The Hunt for Red October

Based on the book by Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October follows a Russian commander (Sean Connery’s Marko Ramius) as he and his comrades stage an elaborate deception to defect to the United States – with Alec Baldwin’s Jack Ryan the only man able to figure out exactly what Ramius has planned. Filmmaker John McTiernan, armed with a script by Larry Ferguson and Donald E. Stewart, delivers a consistently watchable yet erratically-paced drama that gets off to a far-from-electrifying start, as the movie, which runs a palpably overlong 135 minutes, has been saddled with a complicated, exceedingly talky opening stretch that isn’t quite as enthralling or engrossing as McTiernan has obviously intended – with the somewhat dry atmosphere offset by the terrific performances and a smattering of undeniably gripping sequences. It’s clear, then, that The Hunt for Red October improves considerably once it moves into a comparatively propulsive midsection, with the emphasis on Ryan’s increasingly dogged attempts at saving the day paving the way for a second half that fares much better than one might’ve anticipated. And although the third act does feel like it could’ve been tightened considerably, The Hunt for Red October nevertheless comes off as a solid political thriller that admittedly does feel like it could (and should) be so much better.

**1/2 out of ****