This is a movie that is not typical of what I call a great movie. It is a combination of old school development and new school action. It combines these different types of pacing, development, and action perfectly in a very entertaining movie.
The plot This movie takes place during the cold war. A submarine named the Red October has just left it’s docks and is steaming its way into the Atlantic. It is a special submarine, first of its kind, and that is what scares everyone involved with this project. The Captain of the Red October (Sean Connery) is trying to defect for reason that are unknown to both the U.S. and Soviet Union. This movie takes place at the height of the cold war when tensions were high between these two countries.
The acting Alec Baldwin plays Dr Jack Ryan and I think does a wonderful job. He plays the role of a reluctant analyst caught up in a big political mess and handles it with style. Harrison Ford plays Dr. Ryan in the later movies and one person I knew said that Harrison Ford was a better when comparing the actors to the books. I personally like Alec better than Harrison, probably because he is less exposed. I also like the personality that Alec portrays in this movie better. Sean Connery plays Captain Marko Alexandrovich Ramius, a bold Russian Captain. He plays it like a poker player, you never really quite know what he is thinking or is trying to do. Very mysterious. In fact a good portion of the character building is done through Dr. Ryan’s lines or through his actions. So Sean just need to portray someone bold and confident; yet at the very end you actually do see that he really is human. I absolutely love his character and it is one of my favorite he has portrayed. James Earl Jones US Admiral Greer plays a minor role, but the most important minor role. I felt it is important to mention him because it is his role that helps build up the Dr. Ryan character. I love his voice in Star Wars and he plays a lovable character in this movie. Scott Glenn plays Captain Bart Manusco, a realistic American captain. Where Captain Ramius is bold and emotionless, Scott Glenn plays this captain as a bit of a cowboy. He challenges his crew while interacting with them as a human being. He played the poster child of an American military captain perfectly.
The story and writing For me (not being an active reader of fiction) I felt that this was a story told in the style of a book, not a typical movie script. Normally I would say this is a bad thing (and there are plenty of examples out there) but not in this movie. In this movie you see a nice blending of visual candy, visual physical interactions, and realistic dialog between people in the military/government community. I think the real strength of this script is it flows well while keeping the audience informed and engaged. The character development They do a beautiful job of developing these different characters. The main person we follow is Jack Ryan. We don’t really see the world through his eyes, rather we are the fly on the wall in this film. His character is slowly developed throughout the entire movie, some of it through dialog and some of it through action. A nice blending of the two.
The pacing The pacing in a way is poor for an action movie. But this isn’t an action movie. I would define it more as a mystery movie with action elements. With that said, that pacing is marvelous. It is like taking a brisk stroll around the block. There really isn’t any boring parts or drawn out useless dialog.
The special effects This occurred in 1990 so CG was in its infancy. So the special effect composed primarily of models. Did this work? Yes, those water scenes are absolutely beautiful and realistic. Another reason people should still in this day and age should rely more on models than CG because it just works. It doesn’t have that bathtub feel and the Red October feels very real in this film.
Replay value High. It is one of the slower movies out of my top 50, yet it doesn’t feel slow. I am completely engaged every time I see this and I can’t begin to count how many times I have seen it on VHS and DVD. It is such a well done movie that is was one of the small handful of VHS tapes my mother bought at the time.
Should children watch it? I have no problem with my kids watching it. Just a minor gun shot wound and a strangulation, nothing over the top or extremely graphic.
Genre: Adventure
The key players Director: John McTiernan Screenplay: Donald E. Stewart, & Larry Ferguson Original source: Tom Clancy Music: Basil Poledouris
My line. This is a movie I absolutely love for being a “slow” film. It has everything you need. Great acting, realistic sets, real human conflicts, suspense, great models, and an emotional value placed on these characters. It is a well told story and a story told about three sets of people and their own desires and concerns.
Moscow, Washington and a CIA analyst track a renegade Soviet captain and his new submarine. Directed by John McTiernan. From the Tom Clancy novel.More at HotMovieSale.com
A new, technologially-superior Soviet nuclear sub, the Red October, is heading for the U.S. coast under the command of Captain Marko Raimus (Sean Conn...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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