Today’s quick review: The Hunt for Red October. Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery), a respected Soviet submarine commander, causes a global panic when he steals the Red October, an experimental Soviet submarine that’s all but invisible to sonar. Only Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin), a naval analyst for the CIA, guesses his true purpose: to defect to the United States. Ryan must prove his hunch and secure Ramius before the Soviet fleet can catch the Red October.
The Hunt for Red October is a naval thriller based on the novel by Tom Clancy. The Hunt for Red October is a solidly crafted movie that depicts a Cold War-era cat-and-mouse game between a crafty Soviet commander and the combined navies of the USA and USSR. Jack Ryan must use the scant information at his disposal to guess Ramius’ true intentions and figure out a way for Ramius to defect cleanly, all while Ramius wages his own war aboard the Red October.
The Hunt for Red October has a taut plot and a keen eye for technical detail. The film does an excellent job of maintaining tension. The uncertain nature of submarine warfare lends itself to close calls and blind decisions, while the mystery of just what Ramius has planned strings the viewer along right to the very end. Sean Connery delivers an impressive performance as Marko Ramius, but the plot weaves in an extended supporting cast with ease.
Give The Hunt for Red October a shot if you are any sort of fan of the thriller genre. Its race against time is a shade less immediate and a shade less direct than the typical action thriller, but what it lacks in gunplay and spectacle, it makes up for with smart, tense plot. Skip it if you are in the mood for a simpler watch. For a war thriller with a similar sense of tension but a bleaker story, try Enemy at the Gates.
7.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for a great plot and strong execution.