The Hunt for Red October isn’t a favorite of mine within the film franchise but is still a well done, submarine-based thriller and Alec Baldwin made for a fine Jack Ryan, just a shame he couldn’t continue beyond this film.
The Hunt for Red October
— 30th Anniversary Limited Edition —
(1990)
Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller, Drama
Paramount | PG – 135 min. – $29.99 | February 25, 2020
Date Published: 02/17/2020 | Author: The Movieman
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Paramount provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE — 3.5/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: This entry tracks Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius (SEAN CONNERY) as he abandons his orders and heads for the east coast of the United States. Equipped with innovative stealth technology, Ramius’ submarine, “Red October,” is virtually invisible. However, when an American sub briefly detects the Russians’ presence, CIA agent Jack Ryan (ALEC BALDWIN) sets out to determine Ramius’ motives, fearing he may launch an attack on the U.S. Quick Hit Review: Hadn’t seen The Hunt for Red October in many years and going into maybe only my second or third time, I found this first entry to be rather entertaining with some genuinely suspense-filled scenes involving slow moving and not exactly loud submarines. The performances from all around were great from Sean Connery not exactly attempting a Russian accent (though the screenplay does explain why he’s not Russian) and Alec Baldwin made for a believable Jack Ryan, just a shame he couldn’t return for the sequels… |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.75/5 |
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This two-disc release comes housed in a Steelbook case and includes a Digital HD redemption code. Audio Commentary – Director John McTiernan (available on UHD and BD) Beneath the Surface (29:00) is a retrospective behind-the-scenes featurette with on-set footage and interviews with the cast and crew and how the project came about. Theatrical Trailer (1:41) |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| The 2160p high-definition transfer for The Hunt for Red October tends to be rather dark, even during the daylight scenes, however detail is sharp and well defined, features natural film grain and noise, and no major issues like artifacting or even banding, the latter I was especially on the lookout for as underwater scenes do tend to put that on display, instead the transition in colors was smooth. |
AUDIO – 4.25/5 |
| The disc includes the film’s original Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track so no upgrade here, however this still an above average lossless track, dialogue comes through with nice clarity and the more action-oriented scenes, does provide some amount of depth, though I wouldn’t call this an all-encompassing track, but still relatively acceptable. |
OVERALL – 3.5/5 |
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The Hunt for Red October isn’t a favorite of mine within the film franchise but is still a well done, submarine-based thriller and Alec Baldwin made for a fine Jack Ryan, just a shame he couldn’t continue beyond this film (due to salary demands apparently). This 4K release by Paramount is the same disc from the Jack Ryan Collection with its only selling point (beyond the digital copy code) is the Steelbook packaging which admittedly is nice, though I’m not much of a Steelbook collector. |