Movie Reviews for The Hunt for Red October (Special Collector's Edition)

The Hunt for Red October (Special Collector's Edition)

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Movie Reviews of The Hunt for Red October (Special Collector's Edition)

Movie Review: Captures the Soviet Cold-War Era Well
Summary: 5 Stars

One of the last great films of the Cold War era made around the time the Berlin Wall fell. The hunt for Red October is classic intrigue and tension of the USSR and USA over dominion of geopolitics. Sean Connery brings back the cool and intense demeanor that made him famous as the original James Bond.

Movie Review: The Cold War heats up
Summary: 5 Stars

"Central Intelligence Agency," Captain Bart Mancuso growls, descending a ladder in his sub, "Now there's a contradiction in terms."

He is about to match wits with a wily Russian sub commander, played stoically and well by Sean Connery, who is trying to surrender his ship to the Americans, "a ship with only one purpose." The Red October is the pride of the Soviet fleet, its newest and biggest - and with the newest toy; a caterpillar drive, equipped to travel through the water nearly silently and almost impossible to detect. Connery's Captain Ramius - I was almost ready to believe that Lithuanians -Ramius is supposed to be Lithuanian - speak Russian with a Scots accent - has had enough Cold War in his life and wants to make sure he can level the playing field as he leaves, or die trying. Enter into the mix Jack Ryan, a young analyst for the CIA and a student of Russian sub commanders, Ramius in particular. I was always sorry Alec Baldwin did not reprise his role in the next Jack Ryan vehicle; I thought he brought a sense of urgency and brilliance to the role that Harrison Ford - don't get me wrong, I think he's good too - lacks- and I always thought Ford was too old for the part anyway. Baldwin had just the right touch, for the first movie. The camaraderie and mutual respect between his character and James Earl Jones' Admiral Greer is obvious; they know each other well, and trust each other's judgment.

Recruited by Greer to convince a boardroom of military advisors on the sudden and mysterious naval activity in the North Sea, which is known to center around the new sub Red October,Ryan succeeds in selling the President's main advisor on what he thinks is going on - he's correctly surmised that Ramius wants to defect. Trusting that Ramius has already figured out the worst parts and has a plan worked out, the advisor Pelt delegates Ryan to go out and intercept the sub before the Russian fleet chasing him gets close enough to eliminate him.

There are excellent supporting roles - Scott Glenn, as Capt. Mancuso, spent time aboard an actual working naval sub to get the authenticity of his part, and he is superb. Until I watched the extras on the DVD I was unaware that Larry Ferguson, who plays Chief Watson on Mancuso's sub, had a lot to do with writing the screenplay; I liked him before that, but knowing that added another dimension. It doesn't get any better than the aforementioned James Earl Jones; and also good, in smaller roles, are Courtney Vance, Sam Neill, and the lesser Russian officers that make up Ramius's elite cadre of expatriots.

In contrast to what's been going on the last few years, the Cold War seems almost genteel in its menace. I could almost look back on it with nostalgia. Almost. This movie reminds us that things are never going to be easy or without cost, no matter what method of persuasion is employed. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. I know parts of it by heart.

Movie Review: ENDURING CLASSIC
Summary: 5 Stars

Even though this movie has some "miles" on it...It never seems to be "dated"..the story is still full of suspense...and even though we have seen it several times..it never grows old. We live in a small fifth wheel..fulltime and this is one of the movies we both voted to take with us for those rainy days! A "must-have" for anyone who loves movies!

Movie Review: One of the best cold war thrillers.
Summary: 5 Stars

What a superb cold-war action flick. It has an all-star cast, all male, and many who became stars later. Sean Connery is Captain Ramius of the new super sub "Red October". His stature is legendary among all Soviet submarine captains, but his is Lithuanian and his wife has died a year earlier while he was at sea. He has no children. The officer crew of the sub was hand picked by him and are almost all men who are personally loyal to him.

Jack Ryan here is played by Alec Baldwin in one of his best roles. He is a brilliant CIA analyst rather than a field officer and knows submarines. Because of what develops, he is brought in by CIA Chief Admiral Greer (the immortal and national treasure James Earl Jones) to advise the National Security Advisor Pelt (the wonderful and too soon lost Richard Jordan). There is a great deal of confusion between what the Americans, the Soviets, and the various crews of various ships know. We, the audience, know the actual situation, but we are concerned about who will learn what before or after it is too late.

What I like most about this movie is that while there are some heroics, they aren't the superman kind of stunts that show up in too many action flicks. People try to do what they have to do and it doesn't always work out without a cost or even all that well. In the end, well, you already know or should watch the movie to find out.

I do want to single out the terrific Courtney Vance as the sonar genius Jones, Scott Glenn as Commander Mancuso of the US sub Dallas and Sam Neill as the Soviet Captain Borodin - 2nd to Ramius. Fine performances from each. Even though the ships are big, shooting a movie in such confined quarters risks tedium and claustrophobia (which can work for a film if handled well). This film focuses in on faces and shows us people talking in small groups so we can see the emotion on their faces as they struggle to understand what is going on and what should happen next.

Enjoy!