The Hunt for Red October – 4K UHD Blu-ray Movie Review

Synopsis

A new, technologically superior, nuclear Soviet sub is headed for the east coast of the United States, under the command of Captain Marko Ramius (Connery). The US government thinks Ramius has gone rogue and is willing to start a war, but one CIA analyst (Baldwin) thinks he knows Ramius well enough to guess that his real plan is to defect. He has only a few hours to prove his theory because the entire Russian navy and Air Command are out to destroy Ramius. The hunt is on!

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Specifications

Paramount Pictures
1990 (2018), 2160p, Dolby True HD 5.1, Dolby Vision HDR, Rated PG, 2 hours and 15 minutes,
2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Sean Connery, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones and Sam Neil
Directed By: John McTiernan

Rating

Entertainment:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Violence: Yes
Sex: No
Language: Mild

Commentary

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This is my favorite film of the Jack Ryan series by Tom Clancy. Baldwin plays Ryan with savvy skill, yet also reveals his vulnerable side as an analyst that is not a field operative and is fully aware that if his hunches are wrong, the whole world could pay for that mistake. The movie seems very plausible and the intensity slowly builds to and explosive (literally) conclusion. Connery is just perfect as Ramius, an old school Russian naval commander that has to out wit his countrymen while hoping the Americans don’t blow him out of the water. The story is fast paced and keeps you spell bound to the very end. I promise that you will be gulping for air by the end. Recommended!

Technical

Re-mastered from the original print, this is about as good as we are going to get for this movie. Most shots are razor sharp with lots of details, but some scenes are bit too murky with some thick film grain. The HDR and WCG really bring out the submarine’s interior and lights. Skin tones are accurate, and every bead of sweat can be seen on furrowed foreheads. The sound could have been given the Atmos treatment, but it still sounds stellar with surround sounds coming from throughout the subs interior. Explosion are nicely powerful and the underlining deep drone from the ship’s engines will test your subwoofer’s mettle.

Extras

A BD copy is included along with: Commentary from the director (UHD) and Beneath the Surface, cast and crew interviews and theatrical trailers on the BD version.

Jim Milton

Jim Milton has been interested in high fidelity since his college years in the late 70's. It was there that he first became interested in classical music. He has been part of choral music, both in opera and oratorio and is an avid collector of classical music from the Baroque through the Romantic periods. He enjoys an occasional night at Boston Symphony Hall or attending an organ concert at Merrill Auditorium in Portland, ME. Currently he is the director of Nuclear Medicine at the North Shore Medical Center, located just outside of Boston. He also serves as an adjunct professor for Salem State University where he teaches a course in nuclear instrumentation. During his leisure time, he enjoys listening to his music collection and an occasional movie with his wife of 30+ years. Living on the longest stretch of sandy beach north of Boston offers him plenty of opportunities to take a relaxing stroll or soak up some sun. "Remember, acquiring good A/V gear takes lots of time...but doesn't necessarily take lots of money."

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View Comments

Steven Norene says:

October 11, 2018 at 12:50 pm

A classic movie. It has stood the test of time incredibly well. There are a few special effects that could use some updating, but overall, is outstanding in both story and acting, as well as in cinematography.
Andy says:

October 28, 2018 at 4:42 am

I projected this, when I was a trainee projectionist at UCI tower park, poole, uk, back around 1990, in one of its two large screens 5 and 6 in Dolby Stereo SR. I think it was interlocked with both screens which has a delay of few minutes by the time the film starts though the film-gate then travels down narrow hallway to the next Victoria 5 projector where it is wound onto the cake-plate in screen 6 then later will end up being wound onto cake-plate in screen 5.

The surround speakers was all fitted to the ceiling at the ten plex site, with EV Eletro-Voice LCR and surrounds no SW was used even thou it was recommended for Dolby SR still the overhead surrounds was immersive having listening to The Hunt For Red October between other films being started up and popping into one of two larger screens.

I recently picked up a JVC HR-D725EK VHS Hi-Fi stereo and linear stereo player for vintage VHS use. I have the region 2 DVD bit better in picture compared to the VHS without even really comparing the two as seen them many times and even stat front and centre at the cinema see the amount of detail and brightness in the darker scenes on the submarines with transparent charts on light-box and seeing the detail of text as well as warmness of the pure colours of skin tone textures as well as listening to how large and lifelike the sound was when matched to the screen size image.

A few pictures of last night.I think I may get the 4k I don't have the bluray I passed on that but now with everything moving so fast now 8k, 12k, 16, even 500k? Soon be all here when does it stop and everything is decided that this can't really go any further as Real Life is made up of solid matter moving at incredible speed to create the solid substance. Image is made up of light and shadow and that is it and you can't go any further than that. The only format I don't have is the Dolby AC-3 laserdisc but early pressing reported split-surround issue on disc 2 side 3 with one of the surround channels missing? Only later pressing fixed this issue but with ebay hard to tell if its early pressing or later pressing?

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