The Popkorn Junkie :: Red Dragon

There are three reasons why I am the biggest Thomas Harris fan in the world (well, maybe not the world, but pretty damn close). Those reasons are: (1) I have read each of the three novels revolving around Hannibal Lecter and know each of them, pretty much, by heart; (2) My senior year of high school, we were asked to write a research paper on an author of our choosing and I wrote a pretty in depth paper on author Thomas Harris; (3) I had the opportunity to meet Thomas Harris in Chattanooga, TN, during one of his promotion campaigns.

That said, I was pleased with "Red Dragon". To think that director Brett Ratner, the 'less than genius' talent behind "Rush Hour" and "Family Man", could take a Thomas Harris novel and turn it into such an entertaining and thrilling motion picture--it boggles the mind. Is it better than "The Silence of the Lambs"? Certainly not. Is it better than "Hannibal"? By leaps and bounds. For starters, the cast is phenomenal, and YES, a good cast does make a difference.

Anthony Hopkins is always perfect as Hannibal Lecter, Edward Norton gives a first class performance as Detective Will Graham, and Harvey Kietel is 'in there' as Crawford, but the two standouts come from Ralph Fiennes as Francis Dolarhyde and Emily Watson as his blind leading lady. In fact, the side story involving their relationship is one of the many perks of this film.

Another perk is that we get to see some of the old characters from "The Silence of the Lambs", such as Anthony Heald as the warden and Frankie Faison as the ominous guard. "Red Dragon" is actually the first of the Harris films to really be a 'serial killer' movie and Ratner pulls it off with much tension and suspense.

Now, for your viewing pleasure, here is the correct order in which you should watch the films: first, see "The Silence of the Lambs"; next, see "Red Dragon"; and, lastly, see "Hannibal". I know that's out of order, but you will enjoy the trilogy much more by viewing them in that order--it will better prepare you for Hannibal Lecter's sharp turn in "Hannibal" and you might not be so disappointed. So, "Red Dragon" delivers and should make Thomas Harris proud. If you don't jump at least once, then you must be dead, or eaten--either one would make Hannibal Lecter proud.

-- Billy Ray ( 4 out of 4 pops )

Talk about this film with other Popkorn Junkies

Other Junkie's opinions.....

James ( 4 out of 4 pops )

Those of you who have read my reviews before probably know that I hate remakes, but I haven't seen "Manhunter" before so I thought I should see "Red Dragon". I wasn't disappointed. This movie is flat-out awesome. I mean, it has the great Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Emily Watson, and that guy who is the assistant principal on "Boston Public" (he was also in "Silence of the Lambs"!) If you have not seen this film then you absolutely must. I was not a fan of Brett Ratner (the director), Rush Hour was pretty decent but the sequel flat out sucked, but I love the Hannibal series so I had to see this movie. You will not be disappointed.

Matt ( 3 out of 4 pops )

"Red Dragon" is slick, stylish and full of suspense. It's not "quite" as good as "Silence of the Lambs," but few films are. I did, however, enjoy it a lot more than "Hannibal." The film is basically a remake of Michael Mann's "Manhunter," but this is one case where the remake is actually a vast improvement. The pace is faster and more dimensions are explored. Rather than opening with the main character being called back on the job, we open with the backstory on how Hannibal got convicted. Brett Ratner did one hell of a job. I enjoyed the "Rush Hour" films and "The Family Man," but all three of those films basically function on an entertainment level. This movie is true art. Another improvement over "Manhunter": the cast is much, much better! Edward Norton is an incredible actor, and I have yet to see him give a crappy performance. Anthony Hopkins is always a treat to watch, and I can never get tired of seeing him as Hannibal Lecter. Emily Watson is also incredible and dons a near-perfect American accent. Ralph Fiennes (a fine, underrated actor who I haven't seen in a while) makes a perfectly creepy villain. Adding to this terrific cast are Harvey Keitel, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Mary-Louise Parker. There was never a dull moment, and I was locked in from start to finish. But I must say, the ending is a bit silly and conventional. Without giving anything away, the film suffers from one-ending-is-not-enough syndrome. The very last scene is highly amusing, especially to those who have seen "Silence of the Lambs." They will definitely get the in-joke.

Mike ( 3 1/2 out of 4 pops )

Being a huge fan of both "Silence of the Lambs" and "Manhunter", I was really looking forward to seeing "Red Dragon" and see if it held up to the greatness of "Manhunter". And it turned out the movie did not disappoint. The film is a taunt thriller which keeps the audience glued watching the screen for the whole time. While at times it was too reminiscent of Silence of the Lambs with several scenes being almost copied from the earlier movie, it mostly had it's own unique vision. It was a plus that the screenwriter added many new scenes which were not in the book to showcase Hopkins's Hannibal Lecter even more, and let's face it, we can't get enough of Hopkins playing this character. My only disappointment was with the Ed Norton. While he was fine playing this role, he failed to bring out the angst and damage that his character was living with from his earlier encounter with Lecter, as William Peterson had done so magnificently in the original "Manhunter". At times, Norton was treating Lecter like his best buddy instead of loathing him. I thought Ralph Fiennes was the key for this film as he was perfect playing the killer. For fans of this genre, this film should not be missed.