in at least one scene).

Sean Connery is very good as Ramius, Soviet sub master, though his accent is annoying (a Russian Scotsman?). More interesting is Alec Baldwin's portrayal of Jack Ryan, a deeper and richer performance than Harrison Ford's stock hero turns in the other two Clancy films. There are some great supporting performances, more than I can name, but the standouts include: Sam O'Neill as Ramius' first officer, who dreams of living in Montana and wonders if the U.S. allows you to go from place to place without papers; Richard Jordan as the President's National Security Advisor, who is willing to go along with Ryan's hairbrained scheme because Ryan's expendable; James Earl Jones as Ryan's boss at the CIA, disarmingly casual and chilling stern simultaneously; Jeffrey Jones as a former Navy shipbuilder who helps Ryan figure out the secret of the Red October; Fred Dalton Thompson as the Admiral who knows "The Russians don't take a dump without a plan" but is willing to at least consider Ryan's farfetched notion of a nuclear sub commander trying to defect.

The movie is worth seeing--especially when viewed as a comparison between Ford's and Baldwin's interpretations of Jack Ryan--but the DVD is really only necessary if you're a completist. The transfer isn't as clear as it could be; the sound lacks the depth of the laserdisc version; there aren't enough special features to take advantage of the technology available through DVD. If you have a laserdisc player, look around for a copy of RED OCTOBER on LD; it's a much better edition.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best
Review: This is probably the best movie ever made!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Incredible movie
Review: The movie scores very well in my book. I simply had to purchase the DVD when it was available. Unfortunately, the DVD is lacking in many respects already outlined by other reviews on this page. That said, the movie is top-notch and well worth the money (plot, soundtrack, acting, one-liners, etc); i will not damn the movie because of a poorly compiled DVD. Enjoy one of Tom Clancy's best "books gone screenplay."

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Great movie equals poor DVD
Review: I really enjoyed this movie when I saw it in the theater, and it still holds up well after all these years. A cold war thriller. What happens when a state of the art russian submarine goes streaking for the United States with the entire russian fleet trailing it? I thought the movie was very true to the book. Alec Baldwin's performance was excellent. He fits the character of Jack RYan much better than Harrison Ford does in the later films.

As for the DVD, this is a strictly second rate production. Other reviews mention the flaws: there is an annoying pause as the DVD changes layers; the print is clearly second rate and is more of VCR type quality, you can see dust and flaws on the original; there are no real extras except for the trailer. In terms of DVD quality, this one was a real disappointment. However, the sound quality is excellent.

Bottom line: if you enjoyed this movie then the DVD may be worth adding to your collection. If you're not totally in love with the film then the second rate production on this DVD are enough that you will want to pass. I'd give the movie 4 stars but the DVD 2 stars for an overall rating of 3. Hopefully they will remaster it in a special edition with more features and higher quality production.


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