Review of Red Dragon:

This is the prequel to "Silence of the Lambs" and "Hannibal", and like the Star Wars films, and even the Jack Ryan franchise, prequels are quite the rage these days. This can be a good or a bad thing, of course, but from the above examples, my general impression is that of the latter.

"Red Dragon" is the Thomas Harris novel that first introduced the world to Hannibal Lecter, the highly intelligent forensic psychiatrist whose inexplicable propensity for violent cruelty has riveted readers and movie audiences alike. "Silence" was terrifying and swept all the top Oscars the year it was released, while "Hannibal" upped the gore factor but lost out in the awards category. My opinion of the former remains unwavering -- it's an exceptional thriller that still makes my hair stand to this day. But the latter... okay, it's stylishly directed and the cinematography's lovely, but it lacked the essence of its predecessor, and was bogged down by too much action and too little good dialogue.

"Red Dragon" is a cross between the two. Set in the 1980s, there isn't much high-tech gadgetry for crime-solving, but kudos to the set designers for keeping everything very authentic ( look out for the "antique phones", a small but nice detail ).

With all the trailers and publicity campaigns, everyone should know the plot by now. I read the novel eons ago, and wasn't impressed -- Harris' popularity stems more from the shock factor of his storylines rather than his writing skills, and all I recall about the book is its lame ending. The main reason I went to see the movie version is the fine ensemble cast -- Hopkins, Norton, Keitel, Fiennes, Watson -- a film buff's dream come true.

Hopkins nailed his role the first time round in "Silence", so there isn't anything new in this installment, except for the first few scenes where he's pictured as a free man who's later captured by FBI agent Will Graham ( Edward Norton ). But the best thing about Hopkins is that he's never boring, and truly relishes playing Lecter. His sardonic smile is supremely unnerving, and his sarcastic wit almost charming.

Norton is on my list of favourite actors for good reason. I first saw him in "Primal Fear", where he completely overshadowed Richard Gere in his role as an outwardly angelic altar boy who fooled everyone around him into believing he's innocent. After that, he's appeared in a large variety of movies, ranging from "Rounders" ( with Matt Damon ), "American History X" ( as a skinhead ), and most recently, the delightful "Keeping The Faith" ( which Norton also directed ).
As Will Graham, he does an equally good job, but this is definitely not his best performance. Blame it on insufficient screen time and a deficient script. And before I forget, I can't believe the film-makers left him scar-free after being stabbed in the abdomen by Hannibal -- a scene in which Norton takes his shirt off demonstrates a pristine tummy. Major boo-boo there.

Ralph Fiennes is another enigmatic actor whose career I'm familiar with. He played a sadistic Commandant in "Schindler's List", a gorgeous professor in "Quiz Show", a rich adventurer in "The English Patient", and starred in a few other interesting projects like "Strange Days" and "The End of the Affair". I was quite surprised he was chosen to play the killer in "Red Dragon", and after seeing the film, I have to say it wasn't the best decision.
I'm a firm believer in casting obscure actors in such roles. Just think about "Se7en", which introduced then-unknown Kevin Spacey in a breakthrough performance, as well as Norton in "Primal Fear". And how about Hopkins himself, who became a household name only after he burst onto the big screen hissing the words "chianti" and "fava beans" with a twinkle in his eye in "Silence of the Lambs"? Having a famous name play a killer is distracting, unless of course, you're John Malkovich or Steve Buscemi ( those guys have their weird looks going for them ). Not only is Fiennes well-known, he's also good-looking ( despite the hair and artificial facial scar ). Other examples of handsome guys who failed as murderers include Tony Goldwyn and Cary Elwes in "Kiss The Girls" and Keanu Reeves in the disastrous "The Watcher". I rest my case.

Emily Watson, however, deserves special mention. She hasn't aged a day since "Breaking The Waves", and is well-cast as a blind woman who manages to halt Fiennes' killing spree. The director says she was the first and only choice for this role. A stroke of genius there.

"Red Dragon" has received rave reviews and good box office takings, but I think it's merely average at best. Some say giving the reins to Brett Ratner ( Rush Hour, The Family Man ) was unconventional, and that he's done a good job with a treasured franchise, but if you ask me, someone else could've done a much better job. The rave reviews belong solely to the fantastic cast, which probably didn't even require any form of direction in the first place anyway.