You Think Like I Do Will, Thats How You Caught Me

Right last night I came home from the Gym and fancied sitting down, doing as little as possible and watching a film. Having just received a copy of Red Dragon from CD-wow the day before my mind was made up I’d watch that even if it wouldn’t finish till 12.30.

Having already read and done an op on the Thomas Harris book I have been wanting to see the film for a while, to see either how well, or badly they had interpreted the book and what the film would be like. In short I wasn’t disappointed but that doesn’t really make much of an op.

As I already mentioned the film is an adaptation of the Thomas Harris book Red Dragon, the prequel to Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. For anyone who hasn’t read the book, seen the film or read my other op this is basically what its about. The film starts with a bit that wasn’t in the book in so many words but was talked about is the capture of Hannibal (Anthony Hopkins) by Will Graham (Edward Norton).

We fast-forward a few years to just after the “Tooth Fairy” (Ralph Fiennes) has claimed his second Family in a month. FBI agent Jack Crawford (Harvey Keital) has to persuede Will Graham, now in retirement, to come back for one last case as he is the best man to catch the “Tooth Fairy”. The film follows Graham’s visit’s to the houses of the victims and his desire to capture the “Tooth Fairy” before he strikes again. However Francis Dolarhyde hates the nickname the police have given him as he is becoming the Red Dragon.

There is so much more I could tell you about the film but I really don’t want to spoil it too much. Parts of the book are missed out in the film and other parts are portrayed in different ways but all in all it’s a decent remake and a return to form for the series after Hannibal, which upon comparison with Silence Of The Lambs and this was actually pretty poor

The cast of the film is superb with Edward Norton portraying Will Graham in exactly the way you imagine from the book. Between this film and Fight Club I have really grown to like Edward Norton as he is a superb actor. Lecter of course played by Anthony Hopkins is his usual bizarre self but it’s another superb performance in a series that you just couldn’t imagine anyone else in the Lecter role.

Ralph Fiennes has a difficult job in having to portray an absolute nutter and does so superbly. I didn’t really know anything about him before this film but he did put in a superb performance and the full body tattoo looked superb. The last of the films main characters was Harvey Keital who as always put in a superb performance as the FBI agent in charge of the case.

There is also an older version around made by Michael Mann called Manhunter. Red Dragon sees Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Hannibal) continuing in the Directors chair.

Well in conclusion the film is almost as good as Silence of The Lambs with an interesting twist at the end. Of course it’s not always necessary to have watched the other 2 films as this being the first of the books makes a great introduction. Well worth a watch unless of course you’re a bit squeamish or didn’t like the other two films.