Moscow, Washington D.C. and a CIA Analyst track a rouge Soviet Captain and his new submarine.Moscow, Washington D.C. and a CIA Analyst track a rouge Soviet Captain and his new submarine.Moscow, Washington D.C. and a CIA Analyst track a rouge Soviet Captain and his new submarine.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 9 nominations total
Fred Thompson
- Admiral Painter
- (as Fred Dalton Thompson)
Featured reviews
This movie is so Underrated!!! I don't know why this movie got mixed reviews back then but it's a pretty Good film. John Mctiernan direction is Awesome as always. Sean Connery, Sam Neil And Alec Baldwin are Excellent in their Roles. This Movie takes itself seriously and doesn't bore you with Heavy Exposition or Dumb Action Sequences. It knows what its genre is. My only Issue with this movie is its abrupt ending. It could have been better. 9/10 for me!
Don't get me wrong, this is actually a very good movie. And this is coming from a 16 year old schoolgirl! It is fast paced, not too long, and while the story is a bit confusing sometimes, it is one of the few movies that maintains our attention all the way through. Director John McTiernon ensures that the tension rarely slips, and is fairly faithful to the novel, which needs a great deal of understanding especially in the descriptions of the submarines. Though some of the characters especially Dr Petrov have a more significant role in the book. Speaking of the character, many said that 43-year old Tim Curry of Clue fame, looked young and that it was insane casting. He was only in 15 minutes of the movie, but he is so important, and I was impressed by the depth of Curry's performance, it's different to any other role he's played, and how the character turned out in general. As well as the submarine and the odd visuals, the music was phenomenal as well as the look of the film and the sound, with a conveniently Russian feel to it. It was also very musical with what was going on. The acting is what holds the film together, with a charismatic performance from Sean Connery,(in one of his best post-Bond roles) and a career best from Alec Baldwin. Sam Neill also gives a moving performance, as well as the ever-excellent James Earl Jones, who is in my sister's favourite film the Lion King. I recommend this movie highly, if you're a fan of Tom Clancy. I'm not, but I enjoyed it, because I like films that are tense and I like a lot of the actors in the film. 8.5/10. Bethany Cox
This movie never fails to entertain me. Smartly directed, well written, and acted it always brings a fresh newness no matter how many times I've seen it. It could have been the beginning of a franchise for Alec Baldwin. He is very much centered and controlled. Sean Connery is also standout.
Could recommend this to anyone without hesitation. On DVD it's a visual feast. Just a great looking movie. Wish that all the other Clancy books had been adapted so well.
Could recommend this to anyone without hesitation. On DVD it's a visual feast. Just a great looking movie. Wish that all the other Clancy books had been adapted so well.
The best techno-thriller ever made, and the best of the Tom Clancy adapted-novel movies, 'The Hunt For Red October' is nearly perfect.
Director John McTiernan successfully translates Tom Clancy's first book to the screen, taking his 'Die Hard' expertise to an even higher level of film art, and we get the privilege of climbing aboard a ride that begs to be ridden over and over again. McTiernan is (arguably) the all-time best action-thriller director, and this is his overall finest film.
Red October is full of memorable scenes and lines, from the opening scenes to the closing credits.
The cast is headlined by Sean Connery in one of his best and most memorable film roles.
Alec Baldwin sails on Connery's wake, and similarly puts forth one of his best roles in film - no small feat is following in Harrison Fords footsteps as the original big screen Jack Ryan. Baldwin pulls it off, creating his own younger version of Jack Ryan that fits this story well.
James Earl Jones is back in the role he seems born to play of Retired Vice Admiral / CIA Deputy Director James Greer - Hard to imagine anyone else in the part.
Scott Glenn, Sam Neil, Courtney Vance, Richard Jordan and Fred Thompson all superb in critical supporting roles. If the entire ensemble cast didn't work synergestically in the close quarters setting inherent in submarines (most of the scenes were actually filmed aboard a sub), the movie would have sunk... It sailed perfectly, and bravo to all👏!
Editing at large builds tension and keeps one on the edge-of-their-seat - both required elements in good thrillers. The superb sound editing sets a high bar for action-thrillers, and deserved its Oscar.
Red October is right up there at the pinnacle of action-thrillers (along with McTiernan's Die Hard) - a true hall-of-fame action-thriller - this film adds the "thinking-man" element missing in Die Hard, resulting in more adult-palatable entertainment, and moves Red October to the top of the action-thriller genre list.
Surely most reading this review have seen 'The Hunt For Red October' already, and can attest to its high entertainment-value...I envy those who are about to see it for the first time - climb aboard and enjoy the ride!
Director John McTiernan successfully translates Tom Clancy's first book to the screen, taking his 'Die Hard' expertise to an even higher level of film art, and we get the privilege of climbing aboard a ride that begs to be ridden over and over again. McTiernan is (arguably) the all-time best action-thriller director, and this is his overall finest film.
Red October is full of memorable scenes and lines, from the opening scenes to the closing credits.
The cast is headlined by Sean Connery in one of his best and most memorable film roles.
Alec Baldwin sails on Connery's wake, and similarly puts forth one of his best roles in film - no small feat is following in Harrison Fords footsteps as the original big screen Jack Ryan. Baldwin pulls it off, creating his own younger version of Jack Ryan that fits this story well.
James Earl Jones is back in the role he seems born to play of Retired Vice Admiral / CIA Deputy Director James Greer - Hard to imagine anyone else in the part.
Scott Glenn, Sam Neil, Courtney Vance, Richard Jordan and Fred Thompson all superb in critical supporting roles. If the entire ensemble cast didn't work synergestically in the close quarters setting inherent in submarines (most of the scenes were actually filmed aboard a sub), the movie would have sunk... It sailed perfectly, and bravo to all👏!
Editing at large builds tension and keeps one on the edge-of-their-seat - both required elements in good thrillers. The superb sound editing sets a high bar for action-thrillers, and deserved its Oscar.
Red October is right up there at the pinnacle of action-thrillers (along with McTiernan's Die Hard) - a true hall-of-fame action-thriller - this film adds the "thinking-man" element missing in Die Hard, resulting in more adult-palatable entertainment, and moves Red October to the top of the action-thriller genre list.
Surely most reading this review have seen 'The Hunt For Red October' already, and can attest to its high entertainment-value...I envy those who are about to see it for the first time - climb aboard and enjoy the ride!
This film is written as great as a great book. Many of the dialogues have deeper meanings.
There's a lot of political stuff in this film, which is very well presented.
The music score is fantastic.
The editing is top notch.
The cast is perfect - Sean Connery, Sam Neill, Alec Baldwin, Tim Curry and many more fantastic actors.
The thriller aspect of this film is superb, it's a very gripping and supense movie.
I loved this experience of a film.
I loved this experience of a film.
Did you know
- TriviaSir Sean Connery spent time underwater aboard the U.S.S. Puffer (S.S.N. 652) preparing for his role. He was given Commander status, and allowed to give commands while underwater (with the Captain beside him).
- GoofsAfter the Red October is called a rogue sub, the question is asked when it will be able to fire its missiles on the U.S. (we're told in three days when it's off the coast of the U.S.). Given that Typhoon class SSBNs carry the R-39 Rif-M intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of over 8000 kilometers, the answer given is off by a factor of 10 (Typhoons could launch from dock in the former USSR).
- Quotes
Jeffrey Pelt: Listen, I'm a politician, which means I'm a cheat and a liar, and when I'm not kissing babies, I'm stealing their lollipops. But it also means I keep my options open.
- Crazy creditsStanley (Sally Ryan's stuffed bear) is credited as "Himself"
- Alternate versionsSPOILER: In its original theatrical run, Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) says "A fucking cook!" upon discovering the saboteur. However, on subsequent home video releases, the word "fucking" is replaced by "Goddamn." "Goddamn" is heard in at least some 35mm prints.
- ConnectionsEdited into JAG: Silent Service (1999)
- SoundtracksThe Anthem of the Soviet Union
Music by Aleksandr Aleksandrov (as A.V. Aleksandrov)
Lyrics by Gabriel Ureklyan (as G.A. El-Reghistan) and Sergey Mikhalkov (as S.V. Mikhalkov)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- La caza al Octubre rojo
- Filming locations
- Lake James, Burke County, North Carolina, USA(Final scene with Ryan and Ramius.)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $30,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $122,012,643
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $17,161,835
- Mar 4, 1990
- Gross worldwide
- $200,512,643
- Runtime
- 2h 15m(135 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
- 2.35 : 1
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