Netflix pick for 1/27/14 – ‘The Hunt For Red October’

 From 1990, the Academy-Award winning* “The Hunt For Red October” was the cinematic introduction of one of the more unlikely movie franchises, that being movies (generally) centered on hero Jack Ryan. Played by Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine in subsequent films, the actor who got the chance to bring this weird hero to life was the one and only Alec Baldwin.

And yes, Jack Ryan is a weird protagonist to keep bringing back. He seems to be the Tom Clancy-penned American answer to James Bond, but it just isn’t the same. One of Jack Ryan’s defining characteristics is a bad back that doesn’t seem to bother him ever when you would think it would bother him the most, like in “The Hunt For Red October” when he transfers himself from helicopter to submarine by jumping into extremely cold, stormy waters. Hell, in three of the five Jack Ryan movies, including this one, a major defining characteristic of Jack Ryan is that he is an extremely bright CIA analyst who gets pulled into the field and turned into an operative by a superior, so essentially we have three separate Jack Ryan origin movies here (with the recent “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” taking this whole origin thing to the Nth degree).

Making it all even weirder? You hardly get the feeling that Jack Ryan is the main character in this movie. As a matter of fact, the Russian Captain who steals the Russian nuclear sub is much more of a lead character, especially since he’s played by a former Bond in the personage of the one and only Sean Connery. Shit, there are entire stretches of this movie that pass by without any mention of Jack Ryan, especially with scenes set inside the submarines, as it takes awhile for Jack Ryan to even get on one of these subs. Anyway, it’s just weird, is all. Not saying it’s bad. As a matter of fact, it’s all quite good! The acting is solid, the story is pretty compelling, especially the more you know about the Cold War and U.S. – Russian relations at the time, plus the fact that the 80’s were a time period in which the country lived under constant threat of global nuclear war, which seemed more real and possible than ever during those years.

So check out the very first Jack Ryan movie right here on Netflix and enjoy!

*Best Sound Effects, 63rd Academy Awards. What? You thought they gave Sean Connery a statue for NOT bothering to hide his accent, even when speaking in Russian?