Review of Red Dragon (2002) by Bob And Lyle X — 22 May 2010

Lyle: Red Dragon is a prequel to Silence of the Lambs, and even though there are a lot of echoes to that movie, I'm still going to pass this film, mostly because of how impressed with it I was. This film was directed by the same guy who did the Rush Hour films, so my hopes were not set high. But I was pleasantly surprised. The direction of this movie is really good, I must admit. But what I really loved about it were the performances. Edward Norton appears in a surprising role as the guy who has to hunt down the next big killer in the series: Ralph Fiennes. Ralph Fiennes is a marvelous actor, and he really shows us that in this film. And, of course, Anthony Hopkins is just as good as ever in his supporting role as Hannibal Lecter. I enjoyed this film a lot, just as much as the previous one.

Bob: I didn't like the previous film, but I did like this film, and I think you hit the nail on the head. Sure a lot of this film is familiar, but that's what's so good about it. It takes us back to the days when Hannibal Lecter was a good character to have in a movie. And the performances are wonderfully done, yes. Still, I couldn't get over the way this film felt more like a mystery thriller than anything else, which I think was the point.

Lyle: It was the point, and that works better than trying to pretend Hannibal Lecter is a horror movie villain, which is what happened with Hannibal and why, I think, you didn't like it.

Bob: That could be it. But the direction and performances and screenplay in this film are wonderful. Not good enough to make it a masterful film, but I was satisfied by it.

Bob's Rating: ***.

Lyle's Rating: ***.

Overall: 60%.