Red Dragon

This actually turned out to be a pretty enjoyable trilogy and the theme is still relevant. We arc back to the most popular period when the Doctor was in the office behind the Plexiglas, and we go through the whole story with him only to see the magical point of the "agent in waiting." Yet it’s of little use. Although Clarice is seemingly omnipresent, the fact that she is to be replaced by the entire solemn trio of Norton, Fiennes, and Keitel is simply not enough. I'm thus finding the same paradox as in The Silence of the Lambs, where Hopkins' scenes were damn good, but there weren't enough of them. Here we only got the scene with the nice blind lady and a candid scene from the research room. (Of course, it also doesn't look retro, but that's not really the point.) (09/21/2012)

Commerce has defeated the classic. The extorted substance is truly more exciting and even better than the original Silence of the Lambs. A suggestive thriller with a fantastically depressing atmosphere, and unlike the previous (upcoming) installments, it features a likeable and believable investigator on the level of the unmistakable Hopkins and a perfectly chilling murderer in Fiennes. The final twist even brings a desire to immediately watch Demme's original. This is how the most fundamental essence of a well-known story should be expanded. (07/16/2006)

Less interesting in terms of plot and more routine, and visually far less attractive, almost ordinary. Red Dragon has almost nothing to captivate the audience, other than a few scenes with Emily Watson and Ralph Fiennes. An overly detailed copy of The Silence of the Lambs, with the difference that there is hardly anything good in here, and there’s plenty of bad. (07/29/2011)

One book, two almost identical adaptations and lengths, but such different experiences. Mann’s version has William Petersen, Joan Allen and a much (but really much) better filmed scene with the tiger on its side. But it’s only a “Mann classic" in the scenes with silent panoramas of the rainy, nighttime city and at moments when the action is embellished with just the right songs. But it’s all slowed down by scenes that drag on unnecessarily, when they should have finished on the cutting room floor, and also zero suspense. Ratner’s version on the other hand has Hollywood parameters. So slightly (but not much) better tempo, attractive production design, sort of signs of suspense, the intro scene and the excellent casting of absolutely all roles apart from those mentioned above. So both movies made it into the “good movie" bracket, but not an inch higher. P.S.: Review copied intentionally. (02/16/2004)

Remember the various directorial ideas from Silence of the Lambs, such as the bell scene at the end, the psycho showing off in front of the mirror, or the night vision goggles? You won't find anything similarly refreshing here. Rattner is wooden, a man of routine who sticks one ordinary shot after another, and the result is so uninteresting and boring. It has no atmosphere, only once, at the end of the film, did a faint chill run down my spine. Norton and Keitel sucked, not to mention Hopkins, on the other hand Emily Watson and Fiennes were great and they are the only reason to watch this movie. So, the two stars are only because of them. Rattner, go back to the B-movies! (08/30/2003)