The Hunt for Red October

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic adaption of Clancy's novel
Review: A first-rate thriller that provides the goods again and again. Excellent cast, good direction (the almost always reliable McTiernan--see "Last Action Hero" for the only real blemish on his record), plenty of suspense and thrills. There are a few differences between the novel and the film, but only purists will quibble about that. And yes, Scotsman Connery plays a Lithuanian, but he does it well, and as always, brings a touch of class to the role. I despise Alec Baldwin, but he's perfect as Ryan--the right age and look combined with the proper mix of guile, humility, and cockiness. The film also boasts an excellent supporting cast, with kudos to Sam Neill, Richard Jordan, and Courtney Vance for their performances. Scott Glenn and James Earl Jones are also solid in their roles. The occasional "technobabble" and military talk may confuse those unfamiliar with such terms, but it doesn't detract from the plot or action--in other words, you can still understand and follow the film even if you don't understand the terminology. The DVD features no extras of note, unfortunately, but the transfer quality--while a bit off-color at times--is still far better than VHS, and those of you with home theaters BEWARE--the sound quality (5.1 Surround) is frighteningly good at times (is that torpedo in your living room, or on the screen?!?). A so-so disc, but an incredible, intelligent thriller that's worth buying in any format.

Rating:
Summary: Best Clancy adaptation
Review: Of the 4 Clancy books that have gone to film, this one follows the book the closest. Alec Baldwin is the best Jack Ryan of the three actors that have played him, despite Harrison Ford's outstanding portrayal in later films. My favourite submarine film, edging out U-571 and Crimson Tide, a must-own flick.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific performances, great drama and suspense
Review: Some extraordinary camera work on some of the scenes at sea make this picture seem less dated than some other films about the Cold War. Of special note are several performances by Scott Glenn as the Captain of the USS Dallas and Courtney B. Vance in breakthrough role as Seaman Jones (why "Law and Order SVU" is not using this man's talent more is a mystery to me!).

I agree that Alec Baldwin probably gave the best performance of his career as Jack Ryan. I've found this portrayal much more nuanced and interesting than the Ben Affleck version and, yes, even at times better than Harrison Ford (shock!). And of course, there's Sean Connery....no more need be said.

If I have ANY fault with the film, it's the ending. In the era of spy sattelites in the sky, does anyone REALLY think the Russians don't see this ENORMOUS submarine in this river in Maine?????? Oh well, small point.



Rating:
Summary: McTiernan's Insecurity
Review: Personally, I find this movie to be very entertaining, thought provoking and enjoyable. For any additional insight on the actual film itself, the other reviewers will be sufficiently informative. I however, would like to focus on the "Director's Commentary" feature on this "Special Edition DVD".

What a lot of people do not mention about this particular "Special Edition DVD" is that the commentary from the director is incredibly disconcerting. Apparently, in an effort to renew interest & sales for this movie, the director, John McTiernan, was asked to view the film for the first time in thirteen years and comment on it while they recorded his statements.

Remarkably, (or maybe not so remarkably after thirteen years) McTiernan had trouble remembering specific details from the production, and repeatedly second guesses himself as a director. On the few occasions when he is able to recall some detail of interest, he deflates the enthusiasm by saying things like, he's "unsure of whether that translated to the audience". When sighting creative elements that were employed for the movie he would repeatedly say things like "I'm not sure whether we achieved that".

Unfortunately, he speaks as though he never had any confidence during the making of this film and that no one has ever given him any feedback on it, which would seem rather hard to believe since it is an incredibly intelligent and cohesive piece of work.

I all ready owned the "movie only" DVD and really thought this would be a nice treat. However, I literally found myself scoffing at the commentary of McTiernan and had he been in the room at the time, I fear that I may have slapped him upside his head for being so pessimistic and forgetful.

Perhaps had he been a bit more prepared to provide the commentary, like reading former reviews or having a preliminary screening, his statements would not be so dispiriting. Although it is true that John is able to provide some previously unknown details to viewers, quite honestly, the consumer is not getting too much more with this "Special Edition DVD" as opposed to the movie only version.


Rating:
Summary: Great movie...
Review: I thought this was a really great movie. There were some really great actors in this movie & the acting was great. You felt like you were right there on the submarines with them. The ending to this movie was awesome & very realistic. It was easy enough to follow but it's one that you will want to watch again after you know the ending so you can put some of the pieces together. Highly recommend this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Best Translation of a Clancy Novel to Film
Review: I have to admit that Tom Clancy's work translates better to the screen than it does on the printed page. I tried to read "The Hunt for Red October" but couldn't finish it because Clancy seemed more enamored with the hardware of the nuclear subs than with actual characterization. John McTiernan, though, has cut away the grist of Clancy's novel and gets down to plot and character motivation. This film is thrilling from start to finish whether it is inside the Soviet submarine, the corridors of the Kremlin, or in the bowels of the CIA. Sean Connery has one of the roles of his storied career as Captain Ramius, the commander of the "Red October" whose motivations we cannot be certain of. Alec Baldwin gives the best portrayal of Jack Ryan of any actor who has assayed the role, Ryan being the CIA officer who is certain of Ramius' desire to defect. Good support is offered here by Sam Neill, James Earl Jones, Scott Glenn, and Tim Curry. The Cold War may be over but this film still packs a punch.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie and documentary on classic sub film
Review: Director John McTiernan has had a checkered past as a movie maker. He has made some of the best movies to come out of Hollywood in recent years (`Die Hard' and `The Thomas Crown Affair') and yet he is also the one responsible for some of the worst big budget productions (`The 13th Warrior,' `Nomads' and `The Last Action Hero'). Thankfully for fans of the Tom Clancy novel on which `The Hunt for Red October' is based, this movie falls into the first category. And equally lucky for fans of the novel and film is the fact that Paramount Pictures has seen fit to replace the previous movie-only bare bones DVD release with a special collectors edition.
Sometime in the early 1980s I was looking through novels in the local bookstore searching for that one elusive book that would make a great birthday present for my mother. I came across a work by an author I had never heard of, and a novel that sounded as if it had an interesting `Firefox-like' plot. The author was Tom Clancy and the novel was `The Hunt for Red October.'
Fast forward several years and in 1990 Paramount Pictures released the Sean Connery/Alec Baldwin starring adaptation of the novel. The movie was a triumphant success, even given its longer than usual running time and its lack of real action (most of the actual action occurs in the final moments of the film). What held the movie together, and kept the viewers rapt attention, was the simply incredible acting and presence of Sean Connery as Soviet sub captain Marko Ramius and the building suspense and tension that pervades the well structured plot.
The plot centers on the plan by Ramius to, with the help of some fellow crewmembers, to defect to the United States, taking with him the newest sub in the Russian fleet - the Red October (named after the October revolution. The Red October is capable of running silent with a new propulsion system that makes it almost invisible to sonar. The Russians launch a mission to destroy the submarine and even tell the Americans that Ramius is a rogue in an attempt to elicit their help in sinking the ship.
The one American who doesn't believe the Russian story is CIA analyst Jack Ryan (played in this movie by Alec Baldwin). Having met Ramius previously and studied him he suspects the true intention of the Soviet captain. He must convince his bosses and eventually an American sub captain (played wonderfully by Scott Glenn) to trust him and give Ramius a chance.
Taut and at times nerve wrenching (the blind timed navigating through the underwater trenches), the `Hunt for Red October' is simply one of the best techno-thrillers to come out of Hollywood in the past two decades. Sticking fairly close to the Clancy novel, McTiernan keeps building the pressure and ratcheting up of the stakes until an explosive final confrontation off the Labrador coast.
For the collectors edition Paramount has provided us with not only a commentary by McTiernan but also a nice "making of.." documentary. I have always been disappointed with McTiernan commentaries (`The Thomas Crown Affair' is a case in point) and again here with `The Hunt for Red October' there is a lot of dead air with not much being said. Where this DVD does score top marks is in the documentary. We are provided with some fairly in-depth insight into what went into the making of the picture.
Featuring all the leading actors in the movie and the production team responsible the documentary covers every angle and even reveals how close they came to not signing Connery when the Scottish actor was faxed the entire script sans the opening scroll.
A great movie and this well-made documentary make this DVD a must buy - Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Really, I didn't like this.
Review: I was always certain that this movie was an action film, but really there is hardly any action in it. Despite an excellent cast, including some small roles for quite well-known actors, this film just didn't seem to work. I haven't watched it enough timesa to remember what it's about, because it's just too boring. Maybe, there are one or two small tense moments in the film, but not many. I thought the jump from the helicopter to the sumbmarine scene waas good and the last ten minutes were quite good, but I feel the action gets rushed.

But, if you like submarine movies you will like this. And, if you like Connery you will like this, but the film just doesn't work for me.

Rating:
Summary: The best of the Jack Ryan film series.
Review: Based on Tom Clancy's 1984 novel of the same title, "The Hunt for Red October" is the first Jack Ryan adventure on film. Although I like Harrison Ford better in the role of Jack Ryan than either Alec Baldwin or Ben Affleck, "Red October" is the best of the Ryan films partly because of the script, but largely because of the ensemble cast including Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, Tim Curry, James Earl Jones and, of course, Sean Connery as Captain Marko Ramius, the Lithuanian-born commanding officer on the Soviet nuclear submarine Red October who seeks to defect to the United States. Tension builds as Ramius and the Red October move closer to U.S. waters with the Soviet Navy in pursuit and U.S. forces unsure of Ramius' true intentions. "The Hunt for Red October" is a taut thriller, an excellent movie based on a modern masterpiece of a novel, and I fully recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Best of the Series
Review: Though I have to admit that I prefered Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, I'll have to give THFRO the nod for the best in the series. The show's brilliant. Brilliant script that is well executed by wonderful acting. Sean Connery's the man. Can't imagine anyone else playing Ramius. Baldwin did a wonderful job playing Ryan. His best role till date. Would have been greeat to have seen him develop the character in the sequels. And furthermore, James Earl Jones aka the voice of Darth Vader makes his presence in all 3 movies felt though his air time's brief. His presence was greatly missed in The Sum of All Fears.

If the studios are planning another Jack Ryan movie..... please get rid of Affleckand bring back Baldwin.