Parents' Guide to

The Hunt for Red October

By Andrea Beach, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Book-based Cold War submarine drama is tense and thrilling.

Movie PG 1990 134 minutes
The Hunt for Red October Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 12+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Basil Fawlty
Basil Fawlty Adult
March 15, 2020
age 10+

Fantastic movie

Showed it to my (highly advanced) 9-year old and he LOVED it. He’s now 12 and has seen it over a dozen times. It’s intense, but just the right amount. A good “first intense thriller” kind of intense. Plot is complicated but with guidance can be followed by a tween. There is a bit of gunfire and a few bad words, but nothing excessive. You may want to preview these scenes ahead of time to judge for yourself, but they aren’t glorified. Overall, this is fun, clever, and exciting.
2 people found this helpful.
silwuttke
silwuttke Parent of 5, 10 and 10-year-old
April 11, 2020
age 14+

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER

OK MOVIE CONFUSING FOR TWEENS!!!

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

A previously unknown Russian nuclear sub called the Red October is detected on-course for the East Coast of the United States. While the U.S. submarine fleet tries to locate the sub, CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) is convinced that its commander, Marko Ramius (Sean Connery), is trying to defect to the West. But if Ryan is wrong and the U.S. fleet can't find and stop the sub, the Soviet Union would have first-strike capability just off America's shores. Ryan suddenly finds himself in the middle of a deadly game of chess between two superpowers on the brink of nuclear war.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (10):

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER keeps tension and suspense front and center. The plot builds nicely, keeping you guessing as it moves quickly along. The tight writing and strong acting make much of essentially watching a chess game in which players try to guess the others' next moves. Every ounce of Sean Connery's charisma is on display, and a young Alec Baldwin is fun to watch as a nerdy government analyst who's a bit out of his depth. Both are strongly supported by the likes of Sam Neill, Stellan Skarsgård, James Earl Jones, Tim Curry, and more.

Although the content is fine for most tweens, it's more likely to be enjoyed by teens who can appreciate tension as a dramatic device. Navy and submarine buffs also will enjoy the depictions of strategizing, navigating, and sonar operations in the cramped confines of both Russian and American subs. It's fun to see what cutting-edge technology was like 30 years ago, and it's also a bit of a history lesson about the tensions of the Cold War, reminding us of how much U.S./Soviet tension was a huge backdrop to life then.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the Cold War. What was it about? How did it begin and end?

  • Have you seen any other movies, played any games, or read any books with Jack Ryan as a character? How does this one compare? Which is your favorite?

  • Movies set in submarines usually have a lot of tension. Why is that? What do you think life on a submarine is really like?

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