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Red Dragon |
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| last updated on November 7, 2006 | 21 reviews on file |
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| 27 | 10 | 2002 Naim Ahmad, from England writes ... " Having just watched Red Dragon, let me begin by making a distinction between Manhunter and Red Dragon. Manhunter is a seering cinematic vision based on a superb book, whereas Red Dragon is a spliced together and botched adaptation. Many people were shocked at the choice of director for Red Dragon. After-all, Brett Ratner's previous efforts had been mainly in the comedy/action genre. However, we should not forget that Jonathan Demme who directed Silence of the Lambs had built his own reputation by directing comedy thrillers such as Married to the Mob! The key failure of Red Dragon lies in the fact that despite Brett Ratner's claims that it is true to the book, we know that the role of Lecktor has been enlarged in order to cash in on the popularity of the character. Red Dragon [the book] is not about Lecktor - it is about Will Graham and how he copes with his inner demons and attempts to handle the curse which he has been gifted with. By giving Lecktor increased significance, the audience is deprived of the character development which rightly should be the focus of attention. Whereas in Manhunter we feel the actual intensity of self analysis and self disgust that Will Graham has for his 'gift', in Red Dragon this is glossed over as some sort of almost telepathic ability to read the motivations of the criminally insane that Graham posseses which he has merely decided to switch off. There really is no competition between William Petersen's portrayal and Norton's of Graham. Whilst Petersen exudes a silent angst one minute and choking claustrophobia another, Norton merely seems physically ill and in desperate need of a nutritionist. The actual harm that Graham has caused himself is vastly underplayed in Red Dragon as a direct result of bringing Lecktor's histrionics into the spotlight. This brings me to Hopkins, it seems he has gorged himself on the role of Lecktor not physically but theatrically. Not for the first time Hopkins hams it up quite royally and sets the tone for the film very overtly, in Hannibal this was fine but here it really is to the detriment of the integrity of Lecktor. Whereas in Manhunter subtlety is employed by Brian Cox's Lecktor to bait and badger Graham into a corner, here Hopkins is directed by Ratner to pounce at Graham on any given opportunity in order to assert his superiority. This factor belies the 'honours even' nature of Graham's and Lecktor's relationship. By this i mean that Lecktor psychologically has the upper hand over Graham because he is always able to touch a nerve with remarks such as 'dream much, Will?', thus knowingly refering to the nightmares that Graham suffers from as a result of their earlier encounters, therefore why should he feel the need to jump around and grit his teeth at Graham? Graham on the other hand has a physical upper hand in that he unlike Lecktor is still in control of his actions and not incarcerated. This overtness of Red Dragon is a repeated feature throughout the film, in contrast to Manhunter's symbolic and implied portrayal of the characters behaviours and feelings. Again we see that Ralph Fiennes is forced to play up Francis Dolarhyde especially in the Lounds reckoning/torture scene. Whilst Tom Noonan dominates the scene with an almost silent, hypnotic and slightly off kilter speech pattern, Fiennes plays up the speech impediment, flexes his muscles and shows off the tattoo like a circus act. As I sat in the cinema many people chuckled at the pathetically ever brilliant Philip Seymour Hoffman which shows that the desired effect of Dolarhydes statement ' YOU OWE ME AWE' has not been achieved by Fiennes' portrayal. In Manhunter however, the effect of this scene pins you to the back of your seat silent in horrified anticipation wanting like Lounds to close your eyes but being forced to keep them open. Finally, the actual realisation by Graham as to how Dolarhyde is choosing his unfortunate victims is such a fundamental part of the movie, again here Red Dragon fizzes as much as a flat pepsi and we feel no sense of passion, we see no razor sharp perception in Norton's performance. Petersen in Manhunter however mesmerizes the audience with his sudden and sharp affinity with Dolarhyde's demonic thought process in a scene that can only be described as a cinematic orgasm. The other actors in Red Dragon turn in pedestrain performances with the exception of Emily Watson's Reba, who alongside Hoffman's Lounds are the best things about the film. Overall, what does Red Dragon achieve? Well firstly it makes Dino de Laurentiis richer, which Isuppose is fair enough considering that he gave us the faithful Manhunter in the first place, so it can be considered a delayed pay day. Secondly though, and more importantly, it will hopefully encourage those who have not seen Manhunter to go out and track it down in order to see the definitive portrayals of Will Graham, Francis Dolarhyde and Dr. Lecktor ..." Personal rating for Red Dragon : 27 | 10 | 2002 Anon, from the USA writes ... " This movie may very well be the best of the Hannible trilogy. A masterful story keeps you on the edge of your seat while scaring you enough to keep you held back. While Norton does an extraordinary job, the whole casts performs incredibly! I personaly beleive a genious is at work with the Hannible trilogy and I want to know what happens next ..." Personal rating for Red Dragon : 16 | 10 | 2002 Jason, from Oklahoma City writes ... " Having waited many months to finally see Ratner's supposed "more true to the book than Manhunter" epic masterpiece, I can honestly say I was extremely disappointed. Red Dragon is by far my favorite book, and I have read it no less than 10 times over the last decade or so. When I heard a newer, more true to the book version of Red Dragon was being filmed I was ecstatic. Furthermore, being a fan of Ed Norton, Harvey Keitel and Anthony Hopkins really made me drool. After seeing the movie, (first day it opened) I shook my head in disgust remembering the claim to fame comments so blatantly vomited by Ratner. Is he living in the same Thomas Harris universe every fan and commentator on this website is? Not only were a lot of the scenes contrived to give Anthony Hopkins more screen time, but the ending was predictable. I suppose I am prejudiced, but I really liked Manhunter. Yes it was very Miami Vice, yes, the ending was different, but William Peterson did such a wonderful job it is hard to accept Ed Norton's whiney performance. Will Graham is supposed to be a very complex character fighting the inner demons that so thinly veil his involved way of thinking. Ed Norton played the role like he was an unsure bumbling teenager. Even Anthony Hopkins played the role of Lector with a certain bit of laziness. He will always be Lector to me, however I think Hopkins has grown bored with the part and I think that really showed in his performance. I blame this on shotty directing. Ratner was bred for Rush Hour like movies. Putting him in charge of such a compelling tale as Red Dragon was a mistake. I thought most of the scenes were rushed not letting the audience fully enjoy the complexity of the story. I feel most of the fans commenting favorably about this film are being way to generous due to the lack of any good films in great long time. Red Dragon the novel was a beautifully written piece of literature, and to put the film hand in hand with the book is an abomination. Some good points, as few as they are; Ralph Fiennes did an exceptional job. Although his physical presence did little for me, his acting was superb. He really made me believe he was insane. The cinematography was also excellent. Dolarhyde's house was exactly as I pictured it to be. On the whole, I really wish this film was not rushed to be produced to leech on the Lector cashcow. If I had not read the book so many times, and not seen Manhunter, I probably would be ecstatic about this film, but unfortunately I had higher expectations of what this "true to the book" film should be. Go see the movie just to derive your own opinion, but take into account this movie is nothing more than a kindergarten attempt to put the greatest book in existence into pictures. Sorry if I offend anyone, it's just my opinion ..." Personal rating for Red Dragon : none
specified 16 | 10 | 2002 Tim, from the USA writes ... " I really enjoyed the movie, but I don't know if it was really a significant remake. The original was really good as well, and I don't think they really added anything substantial (as far as insight) to the plot. I did like the beginning referencing Hannibal's beginnings, but that was just a tease! What everyone wants is to see Lecter's story. Alas, I'm afraid that could only be disappointing at this point. I'm a big fan of Norton, but I think the oringal played Graham better. Someone alluded to Graham talking to himself through the crime scene as "hollywooding," but that was in the original "Manhunter" and the book as well. It shows how intense he was in identifying with the killer. I think Ralph Fiennes is a great actor, but I think he was miscast. I think they needed a more dominating physique for the intended effect. All-in-all, two thumbs up! ..." Personal rating for Red Dragon : 15 | 10 | 2002 Anon, from the USA writes ... " I loved this movie more than any. I could not believe Ralph's performance. Could he be more intoxicating? I am now a devoted fan due to this movie. Having only been an Ed Norton fan to a slight degree, he gets my approval as well. You could probably count on one hand the times I blinked from the time the movie started, and the bruises on my husbands arms could attest to the suspense in instilled in me. Poor guy ..." Personal rating for Red Dragon : 15 | 10 | 2002 Rogue Gallart, from the USA writes ... " I must say, I just recently saw Red Dragon and to no avail it is is exactly what I thought. Boring, humdrum and so predicatable. I recently had left a message on this website regarding "if it aint broke dont fix it". This movie tried to be like Silence Of the Lambs slow and dreary. One thing that saved this picture from being completely horrible was Sir Anthony Hopkins. Who at this point can do no wrong. But to watch Ed Norton *(who I like as an actor) play Will Graham that was a horror. No one can replace William Peterson. Oh by the way the music was also putting me to sleep. And I am a big fan of Danny Elfman ..." Personal rating for Red Dragon : none
specified 15 | 10 | 2002 Gary Bernhardt , from the USA writes ... " With all of the skepticism surrounding the MANHUNTER ’remake’, I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of RED DRAGON. I definitely was NOT disappointed. Red Dragon was arguably Thomas Harris’ finest work, and this movie remained very true to its architect, where MANHUNTER did not. Allow me to break down MANHUNTER and the superior RED DRAGON. First and foremost you can interpret the novel Red Dragon in many different ways. It’s the story of the damaged FBI profiler Will Graham lured back into the game in effort to locate a serial killer ruthlessly murdering entire families. It is also a story about an imprisoned psychopath, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a once renown forensic psychiatrist from Baltimore who murdered and cannibalized victims and was subsequently caught by FBI agent Graham who nearly lost his life in the process. Within the dark chambers of the Baltimore Hospital for the criminally insane, using his Machiavellian like genius, Dr. Lecter plots his revenge upon special agent Graham, and primarily succeeds. MANHUNTER completely fails to capitalize on this. Hannibal LeKTOR (why they changed the spelling is beyond me) played by Scottish actor Brian Cox was entirely misused. While he brought his own style to the part, he lacked the subtlety, eloquence, and charisma described in detail by author Thomas Harris. We the audience hang on Hopkins portrayal of Lecter and his every word as he toys with our minds, dangling clues out there for us to grab such as quoting a piece from a William Blake poem. “A robin red-breast in a cage puts all Heaven in a rage.” Brain Cox’s LeKTOR mumbled his words and lacked the aura needed for this crucial element with limited screen time. William Peterson did a fine job as Will Graham and perhaps if the story had not been destroyed completely, he may have been justly appreciated . We see a worn and torn Graham but have no true feeling as to why and what drove him to his rational. Ed Norton did a superlative job as well. We are also able to understand his Graham more clearly, and know why he has retired to Marathon, Florida and is fixing boat motors. The first five to ten minutes of RED DRAGON paint the picture. We see Graham’s depth and perception as well as Lecter’s lethal cunning. Dennis Farina being cast as Jack Crawford in MANHUNTER was absolutely disgusting. He plays Crawford “the stoic” as a loud, profanity spewing cop. How ridiculous was the scene where Graham is telling falsities of Dolarhyde’s persona to Freddy Lounds (who I will get to in a minute) and says that Dolarhyde “may have had sexual relations with his mother.” They pan over to Crawford and show him laughing. Hello Michael Mann?? Crawford is supposed to be the head of Behavioral Science, not a rookie policeman laughing in the background. Harvey Keitel was outstanding. He played the part much like Scot Glen did in SOTL, and again most importantly very true to the depiction of Thomas Harris. He was savvy, he cared very much for Graham and his family and had an underlying sense as to what Dr. Hannibal Lecter is and what he once did to Will Graham. In MANHUNTER when Graham says he is going to see LeKTOR, Crawford says “Why?”, in bewildered state of mind. Again I do not know what Michael Mann was thinking. Stephen Lang played Freddie Lounds in MANHUNTER. He was a walking caricature. He belonged in a comic book or something. “Whadda ya hear, whadda ya say Will Graham?” Give me a break Lang. Phillip Seymour-Hoffman did Lounds with the right amount of sleaze and greed. He wanted the story and the glorification that came with it, not caring who gets hurt in the process. On to the Dragon. Ralph Fiennes gave us a feel for the battered and abused child that was Francis Dolarhyde. When passing the great painting of his grandmother we see an abused child in Fiennes rendition.. In the same sense we see an utter monster when he viciously kills Freddie Lounds. Fiennes plays this character with great range and passion in RED DRAGON. Tom Noonan was decent in MANHUNTER, but to monotone and boring. He lacked presence. I believe the audience wants to feel something. Feel emotion. Watching Fiennes pumping iron while hearing his grandmothers voice pounding his every thought, we as an audience feel sad for the childhood he had to endure. When ravaging Lounds, and later taking Will’s son captive we are overwhelmed with fright. Fiennes deserves high praise for his performance. Emily Watson playing the blind Reba McClane gave a top notch showing. One could empathize with her being drawn to the mysterious Dolarhyde. She too was an ocean of emotion. Pulsating with attraction to Francis, and later trembling in fear when it comes crashing down upon her as to who and what he is. Joan Allen’s Reba lacked energy. She is drawn to Dolarhyde to quickly in MANHUNTER, and doesn’t play Reba nearly as terrorized as she should be at the movie’s conlusion. How Miami Vice like was the ending of MANHUNTER? A cop through the window and the bad guy is dead. In DRAGON we see Graham use the wit that years earlier helped him catch Lecter, persuade Dolarhyde to release his son and come after him. Tormenting Dolarhyde with words that turned a helpless child in to an adult killing machine. Superlative. MANHUNTER was in my view an episode of Miami Vice excluding Crockett & Tubbs. For any fan who enjoyed Silence Of The Lambs and the psychological thriller genre, I highly recommend seeing RED DRAGON. By the way Anthony Hopkins is as delicious as ever. His pre-incarceration Lecter was magnificent Arrogant and calm, poetic and polite to the last, but deceptively smelling fear like an ancient predator. Once incarcerated the audience gets a feel there should be several layers of glass protecting Lecter from the innocent. Hopkins stare alone as the lethal doctor cuts through the glass like diamond. I’m sure, regardless of how Dragon scores at the box office, which has been pretty well so far, we will see a final chapter to this story ..." Personal rating for Red Dragon : 15 | 10 | 2002 Lester Leach, from the USA writes ... " I have to say first and foremost that I preferred Manhunter to Red Dragon. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the Red Dragon as a distinctly separate movie. Though I have not read the book (Red Dragon), I have seen Manhunter maybe fifty times. I will also see Red Dragon over and over again as is my practice with good psychological dramas that make you think. I think the casting was excellent and I stand by my original comment that Kevin Spacey would have made an excellent younger Hannibal Lector. However, the Hannibal Lector character belongs to Sir Anthony Hopkins and I greatly appreciate his body of work with this character. It appears that he has given it all that he can and no more should be asked, lest we have a Godfather III on our hands.
13 | 10 | 2002 anon writes ... " While I wouldn't go so far as to say the movie was excellent, I was utterly captivated by Ralph Fiennes' performance which ranged from subtle and introverted to utterly insane. I greatly enjoyed the scene where he tortured the reporter, which was impossible to turn away from. Much of the movie was, unfortunately, "Hollywoodified", especially Graham's talking to himself at the crime scene. But the predictable elements of a Hollywood film are easy to overlook when put up against the brilliant Ralph Fiennes and Anthony Hopkins. It came to the point where you were dreading the moment that Ralph Fiennes would be killed because he was such an awesome villian, and there was a sense that he was not too terrible of a person, just a victim of horrible circumstances. Anyway, see the movie, if just to revel in Fiennes' brilliance ..." 07 | 10 | 2002 Kelley writes ... " I just went to see 'Red Dragon' on Friday the 4th, and we thought it was really awesome !!! Anthony Hopkins was (as always excellent) as Dr. Lecter !! I am an Avid Fan of Sir Anthony Hopkins now thanks to Silence of the Lambs ..." 07 | 10 | 2002 Anthony Abate writes ... " I thought the film was very entertaining, but Edward Norton just can't step up to William Petersen as Will Graham. Edward Norton while very good in this role just doesn't have the look or the stature to carry Will Graham to reality. I liked how they used actors from the other movie's but then again they failed to use key ones like Scott Glenn as Crawford which hurt the film. All in all I do recommend Red Dragon. It is very well done and does follow the book a bit more closely than Manhunter ..." 06 | 10 | 2002 Ron Lourd writes ... " Red Dragon is a badly directed, very miscast, almost farsical attempt. No wonder I usually rent movies ..." 05 | 10 | 2002 Jeff Wagner writes ... " Just seen the movie today. It was very well done. Stayed true to the book and I enjoyed it a great deal. Now I am waiting for the movie on the beginning of our pal Hannibal to be made (hint-hint!) ..." 05 | 10 | 2002 Lauri Bernard writes ... “I loved the movie and found Ralph Fiennes to be, of course, brilliant as well as Hopkins and Norton. I did however, want to tell Ted Tally the screenwriter that I think we should have been involved as an audience member in maybe the second family killing. We needed to see just how crazy Dolarhyde was “becoming” and we needed to feel his transformation in process. I felt we as observers had too much empathy for him, in a nut-shell we needed to hate him more his crimes were almost not real, because we didn't see him do much, accept to Phil Hoffman and that was not enough. I feel both writer and director held back. Many movies push the gruesome uncomfortable envelope for us audience members, why not this one? Ralph Fiennes is overly full of talent and he could have reached down into his bowels even more if you wanted him to. You under estimated us as an intelligent audience and Mr Fiennes as a hell of an actor. Thanks for reading if you did …" 05 | 10 | 2002 Theresa Yajko writes ... " I have just seen 'Red Dragon.' I know Ican't sleep until I speak about it. It was forcefully scary and each characters essence was fulfilled. I am a big fan of Manhunter and Michael Mann so I was scared that this remake might just be a collage of million-dollar faces getting to play roles that they only dreamed of, but I was wrong. All of the casting is outstanding! I just wish I could tell Anthony that he looks much younger, but only in his reflections, then again I am a hard one to hide age from. Red Dragon does carry a lot of imagery (sets)
that are in Silence, and yet it withstands the test in leading you to
believe these places (where the film takes place) had other stories. It's
not just Ed Norton playing around in Jodie Foster's bedroom. Anyways, if your thinking of boycotting this film in respects of Michael Mann, please give Brett Ratner a chance to enchant you with his painting of fear. You may have looked, but you have not seen ..." 05 | 10 | 2002 May Shaktah writes ... " Tuesday 10/01/2002 was a night I have been waiting for for over a year now, I was fortunate enough to attend a private screening for "Red Dragon". Going in to the movie I had prepared myself for disappointment thinking "There's no way it will live up to my expectations..." As a fan of the novels more than the films I had to satisfy my curiosity and see the movie. I needed to know if the producers would relay the storyline in it's truest form or at least close to it. So, here are my findings: Red Dragon, the book, is a remarkable work of art that in my opinion is flawless. The detail that Thomas Harris uses in describing characters and atmospheres is delicious. Having read the book many times I was pretty familiar with what details could or could not be left out of the movie and still maintain a good story line. My main concern was that "Hollywood" would focus on portraying "Mr. D" as a monster and not tell his real story. So, here is what I think of Red Dragon, the movie; "hats off to the writer, director, producers and cast of Red Dragon." The film was excellent !!! The acting was phenomenal and the screenplay (what wasn't taken directly from the book) was brilliant !!! There, of course, were some aspects of the story that were left out that I think would have made the movie a bit more intriguing but for people who have never read the book it all works out fine. Now, as for the cast ... Anthony Hopkins will always be Dr. Lecter to me, and with all the special effects we have today I was never concerned about him having to look younger for the part. His portrayal of the good doctor was superb as always and the script gave him more opportunities to shine than what the book originally had. Harvey Keitel made a great "Crawford", Mary-Louise Parkers' portrayal of "Molly" was pretty good, too, but honestly anyone could have pulled it off (no disrespect, but it wasn't such a demanding role). Emily Watson was perfect for "Reba", she had that innocent (blind) girl next door look and yet a sassy attitude. She had some pretty intense scenes and only someone of great acting calibur could give such a performance. I wish there were more scenes with "Freddy Lounds" in them - I love Phillip Seymour Hoffman, he is so diverse and noone could have played a scumbag tambloid reporter better than he did. Edward Norton can do no wrong by me - he was magnificent !!! I think he would have made a more believable "Graham" if they made him look a bit older but regardless he still pulled it off, exquisitely !!! Okay, now to the most complicated character "Francis Dolarhyde". I. too, was a little weary with the casting of Ralph Fiennesas Mr. D. I think they could have beefed-him-up a bit more for the role, but again that's okay. I can't think of anyone else to play that part after seeing him as the Great Red Dragon. He was outstanding !!! He had that look in his eyes that even with all the rage, anger, and monstrosity he had in him you still felt so sorry for him !!! I feel a lot of Oscar buzz stirring around this movie and I think it well deserves it !!! Go see the movie for the sake of seeing a great movie. Take off your judgemental (Red Dragon)book-lover hat and enjoy it for what it is. Let me know if you feel it did justice to the book or not. For me, I must say it did a great justice. I love "Manhunter" but it didn't do the trick for me. Oh, by the way, rumor has it the producers of "Red Dragon" have asked Ted Tally (sp?), the screenwriter, to write an original script as a fourth movie in the series ... Any news on that ???" 05 | 10 | 2002 Cheryl Warren writes ... " Hi! I saw the movie at this morning's first showing and even though I was expecting the passion of William Petersen and the green lighting effects I was still blown away. It looked like a Lambs and Hannibal movie, but was a new film in itself. I thought Norton was too young to play Graham but he evolved brilliantly. The music was perfect for this film. I don`t think they tried to remake Manhunter but made a film about a book called Red Dragon. I don`t love this film as much as Manhunter but still blown away by it pre-quel remake. The life of Mr D was forfilling and replaced what Manhunter missed but was droning. I cannot fault this film that will be placed in to my top ten ... ... but Manhunter is my first love of Thomas Harris. Many thanks, Cheryl Warren ..." 04 | 10 | 2002 Michael Scheinman, from the USA writes ... " Tonight I attended a showing of the new Red Dragon movie, with my hopes set high - and I gladly report that I wasn't the least bit disappointed. I believe the order in which I viewed the Hannibal films was a good one ... first Silence Of The Lambs, then Hannibal, Manhunter, and now Red Dragon. I was expecting Red Dragon to fill in parts of Manhunter that were unclear, and it did. The beginning scene of Red Dragon shocked me the most. Neither in Manhunter nor the original book of Red Dragon was Dr. Lecter's capture displayed so vividly. My only disappointment was the way in which Lecter was arrested ... I was looking for a more momentus, extraordinary capture. Instead it is a simple yet bloody battle. The body of the Red Dragon movie is quite similar to Manhunter ... although in different orders. I was glad that they changed the way in which Dr. Lecter aquired Will Graham's home address. I felt that the guards simply handing Lecter a phone and leaving him alone was ridiculous in Manhunter, but that flaw was fixed. The only other incredible surprise I got came at the end of the movie ... I won't spoil it for those who have not yet viewed the film, but I must say it is nothing like Manhunter ... and it DOESNT disappoint ! The falling action, however? A great twist it was at the end, having Hannibal informed of a "female detective" wanting to question him ... but it must have been made purely for Hollywood. The timeline just doesn't fit. All in all, what's my review? GREATEST MOVIE EVER! The suspense, the action, the drama ... It leaves nothing to the imagination, nothing to ponder, and nothing to regret... see Red Dragon as soon as possible. You won't regret it ..." Personal rating for Red Dragon : 03 | 10 | 2002 Steve Kurtz writes ... " Having watched the film [Red Dragon] two nights ago, I can state that it hasn't left my mind for long, if at all. Not because it's that particularly good, but it does have a certain macabre aura, especially the last hour, that is hard to shake. Ralph Fiennes, let me say right off, is excellent in the role of Dolarhyde. The scene where he tortures Lownes is almost unwatchable, its intensity that ferocious. Philip Seymour Hoffman radiates a fear that I was sensing very strongly in the comfort of my living room. It is by far the strongest scene in the film. I wasn't convinced for a moment that Ed Norton is the right choice for Graham. Someone older, someone more affected by the grisly confrontation with Lecter and the brush with death, would have been more believeable. William Hurt maybe. Or perhaps a Gary Sinise. Whatever, I thought Norton was miscast. As is Harvey Keitel (for the most part). He seems wooden, almost afraid to really loosen up and bite into the role. He needed to be more "Bad Lieutenant" than Jack Crawford. But that's quibbling, and this film, while inviting quibbling almost unmercifully, is still a chilling and unshakable view. I don't think it's meant to be "better" than MANHUNTER. I think it's meant to be a "modern" MANHUNTER, something a little closer to the book and a little truer to the original horrific intent dreamt up by Mr. Harris. Of the four films offered up thus far, this one rates a strong second, in my estimation, behind SILENCE, the film by which most psychological thrillers should be measured. MANHUNTER is a respectable third, with HANNIBAL lagging far behind and almost off the chart. Have a good time with this film over the weekend, and see what you think. To recap, I will say the first hour is standard Hollywood moviemaking and sometimes you'll wonder what the point is...but in the second hour the shock quotient is ratcheted up a notch or two, and the film finally takes off. Brett Ratner is to be congratulated for being able to do a 180 after the RUSH HOUR cashfests, and direct something that, while not necessarily destined for Tinseltown immortality, will certainly do no dishonor to the legacy of Hannibal Lecter and the franchise that he has become ..." 01 | 10 | 2002 Chris Presswell, from England writes ... " Oh joy. Red Dragon has been rated 15 in the UK. For once, I assumed that I would be able to go and see a good film without the usual hell-like experience. But no. I now have to sit there with a bunch of 12-16 years olds sitting at the back, talking all through the film, throwing popcorn at various members of the audience, and complaining that Dr. Lecter isn't eating anybody. Terrific. But la "piece de resistance?" Well, that'll be going outside to a security guard in his late teens, asking him to throw these under-agers out, after which he'll tell me that they're "just having fun." When he DOES go into the cinema, the perpetrators in question will stop until he leaves, completely ruining my cinema-going experience, and wasting the hard earned £6 it cost to go in. Wonderful or what ...? " |
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