Red Dragon

Well after seeing Hannibal Rising (see one of my previous posts!) I thought it would be a pretty good idea to watch more of the continuing Hannibal Lecter story and so this weekend I watched Red Dragon. (Ok, ok, i'm behind in my movie watching. 2002 must have been a busy year for me!)This takes place before Silence of the Lambs chronologically speaking but was filmed ten years later. Kudos to Anthony Hopkins for taking on the role again and losing the weight needed to be a younger Lecter than he was 10 years ago. The story begins with Lecter's capture and a little bit about his history, but the main focus of the film is on a serial killer who is preying on whole families across the country. Even the detective who caught Lecter (Ed Norton) needs some help and so Lecter is approached for guidance, riddles and insight and Norton gets more than he has asked for. "How Cliche!" you might say in a fancy French accent. But "Non" the story unfolds in a very straight forward way but fairly unpredictably and there are some original twists that will almost make you appreciate Lecter (whilst shuddering). I thought this film was a surprisingly good thriller that had somehow swept under my radar. I was put off the series by Hannibal but Red Dragon had much more of a Silence of the Lambs feel to it and appealed to my psychological, inquisitive mind. Anthony Hopkins is as creepy as ever and the rest of the cast do a great job too. Edward Norton rarely puts in a bad performance and he suits the bright, involved policeman role he plays here. A really enjoyable thriller that was well made, scripted and acted.

Rating: 8/10

Comments: Not as good as Silence but better than the other movies in the series.