Movies
One Ping Only | “The Hunt For Red October”
“In November 1984, the Soviet Union’s best submarine captain violates orders and heads for the U.S. in a new undetectable sub. The American CIA and military must quickly determine: Is […]
“In November 1984, the Soviet Union’s best submarine captain violates orders and heads for the U.S. in a new undetectable sub. The American CIA and military must quickly determine: Is he trying to defect or to start a war?”
Director: John McTiernan
Writers: Tom Clancy, Larry Ferguson, Donald E. Stewart, David Shaber
Starring: Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, James Earl Jones
Release Date: March 2, 1990
IMDB
The Hunt For Red October (1990) caps off one of the greatest three film runs in cinematic history. Director John McTiernan made Predator (1987), followed it up with Die Hard (1988), and then went underwater with The Hunt For Red October. Three outstanding movies. Three immensely rewatchable movies. What a run for Mr. McTiernan.
Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) is the captain of the Soviet Union’s newest nuclear submarine, the “Red October”. Unknown to anyone besides a select few onboard the submarine, Ramius has devised a plan for defection. He kills a political envoy, burns the orders he had no intention of following, and instead tells his crew that they are going to position themselves off the coast of New York City to run missile drills.
Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) is a young C.I.A analyst who discovers that the new “Red October” submarine of the Soviet Union is equipped with new technology that makes it nearly impossible to detect. Such an advancement has the U.S. military in a frenzy, but the Red, White & Blue aren’t the only ones concerned with Ramius and his military vessel. It’s discovered that Ramius sent a letter to a high ranking Soviet official, and upon that letter’s delivery, the entire USSR navy was sent to chase after its most leading Naval mind.
The desk-jockey riding Ryan is sent on assignment to Bart Mancuso’s (Scott Glenn) submarine. Everyone seems to think that Ramius is going rogue, but Ryan has his own theory that the Soviet is looking to defect. Time becomes of the essence because Ryan has limited time to prove his theory, and Ramius is noticing that someone onboard the “Red October” is aware of his alternative motives. The Hunt For Red October is a tense thriller filled with a phenomenal cast, propelled by an unrelenting pace, and anchored by fantastic direction.
The Hunt For Red October comes up more frequently in my life than I ever would have suspected because it is one of my fiancé’s family’s guilty pleasure movies. Turns out that Chassangoux’s would rewatch this Tom Clancy caper as often as a classic Disney VHS. As soon as I said I was watching it, I was inundated with “One Ping Only” impersonations. And as I am typing this review now, Emma is currently watching it while riding the bike.
If you need proof that John McTiernan was operating at the top of his game, just take a look at the cast for this movie. Alec Baldwin plays a great Jack Ryan. Sean Connery pulls off a soviet naval commander. Sam Niel is his right-arm man out of nowhere. Tim Curry, Stellan Skarsgård, James Earl Jones, and Scott Glen! What a loaded cast. Not all of these recognizable names took monster parts, but they all wanted to be part of the movie.
When The Hunt For Red October was first being thought out, the part of Jack Ryan was meant for Harrison Ford. Riding high on Han Solo and Indiana Jones, Ford turned down the opportunity. Serendipity struck when Patriot Games (1992) came around and Ford stepped into Ryan’s shoes. Unfounded Internet research says that Baldwin wanted more money for the sequel, so much money in fact that it was more prudent to approach Ford about the role he regretted passing on.
While this performance got Baldwin respected in Hollywood, the true appreciation comes between Marko Ramius and Bart Mancuso. The leader of the Soviet sub and the leader of the American sub don’t meet until the final moments of the film, but when they finally meet eye-to-eye, there is an immense admiration between the two. Sean Connery and Scott Glenn share a moment of eye contact that hits far deeper than it should. Ramius passes control of the bridge on Mancuso, and damn if it didn’t feel so good.
Here’s a question that I am not qualified enough to answer. Where does The Hunt For Red October rank among the best submarine movies? Gut reaction is to include movies that I have not seen, or don’t remember seeing, like U-571 (2000), Crimson Tide (1995), and Das Boot (1981). Those are three that movie fans know about, even if they haven’t seen them. Perhaps another project of mine for the future is going through all the best submersible movies and noting which ones stand the test of time? I can get that after my James Bond rewatch, Mission Impossible rewatch, and John Wick fight re-rankings.
Have to keep myself busy, right?
The Hunt For Red October won one Academy Award for Best Sound Effects Editing. It was also nominated for Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
As of mid-April 2024, The Hunt For Red October is streaming on MAX.
STANKO RATING: A
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