Red Dragon (2002)
Directed by Brett Ratner
Former FBI Agent Will Graham, who was once almost killed by the savage Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter, now has no choice but to face him again, as it seems Lecter is the only one who can help Graham track down a new serial killer.
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What critics say influenced Red Dragon
Meanwhile, Harvey Keitel ("The Grey Zone," "U-571") shows up as another FBI agent, Mary-Louise Parker ("The Portrait of a Lady," "Fried Green Tomatoes") plays Norton's wife, Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Almost Famous," "State and Main") embodies a seedy journalist and Anthony Heald ("Proof of Life," "8MM") reprises his role from "Lambs."
Meanwhile, Harvey Keitel ("The Grey Zone," "U-571") shows up as another FBI agent, Mary-Louise Parker ("The Portrait of a Lady," "Fried Green Tomatoes") plays Norton's wife, Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Almost Famous," "State and Main") embodies a seedy journalist and Anthony Heald ("Proof of Life," "8MM") reprises his role from "Lambs."
That, of course, adds for some heightened suspense, although not to the point or effectiveness of "Wait Until Dark."
Of course, we mustn't forget Norton 's own skill at playing the psychotic in Primal Fear , earning him an Oscar nomination.
This time around, Edward Norton ( Primal Fear , American History X ) plays the harassed FBI agent, Will Graham, responsible for putting Hannibal in prison.
Norton has been a terrific actor in pictures like 1996's "Primal Fear," his debut.
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Philip Seymour Hoffman is playing yet another dimwitted loser, but at least he gets taken out Night of the Living Dead style.
There have been lots of memorable portrayals of scrupulous journalists in movies - Robert Downey, Jr. in Natural Born Killers, Danny DeVito in LA Confidential, Robert Duvall in The Natural come to mind right away - and this is right up there with them.
MANHUNTER (director/writer: Michael Mann; screenwriter: from a Thomas Harris novel "Red Dragon"; cinematographer: Dante Spinotti; editor: Dov Hoenig; cast: William L. Petersen (Will Graham), Kim Greist (Molly Graham), Joan Allen (Reba), Brian Cox (Dr.
Mann hits top form with this splendidly stylish and oppressive thriller adapted from Thomas Harris' Red Dragon.
It may have been 1991's The Silence of the Lambs that led to Hannibal Lecter's iconic status as well as his anointment as cinema's all-time greatest villain (at least according to the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes & Villains list back in 2003), but the cannibalistic doctor's first on-screen appearance can actually be found in this compelling thriller which writer-director Michael Mann adapted from Thomas Harris' novel Red Dragon.
Thus come we to 1986 and Manhunter , adapted from Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon, and we find Mann was not interested in just making a procedural about the FBI agent tracking down a serial killer - although it works, sometimes tremendously well, on that level - he wanted to see what you could do with editing.
It was based on Thomas Harris' first novel in the Hannibal Lecter series, Red Dragon, the title of which was changed to avoid sounding like a martial arts film.
In Michael Mann’s stylish 1986 thriller based on Thomas Harris’ “Red Dragon,” Brian Cox appears as the original Lecter, who is seen here in a supporting role.
If that wasn’t hard enough to top, Thomas Harris’s suspense novel “Red Dragon” was previously turned into a 1986 feature called “Manhunter,” which was near brilliant as directed by Michael Mann (“Heat“).
It�s notable that cinematographer Dante Spinotti, who also shot Manhunter, does a better job this time around than last, but the visuals here are far from the quality of his recent work like Bandits or The Insider, and for that Ratner seems the one to blame.
The nadirs of this trend were 2000�s The Cell and 2001�s Hannibal, the latter adapted from the third book in Harris�s Hannibal Lecter trilogy into a movie that seemed to agree with its psychopathic protagonist�s elevation of taste and style over morality.
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Heavily Hollywoodized by uncreative director Brett Ratner (the "Rush Hour" movies), the film follows the "Lambs" template of an FBI agent (in this case a top-notch ex-profiler played by Edward Norton) consulting the imprisoned Dr. Lecter (Anthony Hopkins in fine form) for help finding another truly deranged maniac (Ralph Fiennes).
Director Brett Ratner, who�s best known for the Rush Hour action comedies and the gloppy Christmas movie Family Man, isn�t the guy to look to for such sympathy or emotional depth.
Director Brett Ratner, taking time away from his "Rush Hour" franchise, capably handles the high-octane cast, but it's Ralph Fiennes who ends up stealing the show.
"Red Dragon" director Brett Ratner ("Rush Hour," "Family Man") attempts to go for more serious scares this time around, but the damage has already been done.
And thanks to an A-list cast, including Sir Anthony Hopkins and Ed Norton, not to mention dexterous direction by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour), and screenwriting by Ted Tally (Silence of the Lambs), Red Dragon is two hours of delectably creepy and suspenseful fun.
Director Brett Ratner, whose filmography includes Rush Hour and… uh… Rush Hour 2 , seems an unnatural choice to helm this project, and his work is indeed problematic, though not necessarily for the reasons you’d expect.
With this prequel to The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal, self-anointed wunderkind Brett Ratner (The Family Man, Rush Hour, Rush Hour 2) has finally put some mojo where his mouth â and, barring any new evidence to the contrary, his métier â is.
The chips are stacked against director Brett Ratner (“Rush Hour 1 & 2,” “The Family Man”) right away with “Red Dragon.”
In Red Dragon, Director Brett Ratner ( Rush Hour , The Family Man ) rectifies the mistakes of Hannibal, which suffered from a surfeit of gore.
His previous movies were action comedies like the Rush Hour pictures or heartwarmers like The Family Man.
Of course, Mann and company had no idea that the award winning Jonathan Demme film would follow them, whereas director Brett Ratner - hot off his success with "The Family Man" and the "Rush Hour" films - obviously did.
Tonight, members Michael Mann (Manhunter), Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs), and Ridley Scott (Hannibal) have gathered at Scott's home to induct the newest member in honor of the opening of Red Dragon: Brett Ratner (Money Talks, The Family Man, Rush Hour 1 and 2) The setting is a luxurious dining hall with Demme and Mann sitting at one end of the table in formal dress and Ratner at the head of the table waering a ball cap and running clothes.
Ratner's credits have included the " Rush Hour " pictures, "Family Man" and " Money Talks ," some with their merits, none suggesting he was qualified to be Lecter's next director.
It is the prequel to the vastly superior “Silence of the Lambs,” followed by the over-the-top “Hannibal” in 2001.
Tally actually improves on Harris' climax with a nifty psychological coup; and there's a fun new prologue in which Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) presides over a grande bouffe (don't ask what's on the plate) before FBI profiler Will Graham (Edward Norton) arrives for a nearly fatal late-night consultation.
Last year's "Hannibal" was even more extravagant, using high-tech effects to produce some of the grisliest visions ever unveiled in a mainstream picture.
The nadirs of this trend were 2000�s The Cell and 2001�s Hannibal, the latter adapted from the third book in Harris�s Hannibal Lecter trilogy into a movie that seemed to agree with its psychopathic protagonist�s elevation of taste and style over morality.
A remake of 1986's moody "Manhunter," "Red Dragon" wisely sidesteps the gross-out excesses of last year's Ridley Scott-helmed "Hannibal," opting instead to start with a bang and slowly build until its devastating climax.