Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Scott LeBrun The first Tom Clancy novel to reach the screen was this tightly constructed, marvellously suspenseful exercise in pure nail-biting tension. At this point, its director, John McTiernan, was having a career high, moving from one kick ass movie to another (his previous efforts, of course, being "Predator" and "Die Hard"). McTiernan clearly had a great knowledge of how to keep movie watchers on the edges of their seats. It helps keep the material fascinating and exciting even with a seemingly bloated run time of two and a quarter hours. And thanks to the performances of a top cast that play their roles with conviction, "The Hunt for Red October" always maintains its grip on you. The story does have the potential to be confusing, but McTiernan and company keep it right on track throughout.A veteran Soviet sub commander, Marko Ramius (ever-commanding Sean Connery), is taking a cutting edge, gigantic machine on its maiden voyage. The Red October has an innovative propulsion system that can make it impervious to sonar, so this could be big, big trouble. The problem is, does this renegade officer actually have intentions to start a war with the U.S.? C.I.A. analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin, the first actor to play the role on screen) seems to think otherwise. He's actually met Ramius, and claims that he came to understand him very well. He believes that it's very likely that Ramius and his fellow officers actually plan to defect.Many familiar faces play roles big and small - among them, Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, James Earl Jones, Joss Ackland, Jeffrey Jones, Fred Dalton Thompson, Courtney B. Vance, Richard Jordan, Peter Firth, Tim Curry, Stellan Skarsgard, Timothy Carhart, Ronald Guttman, and Tomas Arana (with 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' actress Gates McFadden in a cameo as Ryans' wife). They all lend a great deal of gravitas to the proceedings.But a great part of the effectiveness lies in various technical achievements (aside from some dodgy effects work) and the ability of McTiernan to keep people on their toes. The action is first rate, and the crew impressively handles the challenges of working in confined locations on these submarines. Expert cinematographer and production designer Jan de Bont and Terence Marsh help to make the picture look impressive at all times. And Basil Poledouris' score adds to the tension without ever becoming TOO intrusive.This represents a real high water mark for submarine pictures, not that there weren't already some very good ones in the past (ex. "Run Silent, Run Deep", "The Enemy Below"), and so far has been followed by these Jack Ryan thrillers: "Patriot Games", "Clear and Present Danger" (both with Harrison Ford as Ryan), "The Sum of All Fears" (with Ben Affleck), "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" (with Chris Pine), and an upcoming television series (with John Krasinski).Nine out of 10.

GLICKSTER7 I just rewatched this 20 Years from the last time I saw it. Despite some other reviews to the contrary this stands up remarkably well.Some amazing lines and a fairly complex plot, definitely recommend.

Fluke_Skywalker Plot; A Soviet Captain attempts to defect w/his state of the art submarine while his American counterpart and a CIA analyst try to discover his intent before it escalates into a military confrontation. Based on the Tom Clancy novel, it's the first big screen adventure of the Jack Ryan character most famously played by Harrison Ford, but played here by Alec Baldwin. Directed by John McTiernan (Predator, Die Hard), it's a technically well crafted film that steadily builds in intensity w/a solid payoff in the white knuckle third act. As I said, Harrison Ford is the most famous of the Jack Ryan's, but I'd rate Baldwin as the best. He doesn't get much to play w/here from an acting standpoint, but what he gets he takes and makes better, showing a glimpse of what's kept him steadily employed (If not exactly always on the A-list) in a fickle town for over 30 years. Sean Connery plays the Soviet sub commander, and though he's similarly not given much to work w/from a character perspective, he certainly does it w/that magnificent Connery machismo. The supporting cast is truly exceptional, w/James Earl Jones, Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, Tim Curry(?!), Joss Ackland, Courtney B. Vance, Stellan Skarsgard, Richard Jordan and Fred Thompson in what must be the biggest sausage party in cinema history. Will likely have anyone from the ADD generation checking their Instagram feeds before the 15 minute mark, but for everyone else it's a solidly built cinematic ship.

Uriah43 "Marko Ramius" (Sean Connery) is the captain of a brand new type of Soviet Typhoon submarine named "Red October" which has a unique propulsion system that renders it totally undetectable to American sonar. However, no sooner does the submarine leave port then Captain Ramius kills the political officer and takes his secondary key that arms nuclear missiles and then sets a course directly to the coast of the United States. But prior to all of this he sent a letter to his senior officer in Moscow announcing his intention to defect. This results in the entire Soviet Navy sending every warship they have in the Atlantic Ocean to hunt down the Red October and sink it. Unfortunately, all the American Navy knows is that the Soviets are sending their Atlantic Fleet straight for the United States--and this has made everyone in the Pentagon very nervous. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a pretty good submarine movie made even better by the fine performances of Alec Baldwin (as a CIA agent named "Jack Ryan"), Scott Glenn (who played Captain Ramius' American counterpart "Captain Bart Mancuso") and the aforementioned Sean Connery. That said, I highly recommend this movie to those who enjoy submarine films and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.