Red Dragon

Pros: Great plot, music, and suspense.
Cons: Some dry acting, lacks creativity.

After reading and enjoying Thomas Harris’ original novel by the same name, and being rather disappointed in the first film adaptation Manhunter, I was excited to see the newly released Red Dragon.

Red Dragon is the much...

Pros: Serviceable thriller
Cons: Pale performances, tedious screenplay

This review is followed by a discussion comparing Red Dragon to it’s predecessor, Manhu ...

Pros: Fiennes, Norton, Hopkins ,Watson, the script, and the music, in that order
Cons: Hopkins is aging. Over 2 hours long. Avoid the commentary

Despite the bad press and reviews this movie has received, based on the book, and the way it is pres ...

Pros: Solid performances, nice compliment to Silence of the Lambs
Cons: doesn't always flow, was wanting more Hannibal history

NOTE: This review covers the movie and the Director’s Edition DVD (much of which can be applied to the other DVD releases). People who have seen the other Hannibal Lecter movies tend to want to know how Red Dragon stacks up. I’m sure Hannibal had an ...

Pros: The film quality is better than the original
Cons: Characters and actors playing them were dull, dull, dull

What do you do with remakes? If they are scores of years apart, you can reexamine the theme or inject it into what is current day for the remake (Cape Fear comes immediately to mind). But if the remake is not even 2 decades removed . . . ? ...

Pros: Anthony Hopkins, interesting ideas
Cons: Direction, score, all the other actors, not suspenseful at all

Being a fan of the Hannibal series, I was looking forward to seeing this. When I learned that the script would be penned by none other than the orignal writer of Lambs, my excitement increased. Hannibal is potentially the most terifying character in ...

Pros: Strong performances throughout. Literate, compelling script.
Cons: If "Lambs" made you feel squeamish, avoid this.

After a disappointing return as Hannibal Lecter in "Hannibal" (not his fault), Anthony Hopkins makes a triumphant re-return in "Red Dragon" His portrayal of Lecter has lost none of its sly madness in the years since "Silence of the Lambs" -- and, in...

Pros: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes
Cons: ending, several moments in the story

Before Hannibal … Before Silence of the Lambs … There was evil in its purest form … That is the t ...

Pros: Superb film, Good adaptation from the book.
Cons: Not for the easily Scared

Right last night I came home from the Gym and fancied sitting down, doing as little as possible and ...

Pros: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton
Cons: Things may be better explained in the novel.

NOTE: IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHO "THE TOOTH FAIRY" IS, SKIP THE SECTION RIGHT AFTER HANNIBAL LECTER UNTIL YOU SEE THE MESSAGE "IT'S SAFE TO READ" A couple weeks ago, I just finished the novel "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris ...

Pros: Another Hannibal Lector movie!
Cons: Hannibal isn't in this movie as much as I would have liked.

Will Grant is an expert investigator who quit the Bureau after almost losing his life in the process of capturing Hannibal Lector. Years later, after a series of particularly gruesome murders, Graham agrees to come out of retirement and assist in the...

Pros: followed book plot
Cons: missed some key points from book

Very rarely can I sit AND enjoy a movie based off a book. Many times I have been let down by books to movies. If you've watched 95% of the Stephen King movies, you know what I mean.

I very much enjoyed the novel "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris....

Pros: Hopkins is wonderful. There's good action and suspense.
Cons: no originality, its a remake

A lot of Hannibal Lecter fans are oblivious to the fact that in the mid 80s there was a movie called Manhunter which featured the infamous cannibalistic doctor played by Brian Cox (Xmen 2, The Ring).

Red Dragon is more or less a remake of that movie. In my opinion Silence and Hannibal had generated enough money to warrant it seeing its Anthony Hopkins playing the maniac that attracts the fans.

Red Dragon opens with how the good doctor had been originally apprehended in the early 80s. We fast forward several years later with a new murder case bringing the retired FBI (Edward Norton) agent who nearly died capturing Lecter back for one more case.

Two families killed every full moon. There's 3 weeks left before the next phase and our FBI agent must deal with Lecter one more time if he is to find the killer, aptly named the Tooth Fairy, in time to save the next family on his list.

I hadn't seen Manhunter before Red Dragon so the story was new to me but had I seen Manhunter prior to Red Dragon, perhaps I wouldn't have enjoyed this movie as much.