Others say...

"Great Movie..........."
One of my favorite movies, Sean Connery is excellent as the russian commander and Alec Baldwin does Jack Ryan better than Harrison Ford(Patriot Games). loads of stars in this flick, great story and all the action sequences are filmed to a tee. Highly Recommended for action movie enthuisiats....

"A classic cold war film!"
The Hunt For Red October is an excellent cold war film supported with great acting by Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin! This film was an excellent adaptation of the Tom Clancy novel about a group of Russian officers trying to defect to the United States in the newest Soviet Submarine. This is not the standard Bond film and should not be expected as one. It is a little more realistic spy film that you could believe actually happened. Both Sean and Alec put in excellent performances as the defecting Russian captain and the CIA analyst who is the only one who believes the Russian's intentions are non-hostile. This is an excellent movie of the games submarines play of cat and mouse.

"Great movie"
This is one of the movies that I already owned in DVD. When it became available in Blu-Ray, I bought it hoping that the superior capability of Blu-Ray would make the purchase worth it. Well, it was. The depth of color was much better, almost 3-D in some scenes. Well worth the purchase.

"Clancy simplified"
I watched this movie after reading the book, which was probably a mistake in that it set my expectations fairly high. Too high. The film deviates drastically from its source, and while that isn't by definition a bad thing, the changes and omissions didn't really help the film adaptation so much as make it seem overly simple. Gone is the deliberate planning by the various characters from the book, replaced by spontaneous and at times painful realization, usually spoken aloud in soliloquy. The cast goes a long way to rescue the material, though they can't pull the boat alone, so to speak. Connery and Neill do admirable jobs as Soviet sub officers, but I question casting Baldwin in the role of Jack Ryan. A good modern military film as those go, but doesn't live up to its source.

"The hunt is over; this is what you're looking for..."
This type of espionage thriller hardly ever satisfies and or interests me much. I think that's why I feel compelled to campaign this film; because it did just that. Not only was `The Hunt for Red October' interesting but it managed to make me rethink the entire genre. The acting was spot on, the direction was sharp and effective, the scripting was precise and engrossing and the overall presentation was exactly what was needed to help create a satisfying and utterly impressive cinematic experience.

The film follows Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst who is trying desperately to prevent the government from acting rashly when Soviet Captain Marko Ramias starts showing up near the U.S. coast. Is Ramias planning to attack, or is he simply trying to defect? Ryan is convinced that Ramias wants to defect, but can the government afford to take that chance? When the government hears that the Russian's are trying to find the `Red October' (the submarine under Ramius's command) themselves they begin to panic, for it seems that no one truly knows what Ramius's intentions truly are. The Russian's have their own accusations, but Jack Ryan is insistent that they try and contact Ramius civilly.

The only other film that I have seen that is reminiscent of this film is `U-571' and admittedly, it was not one I was thrilled about. I need to revisit it now that my interest in the genre has been restored, but I just remember being initially bored with the film. That is not so with `The Hunt for Red October'. Despite it's running time and relative stagnancy (the film is slow moving yet incredibly dramatic in its structure) I was never bored and always highly intrigued.

The acting works wonders to keep our interest. The two leads are phenomenal. Alec Baldwin has never been one of my favorite actors, but his dynamic portrayal of Jack Ryan is flawless and entertaining. The real star here though is Sean Connery, an actor who never fails to intrigue me. He delivers a convincing and powerful performance as Marko Ramius, his strength and also his weakness is brought to the fore with each passing frame. He magnificently creates a very subtle yet effective portrayal of a man who is trying desperately to attain a happiness he has lost. The supporting cast is also wonderful, everyone from Scott Glenn to James Earl Jones to the flawless Sam Neill aiding the film in its delivery.

If you are a fan of the genre then no doubt you have seen and adored this film. If you are not a fan and have stayed clear for fear you may be bored senseless I urge you to reconsider. `The Hunt for Red October' is a marvelous film that will surely please any lover of film, no matter what your thoughts are on the genre in question. The final frames of this film are so engrossing one cannot tear his/her gaze from the screen, and those feelings of investment are not limited to the finale. No, `The Hunt for Red October' in its entirety is a gem of a film that will not soon be forgotten.