Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1297 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-11-03
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English, Russian
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 129 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Before Harrison Ford assumed the mantle of playing Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan hero in Patriot Games, Alec Baldwin took a swing at the character in this John McTiernan film and hit one to the fence. If less instantly sympathetic than Ford, Baldwin is in some respects more interesting and nuanced as Ryan, and drawing comparisons between both actors' performances can make for some interesting post-movie discussion. That aside, The Hunt for Red October stands alone as a uniquely exciting adventure with a fantastic co-star: Sean Connery as a Russian nuclear submarine captain attempting to defect to the West on his ship. Ryan must figure out his true motives for approaching the US. McTiernan (Predator, Die Hard) made an exceptionally handsome movie here with action sequences that really do take one's breath away. --Tom Keogh

Synopsis
It is the pre-Glasnost era, and the captain of a Soviet sub intends to betray his brutal government and defect, but as the deadly "Red October" approaches the eastern seaboard of the United States, only special agent Jack Ryan might be able to head off a nuclear confrontation. Based on Tom Clancy's bestseller. Academy Award Nominations: 2. Academy Awards: Best Sound Effects Editing.

Customer Reviews

Give me a ping Vasily, one ping only.
Widely recognised as having the worst Russian accent ever, Sean Connery stars in this cold war movie as Captain Marko Ramius, commander of a Soviet missile submarine the "Red October". The central premise of the movie is as it says on the label, the hunt for the ballistic missile submarine, a submarine whose commander has gone renegade and threatens to launch his nuclear missiles at America. The US Navy are searching for them as is the Russian Red Banner Fleet, all with orders to sink the submarine.

One man believes that Ramius and his hand picked officers are trying to defect to escape to the west. That man is Jack Ryan, an analyst for the CIA. It is up to Jack to contact Ramius and warn him, but can he make himself understood in time? Will the Red October see the West intact?

One of the all time great Cold War movies with some of the worst accents imaginable - yes worse than Tom Cruise in Far and Away. The story is based on Tom Clancy's masterpiece of the same name. A believable tale executed well and replete with excitement and pragmatic poignancy regarding the cold war.

A definite must for the collection.

Finally, a book adaptation that's worth watching!
The majority of films made from books completely ruin the original concept, but this is a welcome exception. Alec Baldwin is unengaging as Jack Ryan, but Sean Connery's performance is superb, and Sam Neill (a much under-rated actor) has to be mentioned for his brilliant support.
Most times, if I see the film and then read the book, I find the book boring, and if I read the book first then I find the film shallow and inconsistent. But this really works. The writer actually takes the film in a totally different direction, completely changing the ending, so both film and book can be enjoyed separately.
Special mention goes to the inspired scene where the Russian characters stop speaking Russian and start to speak English, without making you wonder why they switched languages suddenly. It's a brilliant piece of directing that reflects the high quality of the whole film.

A fine film (lies!) This film is great!
I know more people know of Harrison Ford playing Jack Ryan in Patriot Games and Clear And Present Danger but people fail to recognise this 1990 film in which Alec Baldwin played the CIA hero.In this,the Americans and the Soviets are chasing a Russian submarine called the Red October.The captain who is called Marko Ramius (played by Sean Connery in a great role) is planning to defect to the West but he is unbelieved by both governments.The CIA believe him and their analyst Jack Ryan (Baldwin) is sent out to find him.A brilliant movie which youn will not be able to forget.