The Hunt for Red October (1990) - A stellar cast shines in the first and best Clancy adaptation

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Impressive silver fox Sean Connery painted red and black on this anticipation-building poster for John McTiernan's The Hunt for Red October

The Soviets have built a new submarine propulsion system, which makes their latest invention a silent threat. The technology is used on the mammoth submarine Red October, a vessel with a crew that either wants to defect or who are led by a doomsday-enamored maniac.

 

The Hunt for Red October is written by Larry Ferguson (Highlander (1986)), Donald E. Stewart (Missing (1982)) and David Shaber (The Warriors (1979)), adapting the same-titled 1984 novel by Tom Clancy (Without Remorse (1993)), and directed by New-Yorker master filmmaker John McTiernan (Nomads (1986)), whose 4th film it is.

To begin with it is a bit comical to see great Scotsman Sean Connery (You Only Live Twice (1967)) as a Russian captain, but he is terrific for the part, and he keeps us in a constant vice of paranoia, which keeps us guessing; is he really mad? - Or is it just a bluff?

The cast all-around makes this a deluxe Clancy adaptation - as well as the first of them: James Earl Jones (Law & Order (1993, TV-series)) as the CIA boss is perfect; Alec Baldwin (Along Came Polly (2004)) as protagonist Jack Ryan, and fellow talents such as Scott Glenn (Firestorm (1998)), Stellan Skarsgård (Melancholia (2011)), Sven-Ole Thorsen (The Viking Sagas (1995)), Sam Neill (Daybreakers (2009)) and Fred Thompson (Cape Fear (1991)). It is also a treat that this stern, male-dominated spy story is permitted to play out without a studio-mandated female tangent attached for sex value. The underwater scenes, which have early uses of CGI, work. Jan de Bont's (Kapsalon (1972)) cinematography is simple but precise. Basil Poledouris' (It's My Party (1996)) score is solid support. 

McTiernan cements himself as one of the best American filmmakers in the late part of the 20th century here.

 

Related posts:
 
John McTiernan: 1999 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

The 13th Warrior (1999) - McTiernan and Co. sink with oversized Muslim hero adventure 

Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) - McTiernan gives the third Die Hard a shot of New York-set adrenaline

Top 10: Best cop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Top 10: The best adaptations reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Top 10: The best action movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Die Hard (1988) - McTiernan's action masterpiece 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 30 mil. $

Box office: 200.5 mil. $

= Huge hit (returned 6.68 times its cost)

[The Hunt for Red October was released 2 March (USA) and runs 135 minutes. The US Navy were supportive of the film's creation and provided submarines for shooting, as well as advice on how to portray them positively. Connery was paid 4 mil. $ for his performance. Shooting took place from April 1989-? in England, North Carolina, Alaska, Connecticut, Washington and California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #1 to a 17.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed #1 for another 2 weekends and then remained in the top 5 for another 7 weekends, grossing 122 mil. $ (60.8 % of the total gross). It was the 6th highest-grossing film in North America of the year. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. It was nominated for 3 Oscars, winning for Best Sound Effects Editing. It lost Best Editing and Best Sound to Dances with Wolves. It was also nominated for 3 BAFTAs, among other honors. McTiernan returned with Medicine Man (1992). Connery returned in The Russia House (1990)); Baldwin in Miami Blues (1990). The Hunt for Red October is certified fresh at 88 % with a 7.70/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Hunt for Red October?

Alien 3 (1992) or, The Monsters Go to Jail!

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An effective, icky still make up the majority of this dark poster for David Fincher's Alien 3. Don't miss the foolishly long tagline under the title. - Pretty silly stuff, hu?

Ripley, girl Newt, Hicks and android Bishop escape a fire on their space vessel and land in a penal colony on a strange planet, where bloody deaths later lead Ripley to believe that they may have brought an unwelcome life form along with them.

Coloradoan master filmmaker David Fincher (Se7en (1995)) debuted with Alien 3 after years of music video works. - Imagine the pressure after the first two distinctive worldwide smash hits and genre innovators by Ridley Scott and James Cameron, who both by the 1990s were established masters of cinema. Entering a creative plane full of strife, disagreements, egos and big money as a young, unproven agent assuming the directing responsibilities, I think Fincher actually did really well with Alien 3, all things considered. 
Alien 3 manages straight away to take a big step away from the previous films by relying on a minimum of guns and electronics and changing the scenery dramatically to that of a prison planet. The visual side has evolved as well. And so although many of Fincher's later films are better, it is clear already here that he is himself a highly capable and visionary filmmaker.
All the prisoner-related stuff in the movie works so-so, and at times Alien 3 seems both a bit predictable and a bit overlong. SPOILER But the ending with Ripley and the iron alien is pretty darn cool. It is written by Larry Ferguson (The Presidio (1988)), Walter Hill (Streets of Fire (1984)) and David Giler (The Parallax View (1974)), with Vincent Ward (Vigil (1984)) contributing story elements.

Related posts:

David Fincher: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - Fincher's Nordic noir is technically astute but overlong and redundant 

The Social Network (2010) - Fincher's a-hole biopic leaves me cold (and more anti-Facebook than ever)

The Alien franchise: AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004) or, Everyone Loses (spin-off)
Alien: Resurrection (1997) or, Queen of the Goo Massacre!
Aliens (1986) or, Alien War
Alien (1979) or, Space Eggs Are Bad News

 

Watch a teaser trailer for the film here

Cost: 50 - 55 mil. $ (different reports)
Box office: 159.8 mil. $
= Box office success (returned at least 2.90 times its cost)
[Alien 3 was released 22 May and runs 114 minutes. The film had a long development process with reportedly 7 mil. $ spent before production could begin. Filming took place in England and California from January - May 1991. The film opened #2, behind holdover hit Lethal Weapon 3, to 23.1 mil. $ in North America, where is spent another week in the top 5 (#3), only ran for 6 weeks and grossed 55.4 mil. $ (34.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 28.8 mil. $ (18%) and the UK with 12.7 mil. $ (7.9 %). The film was Oscar-nominated for Best Visual Effects, lost to Death Becomes Her, and for the corresponding BAFTA. In 2003, a 145 minute 'Assembly Cut' of the film was released without the involvement of Fincher, who isn't too fond of the film. Fincher returned with 9 commercials and music videos, before he dared to go back to a feature with thriller masterpiece Se7en (1995). Weaver  returned in 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992). Alien 3 is rotten at 44 % with a 5.4/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Alien 3?