Thursday, October 4, 2012

Happy 10th anniversary, Red Dragon!



You were a rare prequel that didn't suck.

My Hannibal reviews.


Posted by Diacanu at 8:05 AM
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3 comments:

Paladin said...

D'oh! Forgot "Hannibal Rising." Decent enough origin tale, but I kinda dislike the idea of "explaining" Hannibal's evil. Gaspard Ulliel, in the title role, wasn't able to manifest the kind of homicidal glee that Hopkins did. Also, the transformation of Lecter from monstrous serial killer (remember, he was the Chesapeake Ripper in Manhunter/Red Dragon) to Batman-with-an-appetite-for-human-flesh is compelte: no one he kills is even remotely innocent. In retrospect, this is much more like "Dexter Begins." Alas, Dexter's a far more interesting character. This one's the very weakest of the bunch, although still reasonably entertaining.

October 4, 2012 at 10:49 PM
Paladin said...

(This one didn't seem to post, some I'm trying again...)

The Hannibal Lecter films are terrific and "Silence of the Lambs" has been one of my favorites of all time for many, many years. My thoughts on each...

Manhunter: Dammit, I just like so much about this film. I like the Michael Mann/Miami Vice vibe this thing has. I like the cheesy rock music ("Heartbeat," over the closing credits, is one of the most relentlessly annoying songs that will ever get stuck in your head). I love Will Graham (William Peterson) busting through the window like Batman while Iron Butterfly pulses on the soundtrack. I love Tom Noonan's sensitive and isolated portrayal of the Tooth Fairy. I like Brian Cox as Lecter. I *love* that moment when Graham figures out the connection between the murdered families, how he KNOWS what the label on the film cans are going to say. "Just you and me now, sport." Fuck yeah!

Silence of the Lambs: Awesome on every level. Every moment Hopkins is on screen, he's mesmerizing. Too many things that I love to list, but here are a few: Lecter's devastatingly accurate deconstruction of Clarice ("You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube."); Ted Levine's creepy performance ("Wait. Was she some great big fat person?"); Lecter antagonizing Senator Martin; the moment when Crawford (Scott Glenn) realizes that, since the FBI's got the wrong house, Clarice is in danger of finding Buffalo Bill; Lecter's brilliant (and gruesome) escape from the jail; the astoundingly suspenseful sequence with Clarice hunting Bill (or is it vice versa?) in the basement of his house. Terrific actors, terrific story, tight, suspenseful...not sure you CAN make a better movie.

Hannibal: after "Silence," this was bound to disappoint and, yes, it's not as good. Still, I love all of Lecter's scenes with Pazzi, concluding with the grim lynching of Pazzi from the Palazzo Vecchio; I liked the Mason Verger character; Hannibal's great one-liners ("I'm giving serious consideration to eating your wife." "No, Mason. I prefer you just as you are." "Okey-dokey, here we go-oooo..."). Julianne Moore works well as Clarice and that final scene between her and Hopkins is great ("Not in a million years." "That's my girl."). The climax relies a little too much on horror and not enough on suspense, but this is still a good entry in the series.

Red Dragon: Pretty good re-telling of the story, though I prefer Manhunter. Still, it's hard to deny the appeal of Hopkins playing Lecter, even if circumstances force him to have little activity in the plot. Norton's okay; although he's a very good actor, his Will Graham doesn't have the world weariness that he should...see William Peterson's take. Ralph Fiennes take on the Tooth Fairy was nicely nuanced; I felt pity as well as revulsion for him. Love the dinner party opener ("I'm afraid if I told you, you wouldn't even try it."). A decent entry, but, like "Hannibal" one of the weaker films.

October 4, 2012 at 10:51 PM
Diacanu said...


Heh, it posted, you were just in the other Hannibal post. :P

October 5, 2012 at 9:45 AM

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