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Back for thirds as cannibalistic killer Hannibal Lecter, the characterization that earned him his Oscar, Sir Anthony Hopkins is once again deliciously devilish. This blood-curdling The Silence of the Lambs prequel -- previously filmed as Manhunter -- begins with Lecter's apprehension by talented young FBI profiler Will Graham (Edward Norton), following a violent clash that leaves both men near death. Years later, Graham is called out of retirement to help search for the "Tooth Fairy," a brilliant serial killer who preys on young women. Stymied in his investigation, Will turns to the one man who can put him on the murderer’s trail -- the imprisoned Lecter, to whom the Tooth Fairy has written a fan letter. Red Dragon, based on the first in Thomas Harris’s bestselling series of violent thrillers, isn’t really a Hannibal Lecter story, but Hopkins effortlessly dominates the film, and his presence is felt throughout even though his actual screen time is limited. Ralph Fiennes, cast against type as the deranged Tooth Fairy, turns in a remarkably layered and intense performance. Emily Watson is equally good, and extremely sympathetic, as the blind woman who risks becoming one of his victims. But the movie’s essence is captured in the verbal duels between Lecter and Graham, sharply written by Ted Tally and directed with just the right emphasis by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour). The DVD edition features a Ratner-Tally commentary, in addition to a comparative analysis of Lecter and a real-life serial killer by renowned profiler John Douglas, a Hannibal Lecter "biography," deleted scenes, and DVD-ROM content. A two-disc special edition adds Ratner’s "video diary" of the film’s production, behind-the-scenes footage, Ratner’s NYU student film, screen tests, and storyboard-to-film shot comparisons. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Following the phenomenal success of The Silence Of The Lambs and Hannibal, Anthony Hopkins returns as brilliant madman Hannibal Lecter in this thriller based on the novel in which author Thomas Harris introduced the character. Will Graham (Edward Norton) is an FBI agent with a rare gift for tracking serial killers who brought Hannibal Lecter to justice; however, his confrontation with Lecter proved to be a bloody, near-death experience, and afterward Graham retired from the Bureau, moving to Florida to spend his time with his wife, Molly (Mary-Louise Parker), and their son. However, a particularly grisly killer is on the loose, and Jack Crawford (Harvey Keitel), Graham's one-time mentor at the Bureau, asks him to return to duty to find him. The "Tooth Fairy" is a vicious murderer who kills entire families at once, covering the eyes of his victims with bits of a shattered mirror. Graham finds he needs help putting together the pieces of the "Tooth Fairy" case, and he calls upon Lecter looking for advice. Lecter, at once vaguely helpful and self-serving, as usual, offers scraps of information to Graham which help him zero in on the killer. But Lecter knows more than he's telling; the "Tooth Fairy" is actually Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes), a troubled and withdrawn man who admires Lecter's violent panache and corresponds with him. Dolarhyde works at a film processing lab, where one of his co-workers, a blind woman named Reba McClane (Emily Watson), seems to be quite attracted to him. As Dolarhyde wrestles with both his murderous impulses and his feelings for McClane, Lecter plays Graham and Dolarhyde against one another so that, as the FBI agent comes closer to catching "the Tooth Fairy", Dolarhyde moves in on his next victim -- Graham's family. Red Dragon marked the second time Harris' novel of the same name had been brought to the screen; five years prior to The Silence of the Lambs, Michael Mann adapted the book for the screen as Manhunter, which starred William Petersen as Graham and Brian Cox as Lecter. Mark Deming

Chicago Sun-Times

1/2
This movie, based on Harris' first novel, has studied Silence of the Lambs and knows that the action comes second to general creepiness. Roger Ebert

New York Observer

Red Dragon is so good that it might be the final word on Hannibal Lecter. Rex Reed

Product Details

• UPC: 025192273629
• Source: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1)
• Presentation: Pan & Scan
• Sound: Dolby Digital Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français, Español
• Time: 2:05:00
• Sales Rank: 3,481

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