'00s Class?: Red Dragon (2002)

 There's no property that can't be mined for more gold like it is the Old West!  In this case, it is Red Dragon, the 1981 Book written by Thomas Harris.

In case you somehow don't know, Dragon came out in 1981 and was made into a Film called Manhunter.  In 1988, Harris wrote Silence of the Lambs and that became a Film in 1991.  In 1999, Harris wrote Hannibal and it too became a Film in 2001.

Dino De Laurentiis said 'Let's make Red Dragon again...because money.'  I'm paraphrasing, of course.

Will this (definitely) final Film about Hannibal Lecter be the best?  Is it too much too late?

To find out, read on...

In 1980, Hannibal Lecter is confronted by Will Graham and stabs him, only to stabbed by a bunch of arrows (don't leave those lying around) and gets shot.

In the Book, this happens in 1975.  Obviously, sliding time scale here.

That said, do you buy that 2002 Anthony Hopkins is A DECADE younger here than he was in Silence?

The opening credits proceed to tell us- Tell Don't Show- a whole bunch of things that we'd kind of like to see, like Lecter's Trial, Graham's recovery and even the bit where the rich lady faints in court.

Sure- why not?

At least this lazy exposition dump is also The Tooth Fairy's Diary, so that's...something.

Graham is, of course, called in to try and figure out who the killer is.

Curiously, his Boss is the same one that later recruits Clarice Starling in Silence, but he's not played by Scott Glenn here.  I guess he said 'no.'

In an odd little change, we don't see The Tooth Fairy/Dollarhyde until nearly FORTY FIVE MINUTES into the Film, in stark contrast to an early first appearance in Manhunter.

This version wears fake teeth, which should be a Plot Point...but never comes up.

Understandably, they change the Prison- which was in an Atlanta Art Museum in Manhunter- to look like the one in Silence.

They even got the original Dr. Chilton Actor to come back and it sure is seamless.

***He's definitely the same age here as he was then***

Don't worry- the Blind Lady Pets the Tiger Scene is still here.

To this Film's credit, it's set up better (as her company makes the bulbs that the Zoo uses).

On the flip side, they weren't allowed to actually use a knocked-out/drugged Tiger in 2002, so they just have a Hollywood-trained Tiger play asleep here.

So while Lecter is a minor character in Manhunter, he pops out in at least 4 lengthy Scenes that are spattered throughout the Film.

Do they add anything?  
Not much.

***Again, this 2002 Lecter is definitely younger than the one below***

This one takes an odd turn, at least if you only know Manhunter.

In both Films, he kills a romantic rival of his would-be love.
In this Film, however, he follows that up by SETTING HER HOUSE ON FIRE and killing himself with a shotgun!

...except he didn't do that last part.

He actually shot the already dead guy- feel free to picture the logistics of him dragging the body in, doing his big monologue, stopping to prop up the body and then shoot it- to do his master plan.

Show up at Will Graham's House- since Lecter gave him the address- and try to make him the *real* next victim.

Of course, he wasn't there to see this Film's Chekhov's Gun in the form of Graham teaching his wife to shoot in one Scene earlier.

As such, he's unprepared for her to straight up shoot him, saving the day.

Graham and company go out on their boat some time later and the Film ends with...

F**k you, Movie!

Ahem.  Sorry about that.  I just had to get that one out.

**********

The Film is good, but not great.  Did the Series peak with Silence?  Yes, obviously.

They tried to capture lightning in a bottle again by literally hiring the Screenwriter of Silence AND its Cinematographer to boot.  They also, as noted, got a few Actors to return to make the connection.

How does the Film work on its own merits?  Well, it is really weird pacing-wise as we spend so much time hearing about what the killer might do and think before seeing him far later than you might think.

People talk about how Batman and The Joker don't actually meet until long into The Dark Knight.  Now just imagine if we only ever saw the aftermath of his crimes- like the robbery- for over forty-minutes of screen time.

That's not to say that Fiennes isn't good here.  While I never buy that he has this massive presence (he's still called a body builder), he's good at playing what this Film (and the Book) think an insane serial killer would be.  He's a bit melodramatic, but, again, it is what the Film wants.

I'll say this- setting this in the '80s (for the timeline) doesn't excuse them STILL using the 'calling him gay to provoke him' Plot Point in 2002.  You couldn't re-word it?  Calling him impotent isn't enough? 

My only real gripe here is how much they lean on Lecter at the expense of everyone else.  You didn't have 'the balls' to adapt the Story straight?  Oh well.

Red Dragon is good, but it could be so much better.  It is a Brett Ratner Film, so...that's probably it.  At least the tattoo finally got on-screen this time!

Next time, I keep this theme going by looking at the *actual* last Hannibal Film (until the ineviatable Remake).  Is this one worth a bite?  Stay tuned...