In 1990 Paramount released a motion picture version of The Hunt for Red October, starring Sean Connery as the Russian submarine skipper Marko Ramius, and Alec Baldwin as CIA agent Jack Ryan. Directed by John McTiernan, the film attracted generally favorable reviews. Much of the naval action and political intrigue was left out; motivations were simplified; and the plot was trimmed to a three way face-off between Ramius, Ryan, and Mancuso. The acting and cinematography are excellent throughout and the film garnered respectable box-office figures.