Red Dragon Starring Edward Norton, Anthony Hopkins Directed by Brett Ratner Rated R for violence, grisly images, language, some nudity and sexuality *** out of 4 Stars, Movie Grade: B+

Theatrical Release: October 4, 2002

Running time: 126 minutes

by Kevin Lang

Not as captivating and engrossing as "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991), "Red Dragon" however was far superior to 2000's "Hannibal." The film was the second adaptation of Thomas Harris' novel for the screen (the first was Michael Mann's 1986 film, "Manhunter"). This latest version offered a cast of highly talented actors, and a story that improved as the film progressed.

Directed by Brett Ratner ("Rush Hour 2"), "Red Dragon" told a similar story to that of "Silence of the Lambs" except that here our FBI agent hero, Will Graham (Edward Norton), not only struggled to find the killer, Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes), but he also battled his own internal fears caused by a near death injury that he had sustained while capturing Hannibal Lector. Other obvious differences did exist, such as the killer not necessarily holding anyone captive, or at least not long enough for it to build a great deal of suspense as it did in Lambs. This is not to say that "Red Dragon" lacked suspense. It just didn't offer the constant tension that "The Silence of the Lambs" did.

Perhaps one of the only aspects of "Red Dragon" that could have been better was the filmmaker's choice for the main character. I am a fan of Edward Norton, but in this role he just wasn't as effective as I'd wished he'd been. Maybe I shouldn't compare him to Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling, but there was something about Jodie Foster that kept me glued to the screen. I felt her emotions, her desperation. I sensed her fear. She brought the audience much closer to Hannibal Lector. These things were absent with Edward Norton. Graham was of course more reluctant with Lector since it was Lector who almost took his life, but regardless, Norton failed to lure us into the story. We didn't feel threatened by Graham's adversaries because the emotion of fear was too hidden in him. We knew it was there, but Norton failed to effectively express it.

In "Red Dragon" we did get to know and understand the killer, Francis Dolarhyde. He possessed great evil, but he was also a man. This came through exceptionally well in the film with the help of a strong performance by Emily Watson who played Reba McClane, a blind woman who took a liking to Dolarhyde. His character was well crafted by screenwriter Ted Tally, who made the character's motives more understandable than those of the Dolarhyde character in "Manhunter." I enjoyed Ralph Fiennes portrayal of Dolarhyde. He brought out essential human qualities in a character that we would have otherwise dismissed as being simply a madman. Especially keep an ear open during his memorable chat with the journalist played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.

In the end, "Red Dragon" was an enjoyable film. Its conclusion was satisfyingly suspenseful. Don't worry, I won't spoil it here. Fans of the Lector films who were at all disappointed with 2000's "Hannibal" will likely find redemption in "Red Dragon."

"Red Dragon" Review written October 2, 2002, CTF.

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