The prequel to The Silence of the Lambs, Red Dragon is the opening instalment in Thomas Harris' Hannibal trilogy. Opening with a short prologue detailing how Hannibal was caught in the first place, the bulk of the narrative focuses on the search for another serial killer, nicknamed 'The Tooth Fairy'. Reluctantly leading the investigation is Will Graham (Norton), the man who apprehended Lector, and who has to ask for the good doctor's advice when it comes to finding the tooth fairy.
A remake of the infinitely superior Manhunter (directed by Michael Mann), the reason for the existence of this version of Red Dragon appears to be a simple cash-in after the massive commercial success of Hannibal some 18 months ago. Even the choice of director is indicative of this - Ratner is a competent, journeyman filmmaker, but is devoid of any real inspiration, lacking even a hint of the dexterity that Mann welded in his original vision. Ted Tally's screenplay also lacks depth, characters' motivations are never explained and the shallowness of the entire project is impossible to ignore. Like an aging rock star on his last legs, Hopkins turns up and gives a half-hearted performance, throwing out a routine that lacks conviction and errs more on the side of (bad) humour. Yes, it's better than Hannibal, but not by much.
