Wolff rating: EXCELLENT
Plot summary: A Russian submarine commander decides to defect, and creates an international incident along the way.
Biased, pithy comments: The first (and maybe the best) in the Jack Ryan-saves-the-world series, this show defined the modern technothriller that no one is able to match. Baldwin is a good Ryan and Connery makes a convincing Russian. The versimilitude of the story is strong and the action tense and exciting, even if the exterior shots are kind of murky. A must-see for action fans.
Other Notes: The sets were so realistic that the U.S. Navy rearranged the Dallas-class sub set for ``security reasons''. Note cameo by Gates McFadden in the first scene, one of two women in the movie with speaking parts, and the only one who isn't a flight attendant.
How many times I have seen it: x3
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Sean Connery, Sam Neill