The Hunt for Red October – Blu-ray movie review

'Red October' did for modern submarine warfare what 'Das Boot' did for WWII. It took a concept that is inconceivable to most people (living in a boat underwater with people trying to blow you up) and brought it up close and personal. The resulting suspense and excitement for this type of film is always extremely entertaining and this film delivers nicely.

The first of the ‘Jack Ryan' films is almost the best. Not only do we do without Ford's rather dull and workmanlike performances, but also has a good story and sense of time. The story is solid – it isn't flashy, but it delivers well. The only time it seems weak is when it goes away from the action to try and give a character background, eg Ryan with his family etc, then it is cheesy and forced. However when it is with the action it manages to be tense without being really exciting. The story never plods but at times it does move slow, however this is well played as tension and makes it more enjoyable.

The cast consists out of some big names. Connery is great as Russian submarine captain who talks Russian with a Scotish accent. Alec Baldwin is a wonderful Jack Ryan. Other actors that stood out to me were; Sam Neill, Tim Curry, Stellan Skarsgård, Jeffrey Jones and Scott Glenn. Only too bad about the Beaumont character, that was just annoying and unnecessary.

But best of all, the story is a cracker, the suspense held until the end and the underwater sub chase sequences masterfully done. The casting is generally superb (the casting of James Earl Jones as Greer is one of the all time actor/character match works of genius) and the film is pretty faithful to one of the best books of its genre.

While the technical and naval jargon and outdated technology may put off some viewers, it is easily one of the best movies of the past fifty years. Utilizing the talents of several big-name stars, Red October will continue to be an excellent example of how political thrillers should be done: not with fancy explosions and half-baked explanations for characters' actions, but with heart and tone indicating that the stars of the film are the characters and the plot, not the special effects which Hollywood has become addicted to in order to draw in audiences.

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