What. A. Turd. I'm not some remake snob, I can appreciate a good remake. This is not a good remake. It pales in every way to the original, which is amazing. Well, one concession I will give it....MAYBE if the original had gone this way with the ending, I could maybe see the merits in that. But everything here in execution is just the pits. Hannibal is not a good movie but it sure is a blast. This was a slog.
While it actually has very little to do with Hannibal Lecter, this was quite enjoyable. It feels very much like the original Silence of the Lambs or even Se7en. It is often brutal, very engaging, and a more expertly crafted thriller than Hannibal.
Rating: 3.5/5 - 80% - Would Recommend
7.5/10 really well made with great directing and editing and for sure better than hannibal.
Red Dragon is an intense psychological thriller from director Brett Ratner. Based on the Thomas Harris novel, the FBI recruits retired agent Will Graham to help capture a serial killer known as the “Tooth Fairy” who has killed two families. The casting is excellent, and includes Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Harvey Keitel, and Ralph Fiennes; who all give great performances. Ratner’s directing is also superb, and does an impressive job at crafting an engaging and thrilling story. Additionally, Danny Elfman provides a powerful score that brings a lot of energy to the film. Perhaps the strongest installment in the Lecter series, Red Dragon is a dramatic and compelling film that’s full of suspense.
Much better than the boring Michael Mann version. Plus you get Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter.
A serviceable, but entirely forgettable thriller, but with a stellar cast like this and the obvious links to Silence of the Lambs, this should be so much better. Sadly this never rises above mediocrity. It is by-the-numbers filmmaking where ever nuance has to be explained, every plot point repeated and every callback to its progenitor is almost a knowing wink. The lack of subtlety extends to all the characters too, though the cast make it watchable enough. Surprisingly, Hopkins is not the best thing about it - he is practically hamming it up as Lecter here, who is more like a cartoonish villain than the truly creepy character from the Lambs film. It is Fiennes' relationship with Emily Watson's character that is the one key element of the film that works quite well. Otherwise, Mann's original film, Manhunter, is a much better choice!
a remake of manhunter with William Petersen and the original was far better
not as good as silence of the lambs but still great.
The story of the film is about an FBI agent named Will Graham, who resigned from his service because of the identification of a serial killer named "Toot". But after a few years, he returns and returns to work on the orders of his boss, Jack Crawford, to identify a new serial killer named "Tooth Fairy". Meanwhile, Will is in contact with Dr. Hannibal Lecter, one of his former memories in prison for his murderous crimes.
One of the main themes of "Red Dragon" is the psychological aspects of the "Tooth Fairy" serial killer. This killer has become a very violent and dangerous person due to unsuccessful experiences in childhood. He seeks to connect with the families he has been involved in and use as his own.
This film is a direct prelude to the film Silence of the Lambs and at the end of the film, the story is directly connected to the film Silence of the Lambs.
Of course, this doesn't stand up against the masterpiece that is Silence of the Lambs, but the scenes with Graham and Lecter were pretty engaging. Unfortunately, the case doesn't really live up to the buildup. But I liked the ending when Graham sails away, and Lecter's next visitor is announced, a young female agent...
this was so cute even though they changed stuff from the book like Wills kid was called Josh?? why. and they didn’t have the part with the key! that’s like the most important part of the fire scene.
i wish they had focussed more on Francis cause he’s supposed to be the main one not cringe hannibal
The almost end scene where Will was insulting “Josh” was really good though and I don’t remember that from the book
I liked this one as a teenager but now I see it as a mediocre B movie. Ralph Fiennes and Emily Watson are the only good thing in it. Their plot would make a good short film.
Long-term repression will eventually only become a nuclear bomb explosion.
"I am not a man. I began as one, but now I am becoming more than a man, as you will witness."
I like the Hannibal movies. This is no exception. Ralph Fiennes makes an excellent psycho and it surprises me that Anthony Hopkins being in Hannibal and Red Dragon. I like how they make this clear that this takes place before The Silence of the Lambs.
Not the best version of this story and doesn't do enough with Anthony Hopkins.
A very loyal, by-the-numbers adaptation of the first Hannibal Lecter novel, strangely saved for last in the Anthony Hopkins trilogy. It's about as direct a cut from page to screen as I've seen, which is refreshing, but something about the mood doesn't feel right. This is more of a procedural thriller than a psychological one, and that's fine if the screenplay is able to adjust appropriately. Instead, it keeps trying to push both sets of buttons, which makes this feel like two different movies under the same marquee.
The lead casting is regrettable - Ed Norton feels flat and babyfaced as troubled ex-detective Will Graham and Harvey Keitel is terribly misplaced as Jack Crawford, his stiff supervisor - and even the more dependable act isn't completely up to snuff. Hopkins is a mild disappointment in his final turn as Lecter, over-enhancing many of the nuances that had always made him so harrowing in the role, and it's a reach to buy this as a prequel when he's so visibly aged in the interim. Ralph Fiennes is excellent as the madman Francis Dolarhyde, though, and Philip Seymour Hoffman nails his small role as a smarmy, mouth-breathing tabloid reporter.
The film is mostly played for fan service, honestly, and at that it's generally very successful. It's far from essential, though, which is a shame. This could've been so much more with a better director and a few alternate casting decisions.
Edward Norton is sooo boring in everything, and these Hannibal movies are so homophobic/transphobic.
I like Ralph Fiennes, though.
Shout by DRNKMNKYBlockedParentSpoilers2015-07-17T11:41:53Z
Interesting and very bloody plot with some very disturbing scenes played by Lecter and Dolarhyde / The Toot Fairy. It doesn't get under your skin as much as "Silence of the Lambs" but I think it is a worthy prequel anyway!
Nice plot twist at the end when Dolarhyde isn't dead and goes after Graham for the 2nd time.