FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Red Dragon [DVD] [2002]

Red Dragon [DVD] [2002]
enlarge	Director: Brett Ratner Actors: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson Studio: Universal Pictures UK Category: DVD List Price: ~~£9.99~~ Buy New: £0.99 as of 22/11/2009 20:08 GMT details You Save: £9.00 (90%) New (20) Used (22) from £0.99 Seller: primedvds Rating: 51 reviews Sales Rank: 3126 Format: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Hungarian (Subtitled), Hungarian (Dubbed) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 2 Discs: 1 Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 121 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5050582197167 ASIN: B0001HK21Y Theatrical Release Date: October 4, 2002 Release Date: February 12, 2004 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review A lot could've gone wrong in iRed Dragon/i, but the movie exceeds expectations. Replacing the acclaimed iManhunter/i 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 iThe Silence of the Lambs/i, 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 iPsycho/i and a superb supporting cast, iRed Dragon/i succeeds against considerable odds. --iJeff Shannon/i

Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 51 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...11 Next » An unexpectedly solid prequel to "The Silence of the Lambs" April 5, 2003 14 out of 14 found this review helpful The key thing about watching "Red Dragon" is to realize that this is not a Hannibal Lecter story. The character was a compelling but relatively minor figure in both the Thomas Harris novel and "Manhunter," the original cinematic adaptation by Michael Mann. Obviously screenwriter Ted Tally and director Brett Ratner have enhanced the role for this 2002 film, but Anthony Hopkins's part is not a central part of the story. Once you understand that you will discover that "Red Dragon" exceeds your expectations. But if you cannot get around this idea then you are probably going to be bitterly disappointed with this film.pClearly a major strength of this film is the stellar caste, which in addition to Hopkins has Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson, Mary-Louise Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Anthony Heald, and Mary Beth Hurt (add to the list Ellen Burstyn as the voice of Grandma Dolarhyde). But what makes this film work is its intelligence, for which Harris and Tally get the credit. Will Graham is an intelligent man, an F.B.I. profiler who constantly shows throughout this story that he has a gift for saying the right thing, whether he is talking to Lecter, a room full of police officers, the head of a company, or the Red Dragon himself. Yes, he has been scarred psychologically as well as physically by his capture of Lecter, but it is not an incapacitating condition as was the case with Clarice Starling. In "Silence of the Lambs" the climax of the film involved a cinematic commonplace that has always enraged me, when a law enforcement officer has a gun drawn and aimed at a suspect who then manages to get away. I thought the climax of "The Red Dragon" involved an exhilarating series of intelligent, brilliant moves by the good guys. pThe other aspect of this story that makes it compelling is that the villain is a monster with a soul. The idea of a serial killer falling in love, struggling to thwart the demonic voices and try to stop his descent into hell is brilliant. The circle becomes complete when you notice that all of the main characters in this film are complex; granted, not as complex as the Red Dragon, but enough that the actors reading this script would be drawn to the parts. But the ability of the villain to be surprising is critical because usually in the final analysis it is the villain that makes the film. Again, this underscores the fact that Lecter is not the villain of the piece. But he was in "Hannibal," and look how well that film was received. Here we are back to the pivotal idea that even when this character is bound and gagged in a cell he is still capable of killing you. pUltimately Hannibal Lecter remains the problematic element in the film; more often that not his scenes are suggestive if not outright reminiscent of scenes from "Silence of the Lambs." One of the obvious questions that springs to mind is whether Hopkins's Lecter would have made as big of an impact if "Red Dragon" had indeed been the first of the reconstituted trilogy. Ultimately the answer has to be "no," but because this is clearly a prequel made fully cognizant of the film that comes after it. To appreciate how difficult this is to pull off look at other recent prequels such as "Gods and Generals" and either of the two Star Wars films. The argument here is not that "The Red Dragon" is a better film than "The Silence of the Lambs," but that it is a worthy successor to that classic film, even if it takes place first. pFinal Note: The commentary track with Ratner and Tally is well worth a second viewing of the film, more so in terms of tidbits about the production than analytical insights into the adaptation. The rest of the DVD extras are at least average, but the commentary is the big attraction here. The silence has broken....Red Dragon is back...... March 17, 2003 Luke Nelson 27 out of 35 found this review helpful ... Since The Silence of the Lambs was so great with 5 oscars, and its sequel Hannibal was not as good, I approached the latest film in the Hannibal Lecter series, Red Dragon, with some degree of trepidation. The cast had me very excited (Edward Norton, Anthony Hopkins, and Ralph Fiennes in the same movie!), but the after taste of Hannibal left in my mouth nothing was certain. Then when I learned who was directing (Brett Ratner) I became even more skeptical. Thankfully, my fears were assuaged by a film that was stylishly directed and perfectly acted from start to finish. pHopkins of course reprises his role as Hannibal Lecter, the cannibal villain we all hate to love. As the film opens, he is a free man, and enjoying a life of sophistication, attending orchestral performances and hosting lavish dinner parties (just guess what he serves?). Norton plays FBI agent Will Graham, who is tracking a series of vicious murders, and goes to Dr. Lecter for help throughout the investigation. It is clear to the audience that Lecter is guilty of these crimes, and Graham has yet to figure it out. He soon does, however, and Graham is able to corral Lecter, sending him to the maximum security prison we first saw him in eleven years ago in The Silence of the Lambs. Graham, completely drained from the entire ordeal, quits the bureau and moves to Florida to fix boat motors and raise a family with his beautiful wife (Mary Louise Parker). pThis is when the main part of the story line kicks in, and another cause of my worry. A killer is on the loose, who goes by the name of the "Tooth Fairy." Graham's old boss, Jack Crawford (the always great Harvey Keitel) is having trouble with the case, so he persuades Graham to come back and work on this case, on a limited, not-directly-involved manner. Graham reluctantly agrees, and goes to work on the case. Of course, Graham cannot solve it on his own either, so he enlists the help of his old friend Dr. Lecter. This is where much of the film's strength comes from: the bizarre, yet mutually respecting relationship between Lecter and Graham. Sounds good enough, but the problem I saw before actually seeing the movie is that this is the exact same plot as The Silence of the Lambs. Astonishingly, Dragon never feels ripped off, but thoroughly original. And even if it was ripped off, both novels were written by Thomas Harris, so he has the right to rip himself off if he wants. But Dragon is able to exist on its own merits, not merely as a Lambs rip off. pIts merits certainly extend far into the movie. The acting comes from some of the best actors in the world. Hopkins and Norton absolutely electrify the screen with a sizzling chemistry on par with the Hopkins/Jodie Foster relationship from Lambs. Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient) is equal parts creepy and sympathetic as the villainous Francis Dolarhyde, the man who believes he is the Red Dragon. He has several wonderful scenes with a blind girl, Reba McClane (played beautifully by the talented Emily Watson) that allow the audience to feel a certain amount of sympathy for a man who brutally murders families. Keitel is the right man to play the Graham's gruff boss, in a part that is minor but still required a good actor to fill. The very versatile Philip Seymour Hoffman is perfect as the sleazy reporter Freddy Lounds, whom Graham and Crawford use as a pawn in their game against The Tooth Fairy, to shocking results. pTechnically, the film is as sound as any that has come out this year. The screenplay by Ted Tally (who also penned Lambs) is taut. Cinematographer (and two-time Oscar nominee for L.A. Confidential and The Insider Dante Spinotti creates a rich and foreboding atmosphere. The score by Danny Elfman (himself twice nominated for Good Will Hunting and Men in Black) is the perfect accompaniment for the terror on screen. And most importantly, Ratner directs the film with style, a big step up from Ridley Scott's heavy-handed Hannibal. pBut the film of course exists and succeeds because of Anthony Hopkins. Any actor who can take one of the most monstrous characters ever created, but he is beloved by all. Why? Because Hopkins plays the role with such wit and poise that he is impossible not to like.pAs i look back on this movie i say to my self, yes this will be one day a classic with the past films.brBut will it stop there who knows.... To be honest I would greatfully wish of an other film to be brought out to the fans of DR LECTER. brHas the silence broken? not yet i don't think. Chilling, But Entertaining! December 30, 2006 Film Lover (UK) 3 out of 3 found this review helpful I only just watched this film about a week ago and well what can I say I loved it. br /This film includes some strong performances from Anthony Hopkins playing the cannibal he is and he plays it brilliantly, Edward Norton who is great as a cop investigating murders and Ralph Fiennes who brings us a remarkable serial killer. br / br /The way Ralph Fiennes plays the serial killer it is truly chilling but he plays it amazingly well. br /Overall I reccomend this film to any people who liked the 'Hannibal' and 'The Silence Of The Lambs.' br /This is without a doubt the greatest one of the trilogy! br /Watch it!! Before the lambs came the dragon October 19, 2002 7 out of 9 found this review helpful This film is wonderful. The remake of Manhunter is far better then the first verson in my book. Sir Antony Hopkins once again plays Lector is such ease and the way he speaks his lines are still spellbending and magical. Ed Norton is just great as Will Graham who Lector tries to kill but fails big time. Ed and Antony are a classic act in this film. Then comes Ralph Fiennes who is the evil and good Francis Dolarhyde. This character is great but very sad. At times I wanted to reach out and just hug him and make him feel better. One of the sweetest things was then he got himself a girlfriend played by Emily Waston. It was very sweet and cute and they were a sweet together. I also liked Harvey Keitel is good. His charactar is really cool. But for me the best was as always Hannibal Lector. No one can stop him from working his evil plan on the world. And the line at the end * which I wont give away* will make u laugh. This film is wonderful and I only hope Sir Antony will come back and play Lector one more time.....this world wouldnt be the same without him really. Oodles November 28, 2002 taking a rest 11 out of 18 found this review helpful Anthony Hopkins is one of the finest actors to ever have appeared on the screen. With this third outing as Hannibal he is joined by the strongest cast of any of the three films. I had seen the first version of this film, but this time is very different from, "Manhunter", and both were well interpreted by their directors. I will remain more favorable to this version for Anthony Hopkins will always represent the good Dr. Lecter for me.pThis is really not a film that centers on Hopkins, whenever he is on screen he owns it, rather Edward Norton who has proven himself to be a marvelously versatile actor is the focus of the film, and when he shares the screen with Hopkins he comes as close as any actor can to holding his own against Sir. Anthony. Ralph Fiennes is outstanding as the dragon even though he again is not the center of attention throughout the film. Harvey Keitel and Emily Watson also add all that can be expected from talented performers in supporting roles.pThere is a particularly smarmy reporter who meets his end at the hands of the dragon and it is in these details that one movie may be chosen by some over the other. The method by which the person is dispatched is the same in both films, but, "Manhunter's", version is more powerful. In the earlier film the sequence ends in a dimly lit underground garage as opposed to a street in broad daylight. The parking garage version is much stronger and unsettling than the same scene in this film.pI don't know why this film is doing so much less business than its predecessors. It may be this film is much lighter on gore than the second installment, or perhaps people who may have seen the previous film disliked it. This film would take second place amongst the trilogy for me. In any event it is a film that could have been long on talented performers and very short on substance. This is not the case and the film is very worthwhile. Showing reviews 1-5 of 51 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...11 Next »

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