THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990) **1/2 Ok, let's see...Sean Connery informs the Russians that he is defecting, by letter no less, but he can't figure out how to inform the Americans that he's coming, thereby running the risk of getting his sub nuked on the way into the harbor and setting up a pathetically shaky foundation for a script that attempts to suggest that this has really already happened, in dark ominous tones and without any intended sense of humour. Beyond the levitational aspects of the ultra-realistic situation, Tom Clancy spent a lot of time and work on what he hoped would appear to be an intricate plot and some serious weapons research. It's a different kind of guy movie: no chicks and no violence, the latter being remarkable in light of all of the assembled firepower. Great art or social statement, non; entertaining enough, oui. Connery is great as always but the rest of the cast resembles the seven dwarves at his feet, even Tim Curry as the despicable Russian who thinks that his government isn't an idiot. Too much of it relies on Alec Baldwin who is perfectly believable as a CIA agent, but establishes no credibility whatsoever as a genius CIA agent. Clancy gets enough good plot lines going, and John McTiernan delivers the shots without straying long from Connery, to raise a good deal more suspense that one might be inclined to think that this particular work deserves. The best part is the cold warrior portrayal of the moronic Soviet soldiers standing stranded on a submarine, cheering for what isn't really going on.
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