Author Tom Clancy’s impact on pop culture is massive. Before his death on Tuesday night, he was responsible for dozens of novels and a handful of film adaptations and video games. In honor of his life, let’s take a look back at the single best cultural artifact that Clancy leaves behind: the 1990 film adaptation of The Hunt for Red October, starring Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery.

The Hunt for Red October is a sprawling tale of espionage set in the waning years of the cold war—but at heart it’s the tale of two men: Marko Ramius, a Russian submarine captain played by Sean Connery, and Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst played by Alec Baldwin. Ramius is the captain of the eponymous Red October, a top-secret Russian sub that goes missing when Ramius pilots it into the North Atlantic without authorization from his superiors. Fearing he intends to unilaterally start a nuclear war, the Russians and Americans mobilize to find him—but what if Jack Ryan’s right and Ramius is just trying to defect to the United States?

Sean Connery’s Ramius is a towering presence in the film. He makes little effort to modulate his distinctive brogue into anything resembling a Russian accent, but that quibble aside, he’s the heart and soul of the story, his disillusionment with the Soviet Union that drives the plot forward. His Ramius is formidable.

Alec Baldwin is Connery’s equal as Ramius’s opponent and ally in this game of international chess. When you close your eyes and picture Jack Ryan, it’s really Harrison Ford that you have to see—in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, he perfectly captured the character’s weathered honor and badassery. But I still prefer Alec Baldwin’s Jack Ryan. With Harrison Ford, you never forget that Ryan’s a former Marine who can kick ass if he needs to; but in The Hunt for Red October, Baldwin’s Ryan is an academic, a CIA analyst with a Ph.D. in the history of naval tactics and an afternoon of firearms training. A nebbish Jack Ryan isn’t faithful to the books, but it’s a delightful touch that only adds to the movie’s suspense when he’s forced to put himself in harm’s way.

There’s also a memorable turn from Sam Neill as a defecting Russian officer whose dreams for life in the United States include, charmingly and poignantly, buying an RV and driving freely from state to state, “without papers”; and Courtney B. Vance as a radar operator with a love for classical music whose finely-honed ear is used to track the Red October.

It’s just a great movie, a rollicking adventure story with intrigue, action, great characters, and a haunting, Russian-inspired score. I loved it as a preteen boy, and when I rewatched it recently it absolutely held up as a smart, fun action movie. It’s streaming on Netflix, plus it’s October so a rewatch seems apropos. I can think of no better way to bid a fond farewell to Mr. Clancy.