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THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER
(The Movie)
Reviewed by Robert Thompson 3/8/90
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To begin, I have never read any of Tom Clancy's books. I have this wierd habit of avoiding instant best sellers, unless I am a fan of the author's earlier work. I can't explain it, but that is the way I am.
As I understand it, the movie is fairly true to the book, except for the ending, which was softened due to post- Glasnost bonhomie.
I think that I enjoyed the movie more than I would have if I had read the book first. I had seen enough of the publicity and reviews in the popular press and TV to have a basic understanding of what takes place, but they were all (fortunately) vague enough to not completely give away the climax. My wife knew nothing at all about the movie other than that Sean Connery was in it. We both really enjoyed it, and I am going to start reading Tom Clancy.
I won't go into the details of the plot, as most of you probably know it well, and I don't want to spoil it for those who don't. Basicly, there is a huge, new, ultra-sophisticated Soviet submarine headed for the U.S. It is commanded by a rogue Soviet naval officer (Connery). His motives are uncertain, but both the U.S. and the Russian navies have pulled out all of the stops to find and destroy it. There is one man, (played by Alex Baldwin) a CIA analyst who believes that the Captain wants to defect, and is bringing the submarine with him.
A nuclear war is a very real possibility here. The action is fast, the story is gripping and the visual effects are excellent. The only real complaint that I had (other than burnt popcorn and watery Coke) was that too many people were too lucky too often. In real life, the whole plot would have sunk faster than a submarine with screen doors.
The acting is excellent. Definitely one of Connery's best performances, Alex Baldwin with this performance graduated to Leading Man status (Too bad in real life he has turned into a socialistic, Anti-American twit) and the supporting cast is also excellent. A superb movie, and the less you know about the plot, the better. Don't read anything else about it, just go and enjoy.