Genres: Crime | Horror | Thriller Countries: Germany | USA Actors: Anthony Hopkins Dr. Hannibal Lecter Edward Norton Will Graham Ralph Fiennes Francis Dolarhyde Harvey Keitel Jack Crawford Emily Watson Reba McClane Mary-Louise Parker Molly Graham Philip Seymour Hoffman Freddy Lounds Anthony Heald Dr. Frederick Chilton Ken Leung Lloyd Bowman Frankie Faison Barney Matthews Tyler Patrick Jones Josh Graham Lalo Schifrin Conductor Tim Wheater Flautist John Rubinstein Dinner Guest David Doty Dinner Guest Directors: Brett Ratner IMDB Rating: 7 out of 10 (44572 votes)

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Whether or not you are a fan of the 1986 “Manhunter” (also based on Thomas Harris’ “Red Dragon“), you’ve got to admit that seeing Sir Anthony Hopkins crawl into Hannibal Lecter’s skin one more time makes for gripping entertainment.

“Manhunter” was a different film - different cast, different script, different. Period. End of statement. For the benefit of this review, let’s allow “Red Dragon” to pass or fail on its own merits. There are countless books that have been made into multiple films by different filmmakers and hundreds of movies that are simply remakes of earlier versions. What’s the point of debating whether or not Brett Ratner’s “Red Dragon” needed to be made in the first place? It’s done already; let’s get past it.

That said, how does “Red Dragon” stand up to the two previous Hopkins-as-Hannibal Lecter films? “Red Dragon” offers more creepy thrills than “Hannibal” and is almost - not quite, but almost - as startlingly chilling and breathtakingly thrilling as “Silence of the Lambs” (thank you Ted Tally for returning to the trilogy as “Red Dragon’s” screenwriter).

“Red Dragon” introduces audiences to a couple of new integral players in the Lecter story. Edward Norton joins the fray as FBI Agent Will Graham, the man who takes down the demented doctor. Graham and Lecter begin as colleagues, respectful of each other’s intelligence and to all outward appearances, working on the same side of the law. While consulting with the esteemed psychiatrist on a case, Graham discovers the man behind the credentials is actually the man he’s hunting down. The two go at it in a battle that leaves both men critically injured and near death. We all know that Lecter doesn’t die (this is the first in the series after all) and Graham also survives, though he retires from the Bureau to live quietly in Marathon, Florida with his wife and young son.

Of course there’s no way Graham will stay retired (where would the story go if Graham simply fades away?). He’s hooked back in to the search for a new baddie, a brutal serial killer nicknamed The Tooth Fairy. Graham’s good at what he does, in fact he’s so good that his fellow FBI agent, Jack Crawford (Harvey Keitel), believes he’s got a special gift that allows him to get inside the killer’s mind. Even with his special insight into disturbed minds, The Tooth Fairy has him stumped, forcing Graham to seek assistance from the one man he desperately wants to avoid, the incarcerated Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

Despite the dozens of films Hopkins has performed brilliantly in, it’ll no doubt be the Hannibal Lecter trilogy that he’ll best be remembered for. Hopkins is Hannibal the Cannibal. Once he gets into character, there’s no separating the actor from the role.

As FBI Agent Graham, Edward Norton plays perfectly off of Hopkins’ sinister Lecter, imparting Graham with layers of carefully maintained controlled emotions that brew just below the surface. Norton’s Graham is equally as compelling as Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling was in “Silence of the Lambs.”

Ralph Fiennes seems to physically increase in bulk and stature before our eyes while undergoing the transformation from mild-mannered Francis Dolarhyde into the murderous Red Dragon. With a tattooed back, a scarred upper lip, and enough overall creepiness to send grown men fleeing in fear, Fiennes’ Red Dragon/Tooth Fairy is as intriguing as Hannibal Lecter. Fiennes wasn’t the first actor I envisioned when reading the “Red Dragon” novel but his performance left no doubt that the filmmakers knew exactly what they needed in an actor for such a complex role.

Though there were times the score was overwhelming when it needed to be subtle and there were a few plotlines that were left dangling, “Red Dragon” is nonetheless a wild funhouse ride through a land populated with nasty killers and hero FBI agents. Step up and take a turn behind the wheel, but don’t forget to buckle your seatbelt and hang on tight. There’s scary stuff ahead but thankfully it’s all in fun.

Rebecca Murray
Hollywood Movies Guide

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