Review of The Hunt for Red October (1990) by Daniel H — 12 Jul 2009

Thankfully avoiding a good many submarine movie cliches, such as the infamous "pressure increasing on the hull" gimmick... but, strangely enough, without such gimmicks, The Hunt for Red October is predominantly an intellectual exercise with little visceral punch. The music and the lighting seem to be like constantly insisting nervous tension is at hand, but end up coming off like an overeagre parent insisting a child should cover there eyes because something scary is happening. The tension on screen never matches up with what is actually occuring.

Chalk it up to Tom Clancy's macro-scale opinion of what constitutes terror and excitement. Regardless, the film is enjoyable for its acting and easy-to-understand yet nuanced plot. If you are expecting action, though, be sure your idea of action is to watch a deliberately played game of chess.