Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Acting Makes It Good
Review: To me the question is why is this a good movie/DVD?There is some good photography at the beginning of the movie when the Russian sub Red October sets sails from its home in the USSR. The scenes are set to Russian music and gives the movie a certain feel - both interesting and to some extent uneasiness about the outcome of the submarine trip - generates suspense - and generates some interest in the movie. Most of the remainder of the movie takes place in the submarine and chronicles the unfolding of the plot. Some of the submarine scenes from the exterior of the sub are a little Mickey Mouse and just so so in effectiveness. But the acting inside the sub and in the US carries the movie. This is an interesting and very well made film. It has some technical and internal submarine scenes that give some interest, but it is mainly carried by the strong performance of Sean Connery. He plays Captain Marko Ramius a famous Russian sub commander who wants to defect. He is aided by his executive assistant - the character played by Sam Neill of Jurassic Park fame - who gives a very fine performance. He and the Connery character are looking forward to defecting to the USA and are trying to keep it secret from their crew. Baldwin plays a credible US CIA officer that detects the actions of the Russians and tries to help, while James Earl Jones plays a US administrator - Baldwin's superior. Most of the movie revolves around what happens in the control room of the sub with different actions and conversations among Connery and Neil, as they speculate on their next moves to escape fellow Russian subs and proceed to meet the Americans. This outstanding and credible acting carries the plot. Connery is of course a great actor as is Neill. Great movie/DVD. Jack in Toronto
Rating:
Summary: A good movie if i ever saw one
Review: One of my favorite movies of all time, and with for reason. Aside from the role of Sean Connery, who is possibly my favorite actor, the movie is a well scripted and acted adaptation of yet another Tom Clancy thriller. Those who are put off my military thrillers, or action movies, probably will not like this movie. Yet if either of those two genres peek your interests, then I highly suggest that you pick up this movie ASAP.
Rating: 
Summary: SUB-PAR EDITION IS MORE LIKE IT.
Review: RE-RELEASE OF THE MOVIE ON DVD IS ONCE AGAIN MADE BY THE VERY CHEAP WAY PARAMOUNT MOSTLY DOES IT'S DVD PRODUCTION THESE DAYS. THE INTERVIEWS DONE WITH THE PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, AND SCREENWRITER SOUND LIKE THEY WERE MAKING SPEECHS ON BEHALF OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, THE ACTORS SOUND TIRED AND BURNED OUT AND THE ILM INTERVIEWERS SOUND LIKE THEY WERE REHERSHING FOR AN INFOMERICAL. ONCE AGAIN A GOOD MOVIE PUT ON A SECOND RATE DVD.
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS THE BEST FILM OF ALL TIME
Review: Well, maybe not the BEST, but certainly my favourite. I have probably seen The Hunt For Red October 20 times, can call every line and still enjoy it. Nobody can deny that the last 20 minutes are seriously suspenseful. If you haven't seen this movie - you need to. I now own three versions of it and the Collector's DVD is by far the best - the transfer is great and the soundtrack (well done in its own right - I own that too) is far better presented than on the old DVD edition. I cannot stress how much I like this movie - buy it now.
Rating:
Summary: Another one to the Jack Ryan vault
Review: This is one of Tom Clancy's best. I have always enjoyed his movies. The Tom Clancy movies are good movies that can tell a story that is a little hollywood'ed up (I know there is no such word, so what. I am making a point) but still a very good movie. I don't think you will be disappointed. This movie has a plot to it and was well made. Great movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie...but
Review: This is one of our favorite movies and I was very excited about the newly released DVD and the "extras." I was very disappointed, however, with John McTiernan's commentary...it is sparse and VERY apologetic. He constantly comments that he is unsure if that scene works or is the audience will "get" what he tried. I still recommend you purchase this dvd edition...but for the other extras...not the director's commentary.
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Summary: A superb film version of Clancy's excellent novel!
Review: This is one of my very favorite movies of all time. It is, of course, the story of a Soviet submarine captain attempting to defect to the United States with his state-of-the-art "first strike" submarine during the latter days of the Cold War. The bestselling novel upon which the movie is based is the one that made Tom Clancy famous, and the movie hews close to the original story, rarely straying from it. Sean Connery is magnificent as Captain Marko Ramius, the Soviet sub captain. He absolutely becomes the role, and whenever I re-read the novel I see Connery in my mind's eye as Ramius. Alec Baldwin does fine as Jack Ryan, although I don't find him to be nearly as good as Harrison Ford, who plays Ryan in the subsequent "Jack Ryan" movies (e.g. Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger). He's wildly better than Affleck though. While some reviewers have been critical of Baldwin as Jack Ryan, my own opinion is that he succeeded, and probably made a serious career mistake by not ensuring that he played Ryan in the subsequent films. Sam Neil does his customary stellar job as Ramius' second-in-command and co-conspirator. By the way, I thought that the actors who played the other Russian submarine officers all did fine jobs. They seemed Russian, at least to me. The entire supporting cast does very well in this film, and everything comes together very effectively, making this one of the truly great films about the Cold War. The story transports from novel to Silver Screen beautifully, and the DVD is excellent. This is one that belongs in everyone's collection, and it is one that you will watch over and over again.
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Summary: Great Movie!!
Review: This movie is very good, except it doesn't follow the book
as well as it could.
Rating:
Summary: Taunt and Compelling
Review: Adapting any book to the screen is a tall order, but adapting a dense Tom Clancy book, like "The Hunt for Red October," is easily concievable as a challenge. In part, that is why this film adaption is so watchable. It still keeps the meticulous essence of the book while maintaining an up-tempo pace. That part is due to talented action director John Mctiernan (Die Hard, Predator, The Thomas Crown Affair). Already having made a name for himself with the teriffic "Die Hard," Mctiernan brought that same sense of preciseness and pace to this film. But it would be irresponsinble to neglect the films' outstanding cast, which include Alec Baldwin pulling out a great performance as the reluctant hero Jack Ryan, the crusty Sean Connery as the stoic Russian submarine captain, Sam Neil as his loyal first mate, Tim Curry as the Russian ships' doctor and James Earl Jones as the head of the CIA. The film starts as Connery takes a revolutionary Russian nucleur sub Red October in a daring attempt to defect to the Americans. When the Russians get wind of this, they stop it nothing to retrieve the sub before the Americans. A tense chase insues as the Red October is caught between the American Atlantic fleet and half the Russian navy. To try and help the Captain in his quest, CIA specialist Jack Ryan boards the sub to help it reach safety. But in their midst their may be a sabateur with more loyality to his country than his Captain. The exciting story is compounded by the films' up-tempo pace, exceptional cast and tense action. Though my favorite Jack Ryan is Harrison Ford (hey, he's Harrison Ford, one cannot help but get behind him) Alec Baldwin gets that close to passing him as Ryan. In some ways, Baldwin makes better decisions about how to portray the hero than Ford, surprisingly. All this adds up to one of the best action movies I have seen.
Rating:
Summary: The movie from the book that got it all started...
Review: I read this book in high school and thought it was a pretty cool book. An almost accurate representation of modern submarine warfare and a compelling story. The hero of the book is a spy, but he's not the James Bond sort of spy. He's a character that you can look up to because he is an ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation. Anyways....
I was happy to find out that they were making a movie version of this book. I was even happier to find out they did a good job at translating the pages to film. It follows the book fairly closely, except for the ending which in my opinion is a better ending for a movie anyway. The acting was top notch and the effects were even more top notch. My only complaint was Raimius with a Scottish Accent :).
It's a shame that Clancy found out he could write schlock and still make money.
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