IMDb > The Hunt for Red October (1990)
The Hunt for Red October
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The Hunt for Red October (1990) More at IMDbPro »

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The Hunt for Red October (1990) -- In 1984, the USSR's best submarine captain in their newest sub violates orders and heads for the USA. Is he trying to defect, or to start a war?
The Hunt for Red October (1990) -- ZuGuide.com - Trailer (Flash)
The Hunt for Red October (1990) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)
The Hunt for Red October (1990) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)
The Hunt for Red October (1990) -- Movieplayer.it - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   51,470 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 57% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John McTiernan
Writers (WGA):
Tom Clancy (novel)
Larry Ferguson (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Hunt for Red October on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
2 March 1990 (USA) more
Tagline:
Invisible. Silent. Stolen. more
Plot:
In 1984, the USSR's best submarine captain in their newest sub violates orders and heads for the USA. Is he trying to defect, or to start a war? full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations more
User Comments:
The action-thriller to end all action-thrillers more (191 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Sean Connery ... Marko Ramius

Alec Baldwin ... Jack Ryan

Scott Glenn ... Bart Mancuso

Sam Neill ... Captain Borodin

James Earl Jones ... Admiral Greer

Joss Ackland ... Andrei Lysenko
Richard Jordan ... Jeffrey Pelt
Peter Firth ... Ivan Putin

Tim Curry ... Dr. Petrov

Courtney B. Vance ... Seaman Jones

Stellan Skarsgård ... Captain Tupolev

Jeffrey Jones ... Skip Tyler

Timothy Carhart ... Bill Steiner
Larry Ferguson ... Chief of the Boat
Fred Dalton Thompson ... Admiral Painter
more
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Additional Details

Runtime:
134 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Russian
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)
Filming Locations:
California, USA more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The dual-beeping sound effect of the Red October moving on the USS Dallas' sonar screen was also used in Patriot Games (1992) as the sound of Jack Ryan's EKG. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: Admiral Painter tells Jack that if he needs him or Captain Davenport, they'll be in the CIC (Combat Information Center). However, on aircraft carriers this area is called the CDC (Combat Direction Center). more
Quotes:
[telling young Sonarman Beaumont about Jones's most embarrassing moment]
Watson: Seaman Jones here is into music in a big way, and he views this whole boat as his own personal, private stereo set. Well, one day he's got this piece of Pavarotti...
Seaman Jones: It was Paganini.
Watson: Whatever.
Seaman Jones: It was Paganini.
Watson: Look, this is my story, okay?
Seaman Jones: Then tell it right, COB. Pavarotti is a tenor, Paganini was a composer.
Watson: So anyway, he's got this music out in the water, and he's listening to it on his headsets, and he's just happy as a clam. And then all hell breaks loose. See, there's this whole slew of boats out in the water...
Seaman Jones: Including one WAY out at Pearl!
Watson: Including one way the hell out at Pearl. All of a sudden, they start hearing, Pavarotti...
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Amazing Race: You're Gonna Get Me Killed (#13.10)" (2008) more
Soundtrack:
Payoff more

FAQ

Who is Yuri Gagarin, the person Ramius refers to when reading the substituted orders to the crew?
Why did Ramius want to defect?
How did Jack Ryan figure out that Ramius was attempting to defect?
more
8 out of 8 people found the following comment useful.
The action-thriller to end all action-thrillers, 20 January 2006
10/10
Author: RogueSix_85 from United States

After seeing this movie, you'll wonder how Hollywood manages to turn out so many junk-action movies, now that they've figured out the right formula. To be fair, the vast majority of action movies don't have the benefit of Tom Clancy's greatest novel (granted, 'Sum of All Fears' was a very, very close second, for me). High tension and realistic (emphasis on that last word) depictions of modern warfare make for an excellent story.

Nonetheless, there are a few key qualities that shouldn't go unnoticed to today's directors. First (again) is the basis of a good plot that actually captures your attention, makes you think, and puts you on the edge of your seat. Second is the high caliber of actors: James Earl Jones, Alec Baldwin (I'm a Harrison Ford fan, but I still think Baldwin was far better for the role), and - last but certainly not least - Sean Connery. I'm sure this wasn't cheap, but when you look at the product produced by three of the best professional actors, it's worth every penny. Third, is the great music; nothing too over the top, but well-orchestrated, and featuring a great set of pieces by a Russian men's choir (hard to go wrong!). Lastly, the great use of special effects, from which George Lucas himself could use a clue or two: it smoothly supports, and doesn't take the place of or interfere with, the development of the plot.

This is my #2 favorite movie of all-time, but you don't have to take my word for it. See it yourself! You'll be glad you did.

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Music... daniel-lonn
Is it Baldwin doing the Connery impression? Garfieldthakat
Overrated shortround8391
Jeffrey Pelt's accent trob226
Klaus Maria Brandauer cplmarr
What we learnt from watching HRFO david-forster-1
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