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"THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER" (1990) (Alec Baldwin, Sean Connery) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Minor Moderate Moderate Moderate Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Minor Heavy None Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild Heavy Minor Moderate Heavy QUICK TAKE: Drama: A CIA analyst tracks down a renegade Soviet submarine commander to confirm his intentions to defect, before the American government begins to suspect otherwise. PLOT: CIA analyst Jack Ryan (ALEC BALDWIN) looks more comfortable entwined in the lives of his wife and daughter, and writing books, without the risk that would come with going out into a dangerous world, as it was at least when he was a Marine and was severely injured when his helicopter crashed, leading to his fear of flying. But bookish as he may sound, his curiosity drives him from his home in London to the United States, summoned by his friend Admiral Greer (JAMES EARL JONES), who wants to know why a new technologically-advanced Soviet submarine is heading to the United States. Is it an act of aggression ordered by the Soviets? Is it a training exercise? Jack is assigned to lead a briefing that includes Jeffrey Pelt (RICHARD JORDAN) the president's national security advisor and in the midst of arguments going on between higher powers, he figures it out: The submarine's commander, Captain Marko Ramius (SEAN CONNERY), is looking to defect, as it is the 23rd of October, which is the date of when his wife died. And since he has no children and therefore no further roots in the Soviet Union, he sees no reason to remain. While the men in that briefing believe that the Soviets intend to blow up various coastal cities in the United States with their weapons systems, the national security advisor believes in Jack's theory, but only for a limited period of time before it has to be looked upon as an act of aggression. After all, with other Soviet submarines going after the Red October (which also has a silent propulsion system that enables it to glide underwater undetected), how else can it be interpreted? So off Jack goes, unwilling at first, but without a choice, trying to track down Ramius - of whom he has some firsthand knowledge -- and find out if his intentions are indeed what Jack believes they are, having met Ramius once at a social function and writing a detailed paper on him, knowing enough about him already. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Those interested in the activities onboard a submarine as well as the Jack Ryan novels by Tom Clancy will want to see it, and so will fans of Alec Baldwin and/or Sean Connery. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG No official reason is given, but it's likely for language and violence. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ALEC BALDWIN plays Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst who is summoned to Washington, D.C. from London to give a briefing on Captain Marko Ramius and the newest advanced Soviet submarine, the Red October. Government officials are worried that Ramius' intentions are to attack coastal cities from the Atlantic with his firepower, but Ryan, having studied Ramius for years and meeting him once at a social function, believes he is looking to defect. He's sent out to the USS Enterprise to begin to try to confirm this, while time is running short and the Soviets are also going after Ramius, with orders to destroy the submarine. He briefly smokes. SEAN CONNERY plays Captain Marko Ramius, commanding the Red October, an advanced Soviet submarine that boasts the capability to run silent in the sea, undetected by other ships and submarines. However, it's not his intention to destroy any part of the United States, being that he wants to defect. In order to begin his mission toward defection, he kills the submarine's political officer in his cabin, the only obstacle to his desire, as he has the second missile key that's required to arm any weapons onboard. And he makes sure that the crew knows one thing (the submarine is going to Havana, and therefore sunnier shores), and his officers know another (he plans to defect and hopes that they will too). SCOTT GLENN plays Captain Bart Mancuso, in charge of the USS Dallas submarine that's attempting to track Red October. He's a by-the-book captain who follows the orders when they come in, and only when Jack comes in with his theory and it seems to match does he deviate from what would seem to be the natural course of action: to destroy Red October. He briefly uses profanity. SAM NEILL plays Captain 2nd Rank Vasily Borodin, working under Ramius aboard Red October, aware of his plans and supportive of them, as he wants to live in Montana once they defect. He relays Ramius' orders to the crew members and is involved in the final effort to seek asylum in the United States. JAMES EARL JONES plays Admiral James Greer, a friend of Jack's who has summoned him to Washington, D.C. to figure out exactly what Captain Ramius and Red October are trying to do, heading to the United States. He puts Jack in charge of the briefing to be given to the president's national security advisor and other high-ranking officials, and is instrumental later on during a torpedo sequence. JOSS ACKLAND plays Ambassador Andrei Lysenko, seen in the office of the president's national security advisor, trying to get the United States to participate in a "rescue mission" to "salvage" the Red October, when in reality, it seems he wants the U.S. to participate in the attempt to destroy the submarine. Ambassador Lysenko admits to the advisor that Russia doesn't always give him the latest information, and so he's often working without the necessary insight in order to talk on the same level as the advisor, which the advisor exploits. RICHARD JORDAN plays Jeffrey Pelt, the president's national security advisor who agrees with what the high-ranking officials in the briefing believe: That Red October is heading to the United States to destroy coastal cities on the Atlantic seaboard. However, when Jack lets forth with his theory that Ramius intends to defect, Pelt asks when U.S. ships and submarines will be mobilized against approaching Soviet vessels, and then gives Jack time to confirm his theory, as he'd rather it be that than something worse. PETER FIRTH plays Political Officer Ivan Yurevich Putin of the Red October, the victim of Ramius' intent to defect. TIM CURRY plays Dr. Petrov, the medical officer aboard Red October, who expresses disbelief over Ramius' decision not to turn back to base to pick up a replacement political officer, and to keep both missile keys which are necessary to arm any weapons. Ramius keeps him well out of the loop of his intention to defect, and commands him later on to take care of the crew. COURTNEY B. VANCE plays Sonarman 2nd Class Ronald Jones, aboard the USS Dallas, who is an expert at determining sonar waves, and eventually finds where Red October is. STELLAN SKARSGARD plays Captain Tupolev, commanding a Soviet submarine given orders to find Red October and sink it. JEFFREY JONES plays Oliver Wendell 'Skip' Tyler, an expert on submarines, who gives Jack information on what the caterpillar system is aboard Red October. FRED DALTON THOMPSON plays Rear Admiral Joshua Painter, the ranking officer aboard the USS Enterprise, who receives Jack Ryan and is aware of the situation Ryan is investigating. He smokes once. DANIEL DAVIS plays Captain Charlie Davenport of the USS Enterprise, who's initially wary of Ryan's theory and doesn't like that he's wearing a uniform he believes he hasn't earned, but Rear Admiral Painter sets him straight on who Jack is. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this PG-rated drama. Profanity consists of at least 1 "s" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also spoken. There's a sexually-related comment made through hand movement, as well as one spoken. A male character also appears shirtless in one scene. Violence consists of several deaths and others that are implied, the shoving of one man, and gunfire towards the end, all aboard the same submarine, as well as torpedo action and a fighter jet crash. Some of that and the overall situation might be suspenseful and/or unsettling to some viewers. Varying degrees of bad attitudes are present, some behavior may be enticing for some to imitate, and various characters smoke. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Bottles of alcohol are seen on the table in the officers' dining room of Red October. BLOOD/GORE The navigator onboard a turbulence-buffeted aircraft tells a frozen-with-worry Jack, "You should've been with us five, six months ago. Oh! You talk about puke. We ran into a hailstorm over the sea of Japan, right? Everybody's retching their guts out. The pilot shot his lunch all over the windshield, and I barf on the radio. Knocked it out completely, and it wasn't that lightweight stuff either. It was that chunky, industrial-weight puke." A man drops into a seat after the gunfire aboard Red October, dying, and we see a large patch of blood on his white shirt. Ramius emerges from below deck with a bloody shoulder wound, seen on his white shirt. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Both the Soviets and the Americans worry about Captain Marko Ramius, who has taken command of the new, advanced submarine, Red October. Jack Ryan believes that Ramius intends to defect upon reaching the United States, but high-level U.S. government officials worry that the Soviets may be trying to start a war, though the President's national security advisor gives Jack time to find this out. In order to begin a journey toward defection, Ramius kills the political officer onboard, taking his missile key and pocketing it. Two missile keys are required in order to launch any missiles and though Dr. Petrov, the medical officer, objects to Ramius having two keys, as well as not turning the submarine back to base to pick up a replacement political officer, Ramius dismisses his concern. There actually isn't any overarching villain, just international worry, though Captain Tupolev of another Soviet submarine, going after Ramius, might be considered an antagonistic force, considering how he callously puts the lives of his men at risk for a single-minded pursuit: To kill Ramius, as ordered by the Soviet government, and then not being careful of how he goes about it. One of Ramius' men tells him, "We have no room to maneuver in these canyons, Captain. If the countermeasure doesn't work--", and Ramius snaps at him, "Shut up." FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Jump Scenes" and "Violence" may be suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. Similarly, the overall premise - defection or possible attack - may also elicit the same sort of reaction. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Torpedoes/Naval artillery: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound and kill others and cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. Captain Mancuso takes out a handgun and cocks it. He then hands Jack a gun in a holster and Jack reluctantly takes it, pocketing the gun. Captain Mancuso takes his gun, cocks it, and hands it to Captain Ramius. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "No sh*t, Buckwheat," "Oh, ho, ho," "You look like hell," "What the hell happened/you talking about/is this about?" "You son of a bitch!" "Where the hell are we/did it come from?" "Mother of God," "Get your butt over here," and "You arrogant ass." The gunfire towards the end may be tempting to imitate. JUMP SCENES An alarm suddenly goes off, indicating problems with Red October's reactor. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of ominous, suspenseful and dramatic music occurs in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None PROFANITY At least 1 "s" word, 14 hells, 3 S.O.Bs, 3 asses, 1 damn, 5 uses each of "G*ddamn" and "Jesus," 2 uses each of "Mother of God" and "My God," and 1 use each of "Oh my God" and "Christ." SEX/NUDITY Upon hearing from Captain Ramius that Red October will sail to Havana, Cuba, a crewman stands up happily and makes the curves of a woman with his hands. Jack is seen shirtless in a shower while thinking aloud, and then bare-chested while shaving. Jack asks Captain Mancuso if he can get a morse code message out to Captain Ramius, and Mancuso replies, "My morse is so rusty, I may be sending dimensions on Playmate of the Month." SMOKING Captain Tupolev smokes three times, Admiral Padorin and a man in the officers' dining room aboard Red October smoke twice, and Jack and Rear Admiral Painter (USS Enterprise), as well as various other characters, smoke once. The political officer of the Red October holds a cigarette while sitting in Captain Ramius' cabin. One of the men aboard Red October, holding a cup of tea, smokes once and blows the smoke out in a quick line. A man talking to Captain Ramius about what happened to the 'caterpillar' has a cigarette in his mouth. Jack is offered a cigarette twice by two different people, but refuses. Then, onboard Red October, Jack takes a cigarette from a Soviet man, who lights it for him and he smokes once, a long drag. The man says to the others about Jack, "He's turning green," and Jack coughs out some smoke. This is strategy, Jack's way of connecting to the Soviets so he and Captain Mancuso and a few other men aren't seen as antagonistic. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We hear that the 23rd of October is the anniversary of the death of Ramius' wife. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The Soviet and U.S. tensions during the Cold War, which is the framework for "The Hunt for Red October," set in 1984. The Red October has a silent propulsion system called "the caterpillar," which worries American forces because of its invisibility, nothing heard from it as it passes underwater, though it's figured out later by a sharp-eared crew member aboard the USS Dallas. If whoever is seeing this movie has also seen "Patriot Games," "Clear and Present Danger," and "The Sum of All Fears," then a discussion comparing the performances of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, and Ben Affleck as the main character may be interesting. Suspense in this film, as demonstrated by the characters constantly being in close quarters. The various commanders of the submarines and other ships have vastly different personalities and governing styles. Ramius' wish to defect and how he goes about making it happen. VIOLENCE Ramius grabs the head of the political officer as he's about to leave his cabin, slams him down on a table, and either chokes him swiftly or breaks his neck. It's not certain. Then, Ramius pushes the man's body to the floor. We see the man, wide-eyed, losing breath, then Ramius checks his neck pulse after he dies. At one point, he throws tea on the floor to make it look like the man slipped on it. One of the men aboard Red October claims, "The captain will get us all killed," and Borodin grabs him by the front and shoves him against a wall. A torpedo hits a rock wall in the ocean and the Red October shakes and lights flicker on and off. A fighter jet is seen crashing on the deck of the USS Enterprise, breaking into pieces, and catching fire, and a wide shot of the vessel shows smoke on deck. We also see smoke on the flight deck and personnel running to the crash. A U.S. frigate fires a shot across the bow of the Red October, which lands in the water and propels some water upward. Admiral Greer detonates a torpedo from a red button control, and we see the torpedo explode, 300 yards away from Red October. A man fires into the control room of the Red October and the bullets make various impacts, ricocheting and sparking, as Captain Mancuso fires back. Jack and Ramius walk through one of the rooms of the submarine and the saboteur fires at them from another level seven times. Ryan drops to the ground, and Ramius is hit. Jack runs past a huge red cylinder, and more shots are fired at him, which ricochet and spark. Jack accidentally drops maintenance light and more shots and fired by the heretofore not-seen-fully man, ricocheting off some things and impacting a pipe, which falls on Jack. A few more shots are seen sparking around. Jack then encounters the saboteur and fires his gun five times into the man. We see only the man's reaction. A torpedo hits a submarine and we see the explosion and the submarine breaking apart, as well surface-level impact, with water boosted high into the air. Reviewed off DVD / Posted May 13, 2009