Red Dragon - Director's Edition
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Emily Watson, Harvey Keitel, Ralph FiennesBrand: Universal
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Director's Cut, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 124 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-04-01
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of Red Dragon - Director's Edition
Movie Review: The Reign of Terror Begins...
Summary: 5 Stars
After 3 movies had chronicled the exploits of the deranged, cannibalistic doctor, Hannibal Lecter, with great critical and commercial success I might add. Universal Studios felt it wise to return to Lecter's beginning as a serial killer by making the Thomas Harris novel, Red Dragon (this book contains the first appearance of Lecter), into a movie yet again. A previous version already existed called "Manhunter", starring William Peterson as Will Graham and Brian Cox as the 'good' doctor Hannibal Lecter. Universal Studios, for the sake of continuity, wanted to remake the movie "Manhunter", this time starring Anthony Hopkins who had portrayed Hannibal the Cannibal as he became known, in "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Hannibal", so that all recognized movies in the Lecter series would feature Hopkins as the doctor. Though many critics felt this was doomed to be a mistake on Universal's part, critics felt that Hannibal's story was played out after "Hannibal". But to Universal's credit they marched on, hiring director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour & Rush Hour 2) to helm the movie, and casting Edward Norton to play Will Graham alongside Anthony Hopkins. The choice of director's was another cause for concern for the critics, and many fans as well, but all nay-sayers were quickly silenced, when the positive reviews started rolling in for this prequel to "The Silence of the Lambs", and "Red Dragon" went on to do big numbers for Universal, earning it's place as an incredible opener to one of the Studio's darkest movie series'.
"Red Dragon" begins as FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) is set to retire. Graham is the man responsible for the capture of Dr. Hannibal 'the Cannibal' Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), but before Graham can retire he is asked to profile, and hopefully hunt down a vicious killer that is dubbed 'The Tooth Fairy', before he strikes again. To do this, Will must come face to face with the one man he hates and fears most in the world, Hannibal Lecter. In siding with Lecter, Graham hopes to shed some light on the deranged murders of this new killer. But at what cost to himself or his family?
Brett Ratner really shined with his direction for this movie, he had shown his knack for action/comedies with "Rush Hour" and "Rush Hour 2", and his ability for drama with "Family Man", but there was still nervousness surrounding the young director, since this film focused on one of the most famous movie villains of all time. With "Red Dragon", Brett Ratner solidified his place amongst Hollywood's best directors, earning him the respect he deserved. Edward Norton was great as Will Graham, and his scenes with Anthony Hopkins were terrific. He expertly portrayed the fearful respect Graham has for Lecter, while at the same time conveying the underlying hatred he harbors towards the doctor. Anthony Hopkins, though looking somewhat older than he did in "The Silence of the Lambs", does a wonderful job of showing a somewhat more energetic and younger Hannibal Lecter. Universal Studios clearly made the right choice in remaking "Manhunter", as "Red Dragon" does an excellent job of bringing the series together with Hopkins as the evil Lecter.
If you enjoyed the movies "The Silence of the Lambs", "Hannibal", or "Manhunter", then "Red Dragon" is for you. In my opinion, after you see "Red Dragon", I doubt you'll have a need to watch "Manhunter" again, except maybe for nostalgia. That's not meant as anything negative against "Manhunter", Michael Mann did an excellent job with the adaptation, but after reading all of the Thomas Harris novels, I feel "Red Dragon" really gets the job done in a more truthful way in regards to what is contained in the book.
"Red Dragon" is rated R for violence, language, and brief nudity/sexuality.
Summary of Red Dragon - Director's Edition
Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 01/09/2007 Run time: 124 minutes Rating: RA lot could've gone wrong in Red Dragon, but the movie exceeds expectations. Replacing the acclaimed Manhunter as an "official" entry in the Hannibal Lecter trilogy, this topnotch thriller--the second adaptation of Thomas Harris's first Lecter novel--returns to the fertile soil of The Silence of the Lambs, serving as both prequel and heir to the legacy of Lecter as portrayed, with mischievous menace, by the great Anthony Hopkins. Familiar faces and locations reappear (along with Lambs screenwriter Ted Tally) as Lecter coaches FBI profiler Will Graham (Edward Norton) in tracking the horrific "Tooth Fairy" killer (Ralph Fiennes), whose transformative killing spree is inspired by a William Blake painting. By dutifully serving Harris's potent material, Tally and director Brett Ratner craft a suspenseful film worthy of its predecessors, bringing Hopkins full circle as one of the cinema's all-time greatest villains. With overtones of Psycho and a superb supporting cast, Red Dragon succeeds against considerable odds. --Jeff Shannon
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