Directed by:
Brett RatnerScreenplay:
Ted TallyCinematography:
Dante SpinottiComposer:
Danny ElfmanCast:
Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson, Mary-Louise Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Anthony Heald, Ken Leung (more)VOD (1)
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Meet Hannibal Lecter for the first time... Adapted from Thomas Harris' first Hannibal Lecter novel, Red Dragon is the second big screen version of the book, following on from Michael Mann's Manhunter. FBI profiler Will Graham (Edward Norton) is ushered out of retirement by boss Jack Crawford (Harvey Keitel) to help catch serial killer The Tooth Fairy (Ralph Fiennes), who targets families each lunar cycle. Graham has an uncanny ability to project himself into the minds of his criminal prey, and decides to consult former mentor Dr. Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) on the Tooth Fairy case. (Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (9)
Remember the various directorial ideas from Silence of the Lambs, such as the bell scene at the end, the psycho showing off in front of the mirror, or the night vision goggles? You won't find anything similarly refreshing here. Rattner is wooden, a man of routine who sticks one ordinary shot after another, and the result is so uninteresting and boring. It has no atmosphere, only once, at the end of the film, did a faint chill run down my spine. Norton and Keitel sucked, not to mention Hopkins, on the other hand Emily Watson and Fiennes were great and they are the only reason to watch this movie. So, the two stars are only because of them. Rattner, go back to the B-movies!
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A newer adaptation of Thomas Harris' book, which I consider to be worse than the one from 1986. In terms of story and atmosphere, I found the old version more fitting, as it somehow feels grittier. I don't mean in individual scenes but as a whole. The new Red Dragon tries too hard to be like The Silence of the Lambs, but it doesn't succeed because the only things that stand out are the acting performances, led by Anthony Hopkins and the earnest Edward Norton.
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Red Dragon, of course, cannot compare to the precise and visually impressive The Silence of the Lambs. It is still a decent bit of filmmaking, but Ratner is an average director, simply an ordinary film craftsman who follows in the footsteps of his more famous colleagues. There is a lack of impressive original scenes here, the delicate game with the viewer that allowed the widest audience to navigate an ethically problematic subject where the main protagonist is a brutal serial killer. I have no issues with the cast, and Ralph Fiennes particularly enjoys his role as a psychopath. Overall impression: 60%.
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Less interesting in terms of plot and more routine, and visually far less attractive, almost ordinary. Red Dragon has almost nothing to captivate the audience, other than a few scenes with Emily Watson and Ralph Fiennes. An overly detailed copy of The Silence of the Lambs, with the difference that there is hardly anything good in here, and there’s plenty of bad.
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Between Anthony Hopkins and Edward Norton, there's a chasm as big as Philip Seymour Hoffman’s mouth. And if it weren’t for the excellent Ralph Fiennes, Red Dragon would have been an even bigger disaster than Brett Ratner’s involvement made it. Whereas Hannibal was visually enticing bullshit, Red Dragon is a sterile patchwork of shots films in a routine way, which destroys the potential of its strong screenplay. It’s best to ignore both of these films and live in the illusion that the saga began and ended with the brilliant The Silence of the Lambs.
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