Lector Spectre

“Red Dragon” Directed by Brett Ratner ***

It is very rare that sequels match up well to the original film. Such was the case of “Hannibal,” the sequel to the suspense classic “Silence of the Lambs.” I use the term suspense on purpose. While “Hannibal” was a horror film, trying to scare the audience with spilling guts and man-eating pigs, “Silence of the Lambs” instead used the audiences’ imagination and its genuine feelings for Agent Starling (Jodie Foster) to create the atmosphere.

The big question on everyone’s mind going into the third film, was how is this going to rank in the series? “Red Dragon” is based on the first of Thomas Harris’ Hannibal books. It was previously made by director Michael Mann as “Manhunter” in 1986. “Manhunter” was a good movie, but, for modern audiences who identify Anthony Hopkins, not Brian Cox, as Lector, it needed to be remade. Unfortunately, it is not quite as good as “Manhunter.” The good news is that “Red Dragon” is much better than “Hannibal.” The bad news, is that it is just an above-average film.

Despite having a fabulous cast — Hopkins, Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Edward Norton, and Harvey Keitell — the movie never goes beyond a typical thriller, no different from 20 others released every year. What is obvious immediately in “Red Dragon” is how much Anthony Hopkins’ Lector has become part of the popular culture. The opening shot has Anthony Hopkins sitting at a concert looking at a not-very-talented flautist. The audience immediately knows that Lector, we already know who he is, will eat this man. I am wary of films that use popular culture to such an extent to build up character. It makes the film lazy in trying to build up the characters for itself.

There are definitely some fine moments in “Red Dragon”. The best scenes involve Watson, a blind photo-lab worker, and Fiennes as Dollarhyde, the red dragon. These scenes show Dolarhyde as compassionate and add depth to his character. The scenes with Lector and Graham are solid but unspectacular. The suspense in “Silence of the Lambs” comes from genuine creepiness. We never believe that Lector will harm Starling. He likes her too much. In “Red Dragon”, the suspense comes from Graham and his family being threatened both by Lector and by Dolarhyde. “Red Dragon” need not have been made, but since it was, it is a decent thriller, unremarkable but still able to hold the audiences attention long enough to put a scare or two into it.