Of the Hannibal Lecter films, the best will always be The Silence of the Lambs to me, a masterful film and one of the best of its genre. Red Dragon is a remake of the 1986 Michael Mann-directed adaptation Manhunter and also a much more literal adaptation of the book, and again from personal opinion both are very good films, Red Dragon being one of the rare instances where the remake is almost on the same level as the original(though the two have components that are both better and worse than the other). All three films are vastly superior to Hannibal and Hannibal Rising, both of which were disappointing.

Manhunter has some things that are done better than in Red Dragon. It is generally grittier, more menacing and more atmospheric and the performances of Will Graham and Jack Crawford are superior. I personally didn't care for Edward Norton, who had the potential to be every bit as dark and haunted as William Peterson, but this was a rather ordinary and phoned-in performance which unusual for a great actor like Norton. Harvey Keitel is another talented actor but doesn't play Jack with anywhere near the same amount of heart as Dennis Farina did and seemed out of place.

Red Dragon on the other hand also does things that are superior to Manhunter. I am actually of the opinion that Manhunter is still a well-made and directed film, but the budget was noticeably bigger in Red Dragon meaning it has a more expansive cinematic feel and a slicker look. It may lack the wonderfully grim look of Silence of the Lambs, but it didn't look that clean to me. Danny Elfman's music score, while not anywhere near among his best, fits very well and is very haunting and energised, much improved over the rather dated and often out of place and intrusive music in Manhunter(my only problem with that film). Dollarhyde's also better developed here(though a little less frightening),giving the character some poignancy while not ever forgetting how much of a monster he is, with the relationship between him and Rena beautifully done and played.

Brett Ratner's direction is surprisingly good here, have never thought of it particularly highly as a director before but he brings suspense and palpable tension to the very engrossing and chillingly atmospheric story without letting the visual style get in the way. Performances are fine apart from Norton and Keitel. Anthony Hopkins reprises his most iconic role as Lecter and has the right amount of creepiness, nuance, sophistication and twisted hamminess without falling into cartoonish caricature. Emily Watson's Rena is superb and very touching, far more memorable than Joan Allen for Manhunter, and Phillip Seymour Hoffmann is amusing. Ralph Fiennes, despite reservations initially about him being too handsome and not imposing enough, is every bit as frightening as Tom Noonan, if not as much as a monster, and gives an emotional unstability that comes over in a way that allows one to sort of sympathise with him.

Other than Norton and Keitel, my only other complaints are the ending and some of the script. Not all of the script is problematic, most of it is tightly structured, makes sense and very respectful to the style of the book's writing, also managing to be dynamic and thought-provoking, not ceasing to be suspenseful or entertaining. The film definitely could have done more with Graham's character, who lacked the colour and dimension that went visibly into Lecter and Dollarhyde, Graham was too dull, too ordinary and too clinical to me here. More of a problem is that it starts a little too heavy in the exposition, some of it being written in a sloppy and over-explanatory way, as well as going for blunt maximum drama and throwing subtlety out the window. With the ending, the climax is rushed and ridiculously over-the-top and the end twist to me felt very tacked on and reeked of studio executive interference.

In summary, Red Dragon is a more than worthy remake to Manhunter and is a very good film in its own right. 8/10 Bethany Cox

RED DRAGON is a prequel to THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, featuring Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal 'the Cannibal' in a supporting role. It was made ten years after SILENCE and boy, does Hopkins look a lot older (and bigger) despite the best efforts to disguise it.

If you can get over this bizarre turn of events, then you might just find yourself enjoying RED DRAGON, which is a damn sight better than Ridley Scott's over-the-top slice of Grand Guignol sequel, HANNIBAL. I should mention that Thomas Harris' novel was already adapted back in the 1980s as MANHUNTER, a much different adaptation. I'd say that both are equally entertaining with their own merits and detractions.

RED DRAGON benefits from a typically intense and dedicated turn from Edward Norton as the criminologist hunting down a serial killer, played with eerie relish by Ralph Fiennes (much more effective than he was as Voldemort). Hopkins is unusually subdued and relegated to the sidelines, except in the outstanding opening sequence which makes little sense but really works as a piece of cinematic spectacle.

The format of the movie follows that of a typical police procedural for the most part, with a particular emphasis on the psychology of murder. There are also a handful of stand-out set-pieces, including a ferocious bit involving a wheelchair which has to be seen to be believed. Things build to an appropriately frenetic climax and as a whole RED DRAGON is a success.

FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) is working on a profile of a cannibal serial killer with renown psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). As Will starts to piece the case together, Hannibal attacks him and he barely overpowers. Hannibal is imprisoned while Will retires with wife (Mary-Louise Parker) and his son. His old boss Jack Crawford (Harvey Keitel) pulls him back in for a killer nicknamed "The Tooth Fairy". Freddy Lounds (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is an annoying tabloid reporter. Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes) is trying to transform himself into the Red Dragon and falls in love with blind co-worker Reba McClane (Emily Watson).

Director Brett Ratner is workmanlike. Edward Norton is a solid lead. Hopkins returns as Hannibal in this prequel to 'Silence of the Lambs' (1991) but the movie doesn't have quite the same shock value. It's possible that Hopkins could never shock the audience ever in the same way again. All I know is that Ratner is unable to do more with the character. As for a comparison to 'Manhunter', I wouldn't argue which is more faithful to books and it doesn't matter to me. Michael Mann just has more style and he was able to amp up the intensity. This is a perfectly fine crime drama. On a minor point, this movie needs to lay out the fact that this is a prequel to Silence much more forcefully. It would help the audience to place Hannibal more solidly in his timeline.