Rating: 
Summary: "Manhunter", updated for the 2000s
Review: Red Dragon, third in the line of "Hannibal Lector" series featuring Anthony Hopkins, is preceded by the 1986 Michael Mann film, Manhunter. Standing alone, Red Dragon is a good solid film from beginning to end; however, I feel those interested in buying this film or otherwise completing the legacy, should get an idea for how the two film versions of Thomas Harris' first Lector novel differ.Red Dragon feels more like a psychological horror film than does Manhunter. Those who remember 80's police action films like Clint Eastwood's "Tightrope" or Silvester Stallone's "Cobra" will find Manhunter in common thriller territory. The tension in Red Dragon is strong throughout the film; however we see little development of the Francis Dolarhyde (Tom Noonan) serial killer (known as the Tooth Fairy). While we see the central elements that define his psychosis, we only barely glimpse at his struggle with his own humanity except for through emotion expressed in Ralph Feinnes' eyes. Tom Noonan's Francis is distant and perhaps zombie-like, and so the character is development more through subsequent scenes. Red Dragon is also more bloody -- appropriate for the times; whereas Manhunter has virtually no gore (that I can recall). Absent from Red Dragon is the 80's power pop-rock music that scores Manhunter. This is perhaps for the best as the music used in Red Dragon actually adds atmosphere to the scenes. The central figure in Red Dragon, FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) is more clearly defined as having a sixth sense that aids him in his investigations. This is less clear in Manhunter as it's arguable that Graham is just highly intuitive. However, William Petersen's portrayal of Graham is darker, more complex. This helps to enrich the drama even more since both the protagonist and antagonist seem to be living inside themselves, shut out from the rest of the world. Brian Cox portrays Hannibal Lector with confidence, but pales in comparison to Anthony Hopkins' more sinister performance. As good a film as Manhunter is, it is difficult to recommend movie fans from overlooking Red Dragon since the success of the film has been built largely on Hopkins' role as the good, er evil doctor. The 4-star rating I gave to this DVD is not based on the caliber of the film itself but on it's presentation in the DVD and on the extras. The DVD is pretty much standard fare for today, which is a good thing; however, I didn't find myself overly thrilled about the extras.
Rating: 
Summary: At Least It Made the Filmmakers Some Money...
Review: Rent "Manhunter" instead. That film has more style and substance than "Red Dragon," not to mention much better performances. If you're like me, you'll rent this for curiosity's sake, but after viewing it, will realize that it was merely a vehicle for Anthony Hopkins to exploit his brilliant turn in "The Silence of the Lambs," much like he did in "Hannibal." With the exception of Ralph Fiennes and Harvey Keitel, all of the performances are extremely lazy. Edward Norton, one of my favorite actors, disappoints when compared to William Peterson from the original film. Peterson showed depth and true pain and anguish as a character who has to think like the killer in order to catch him; Norton merely puts his hand on his forehead and raises his eyebrows, attempting to display said anguish. While Fiennes and Keitel are both very good, even they can't give this movie the energy it needs to surpass "Manhunter." And there are those who might say, "Why does it have to be compared to 'Manhunter?" To that I can simply answer: if someone chooses to remake a movie, then, for all intents and purposes, they think they can make the film better than the original director. Brett Ratner vs. Michael Mann? Please. Truth is, Ratner is to blame for all of the movie's faults. The lazy performances, the ridiculous twist ending (which is in the book, but is extremely predictable when transferring the story to film), the assanine explanation of why the Tooth Fairy turned out like he is...ugghh. Brett Ratner remaking a Michael Mann film is like Justin Timberlake covering a Led Zeppelin song -- just plain wrong. I really wanted to like this movie, because the cast is phenomenal (but phenomenally wasted). I found myself looking for reasons to appreciate and cherish it...but all for naught. A bad movie is a bad movie, no matter what. But hey, it did great box office, right?
Rating: 
Summary: Lucifer Fallen
Review: It is odd that the third best of the 'Lector' novels written by Thomas Harris should turn out to be every bit as good as the others when taken to film. Much is due to Brett Ratner's ability to stay focused on creating an unselfconscious story line that sticks to the material and the atmospherics around it. Another large amount is due to Anthony Hopkins ability to recreate a character who exudes evil and fear. But the entire cast of this film manage to play their parts well.
This is the prequel (or near prequel) to the events in Silence of the Lambs. Edward Norton plays Will Graham, the FBI agent who brought Lector to justice in the first case. He has 'escaped' from seeking serial killers and is now making an anonymous life repairing boats. But his retirement is short-lived as Jack Crawford (Harvey Keitel) seeks Will out for help on a troubling case where entire families are being killed in a grim ritual. As we quickly find out, one of the things that's wanted is for Will to work with Lector again, this time with the mad psychiatrist behind thick plate glass and bars.
What we find out early in the film is that the new killer is somehow linked to the old. Lector's uncanny ability to reach out and manipulate minds is still strong, and the real story is Will Graham's struggle to evade Lector's plans while trying to identify the killer with Lecter's help. The detective and his family are the goats in a dark hunting game.
Hopkins plays Lecter to perfection. Not the slick Lecter of Silence, but as a man still developing his style. For all his ego, Lecter's real problem is his inability to see Will Graham as anything but an alter-ego. The agent, who survived catching Lecter only by accident has no such self-delusions. His honest brilliance is a counterpoint to Lecter's deviousness.
Another near perfect acting Job is done by Ralph Fienne, who plays Francis Dolahyde, the Red Dragon of the title. This isn't a hysterical portrait. Dolarhyde has his own brilliance despite his emotional ineptness, and Fienne brings this out perfectly, capturing Dolarhyde's fumbling love affair with Reba and his power as a controlled killer with surprising sympathy.
The extras consist of commentaries, interviews and the usual 'making of' film. I tend to look askance at the modern habit of expanding the credence of a film by piling on self-important tidbits, but these are well done, and enhance the viewing experience by surfacing some of the fine details that make this a successful film.
Rating:
Summary: 'AWE' inspiring.....
Review: The BEST suspense thriller ever commited to celluloid, period. This has always been my personal favorite of the 'Lector' chronicles- mainly because the emphasis is not on the infamous doctor, but the far more terrifying and psychologically realistic character of Francis Dolarhyde, and the other side of that coin; the equally fascinating inspector Graham. Much has been made of the original adaptation; 'MANHUNTER'- while I agree that version (directed by the great Michael Mann) has a certain stylistic superiority, not to mention fine performances by William Peterson, Tom Noonan, and Brian Cox (actually a better Lector, in my humble opinion)- This version is much more faithful to the novel, with Dolarhyde's and Reba's relationship being the central issue, and the mythology and origion of 'THE DRAGON' intact. Emily Watson easily outshines Joan Allen, Norton is servicable, and Fiennes is a brillant Dolarhyde, inspiring both pity and terror, as we watch him struggle with the voices commanding him to kill for his 'becoming'. Don't see this without reading the book!!
Rating:
Summary: Very good, low-key adaption of Harris's novel
Review: I liked the first attempt to bring "Red Dragon" to the screen, 1986's "Manhunter", but I actually prefer this version. It is not as fast-paced, and the secondary characters are generally better developed, making it easier to care about what happens to them.
"Manhunter" may have been closer to the letter, but to me, "Red Dragon" is the better movie.
Brian Cox was excellent as Hannibal Lecter in "Manhunter", but you just can't beat Anthony Hopkins, and Edward Norton is sublime as Special Agent Will Graham, the man who captures Hannibal Lecter.
But it's Ralph Fiennes as Francis Dolarhyde who really steals the show, bringing an incredible depth and nuance to what could very easily be a stereotypical character, and "Red Dragon", unlike the gory "Hannibal", is certainly worthy of its relationship to "Silence Of The Lambs", even if "Lambs" is ultimately a better and more original story.
Definitely recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A competent but unnecessary remake.
Review: It seems a little odd that there should be a remake of a film only 16 years after the somewhat superior original, "Manhunter," which was directed by the great Micheal Mann. The most notable changes here are the cast, obviously, but there are no marked improvements there. Ed Norton is as good as always, but no better than the last guy who played Graham (he's on that "CSI" show, I believe.) Brian Cox is every bit the actor that Anthony Hopkins is, and his Hannibal Lechter is infinitely creepier--not played for laughs as Hopkins often does. Ray Fiennes' Dollarhyde is a murderous freak, but a more sympathetic figure than his successor, which detracts from the punch the original film delivers. This difference is most evident in the altered ending, which provides a more "crowd-pleasing" stock finale than in the earlier film. See both films if you're curious, and you, too, will probably wonder why they bothered to make a remake so similar to the original.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome thriller!
Review: If you liked "Silence of the Lambs," this is a must see! Hannibal was a bit too graphic for my taste, so this movie brought back the class that was originally found in "Lambs." Anthony Hopkins portrays Lector with genius and sophistication, and Edward Norton should be noted for his excellent performance as well. Great movie!
Rating:
Summary: Frightening.
Review: I've wasted enough time arguing in vain with my friends that this picture surpasses Silence of the Lambs. But, I will say that this prequel of the Hannibal Lecter trilogy scared me, surprised me, and dazzled me more than the other films did. This film skips the typical build up and jumps into the climax within the first five minutes where we meet FBI agent Will Graham, played by Edward Norton whose relationship with the yet to be imprisoned Lecter, played terrifyingly by Anthony Hopkins makes for some terrific watching. It's a thriller in every sense of the word.
Rating: 
Summary: Didn't stick to the original plot, but whatever.
Review: This is the prequel to "Silence of the Lambs", and it kind of lays out the story very nicely. I enjoyed "Silence". I thought "Hannibal" was MUCH too graphic, and it made me physically sick... however, I did enjoy the movie. I thought that "The Candyman" wasn't built enough. He should have been more muscular, as the storyline defines him as a big, strong, weightlifter, etc... and he's not. He's a skinney guy with a bad ass tattoo. Anthony Hopkins did a great job in this, as he's done in the past, and I was impressed by Edward Norton. He's the man. Rent it, and watch it in the dark with someone you love.
Rating:
Summary: A Remake Prequel to a Sequel.
Review: I have to be completely honest. As interesting a character Hannibal Lector is, I really haven't enjoyed the Hannibal Lector movies that much. This goes against the popular vein, but other than the acting and some interesting cinematographic effects, I wasn't impressed by SILENCE OF THE LAMBS; MANHUNTER (the original film based off of the novel Red Dragon) was a colorful piece of cinematic art quite creative in its use of lighting, sound, and color; and though I enjoyed HANNIBAL the most of Lector movies, it is very violent and unbelievable absurd. Nevertheless, I was looking forward to watching RED DRAGON, the prequel to SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and remake of Michael Mann's MANHUNTER. With Anthony Hopkins back as Dr. Hannibal Lector, the brilliant Edward Norton playing detective Will Graham, and the mysterious Ralph Fiennes as Francis Dolarhyde (aka "The Tooth Fairy") I thought the movie would be the best of them all. I should be used to movie disappointments by now.
The movie begins with prologue illustrating how Will Graham was able to successfully capture Dr. Hannibal Lector. The movie then fast forwards in time three years. A new serial killer is loose killing entire families one an evening when there is a full moon. Graham's former boss at the FBI asks him to come out retirement to help track the madman down. After some internal conflict, soul searching, and weighing the risks Graham agrees. The case proves more difficult than anyone thought and even with the assistance of Dr. Lector, no major leads are discovered. But the killer, "The Tooth Fairy", like the legendary Frankenstein's monster, ends up falling in love with a blind girl. She is oblivious to his flaws. Touched by grace, the killer falls deeper and deeper into a confusing downward spiral of self-loathing and bittered anger.
On the surface, the movie is interesting and entertaing enough. The prologue at the beginning of the movie is brilliant and makes the movie watching solely for that. However, the deeper elements I was expected from the film just weren't there. Edward Norton is a great actor, but he's much too young to play Will Graham and just wasn't able to capture the internal epic struggle that Graham feels throughout. Anthony Hopkins is brilliant as always. However, Ralph Fiennes' talent wasn't used as the role of Francis Dolarhyde seemed to be cut down to a cardboard caricature more than a real life flesh and blood character. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Freddy Lounds), Emily Watson (Reba McClane), and Harvey Keitel (Jack Crawford) did wonderful jobs in their supporting roles, but it isn't enough to counter-balance Norton's miscasting and Fiennes' lack of a meaty role.
Also missing in this film were any elements that would lend it some credibility as a crime drama/thriller. I didn't enjoy MANHUNTER very much, but Michael Mann at least played around with light, color, and sound to produce an ode of moving art. RED DRAGON has none of that. There aren't any outstanding images and the movie's score and soundtrack are seriously lacking. Besides the prologue at the beginning, the pacing of the movie also seems slow, almost too slow for a thriller such as RED DRAGON. In fact, for all intense purposes, RED DRAGON is basically the same type of movie that Hollywood churns out all the time, only with a talented (but misused) cast and a very interesting prologue.
If you're a fan of the series, RED DRAGON is worth watching. Other than that, the film really isn't a must see, but is fun to watch on a weekend if you have nothing better to see.
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