Set during the more tense periods of the Cold War, the Red October is a new type of Russian submarine designed to run in a whole new, and much quieter manner. The sub is captained by Marko Ramius (Connery), who has decided that the power of this ship is way too much for his native country to have. His decision to defect is his alone, but he has to convince his crew that their training mission has turned into a bit more of an offensive as they pilot their way to the U.S. coast.
Meanwhile, C.I.A. analyst Ryan (Alec Baldwin) is convinced that the new and now missing submarine is defecting. He must not only convince his higher ups, but also Admiral James Greer (James Earl Jones) to risk everything and allow the Red October through the U.S. defensive network.
Meanwhile, out in the ocean, Ramius is getting closer to the coast, while an American sub, the USS Dallas, led by Captain Borodin (Sam Neill) attempts to find and follow the new vessel. The movie switches between the Red October, the Dallas and Ryan's location several times before they all meet up and Ryan's analytical skills and knowledge of the famous Ramius help to resolve the matter without any nuclear missiles being launched (hopefully).
The Hunt for Red October is not only filled with great high named actors who do a solid job, but the political banter between the American and Soviet governments is especially delightful (especially since the Russians claim they haven't lost any ships, knowing the Americans know they have).
When asked to rank the Jack Ryan films, most people tend to put Red October in the number one spot pretty quickly, and for good reason. I prefer Ford as Ryan, but even with Baldwin in the lead role, it is a good film and especially enjoyable in high-definition.
If you didn't make the plunge when the Jack Ryan Collection came out on HD and you want this movie in your collection, then Blu-ray is the way to go. While the special features are no different this go round, what's there is still good and the movie's jump to high-def and surround sound is certainly a good one.
