Audiences have sat through torturously bad sequels, remakes, and newly concocted drivel this year without a mass revolt. Studios are lucky ticket buyers haven’t organized and made a stand against $100 million-budgeted chunks of garbage. And now we have the third film of a gross-out comedy series competing for our hard-earned cash. Please pass the Tylenol.

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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.

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