OllieSuave-007
Sean Connery stars as Soviet Union submarine captain Marko Ramius in this action film, a story about Ramius captaining his country's newest sub but violating Russian orders, heading for the United States instead. As a result, U.S. officials attempt to track down the sub and discover the captain's true intentions.Though this is an action film, much of the movie's entertainment and intrigue stem from the built-up tension, character development, and suspense - from Alec Baldwin's Jack Ryan character trying to help the U.S. sub communicate with Captain Ramius to the subject of defection and warfare. The film has an all-star cast including Connery, Baldwin, James Earl Jones, Sam Neill, Scott Glen, Tim Curry, Stellan Skarsgård, and Fred Thompson. Their spot-on acting demonstrated a good mixture of drama and humor.The plot is well-paced and keeps you entertained from start to finish. It's a good movie that captures the tensions of the Cold War during its time. Grade A
johnsone-5
Most of "The Hunt for Red October" was an engaging movie, until the goofy conclusion. When the cast started chasing each other from boat to boat, it turned into the Keystone Kops.
slightlymad22
The Russia House (1990) Plot In A Paragraph: In November 1984, Marko Ramius (Connery) the Soviet Union's best submarine captain in their newest sub violates orders and heads for the USA. Is he trying to defect, as CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) says or has he lost his mind and is about to start a war??I thought this was brilliant when it was first released. Now less so, I fell asleep the other night watching it, and at times, I was even bored this time around.The Movie is filled with a great cast, all in important roles, with important things to say. Of these, Sam Neil, Tim Curry and of course James Earl Jones are the best. Scott Glenn, Joss Ackland, Stellan Skarsgard and Arnold Schwarzenegger's friend Sven Ole Thorsen are here too. Baldwin may be my least favourite Ryan, he is just dull and lifeless, and worse ridiculous when the script turns him into an action hero, steering the Russian Submarine whilst Connery stood giving him orders, and then taking down a saboteur single handedly. Connery, wearing a $20,000 silver wig (his first hair piece since Highlander some 6 pictures before) is capable of murdering a KGB officer with a single blow, was always totally in command, his performance is full of authority and even speaks the occasional line Russian. Truthfully I think Connery is the only real reason to see this long winded adaptation. Although that is a tad harsh on Neil, who is brilliant.The hairpiece was actually controversial on set. After consulting with the wardrobe and make-up departments behind McTiernan's back, arrived on set for his first day of shoots, with his hairpiece incorporating a ponytail. Many years later, (once Connery had retired and his influence in the business had waned) McTiernan stated in an interview that he was "f***ing livid" with Connery, and that he used his considerable weight with the studio, going over the director's head to pass the alteration with producers. Connery got his way, until midway through the second day's shooting, when Director of Photography started laughing while reviewing the dailies, remarking to Connery that his ponytail looked like "a limp, swinging d**k." Connery was so annoyed, he told makeup to remove the alteration, and they re-shoot the footage. McTiernan said that the reported cost of the hairpiece, was mainly down to the cost of those subsequent re-shoots, and that the hair seen in the final movie, was merely "a ten dollar bargain from a thift shop." It certainly does not look like a $10 dollar wig.The Hunt For Red October grossed $122 million at the domestic box office, to end 1990, the 6th highest grossing movie of the year. It finished above both Arnie movies (Total Recall and Kindergarten Cop) Die Hard 2 and Back To The Future 3. When you look at the 5 movies that finished above it Ghost, Home Alone, Dances With Wolves, Pretty Women and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles..... errr OK ignore the last one, lol it shows you how well this movie did.
