It’s astonishing to think that a mere ten years ago, most of the cinema-going world’s only experience of the planet's most famous cannibal – Hannibal Lecter – was through watching 1994’s spellbindingly brilliant Oscar-grabber The Silence Of The Lambs.
However, the past decade has seen us reintroduced to the Chianti-swilling shrink not once, not twice, but three times, with the other instalments in Thomas Harris’ seminal series of Lecter novels all getting slapped onto the silver screen. Unfortunately, each one of them has been compared to Silence Of The Lambs and has thus come under heavy, and in most cases relatively undeserved, fire.
Sure, the only-okay Hannibal lacked the chilling atmosphere of its predecessor and the less said about 2007’s Hannibal Rising, the better, but Red Dragon is a different kettle of fish. Not only was it up against Silence, it was always going to be compared to source novel’s original adaptation - 1986’s now-dated cult classic Manhunter as well. With such a monumental feat in front of it, surely Red Dragon could never be as good as the competition, right? Wrong.
Now I’m fully aware of how bold this statement is, but Red Dragon is every bit as enjoyable as The Silence Of The Lambs. Following the story of FBI agent Will Graham as he hunts down a mentally unstable killer known as The Tooth Fairy, the film is two hours worth of edge-of-the-seat entertainment that not only does ample justice to Harris’ novel, but also showcases the fantastic talents of some of Hollywood’s biggest names.
It once again returns us to a story where Lecter is reduced to a sinister, venomously charming phantom confined to a cell, where he proves to be as powerful as ever as he effortlessly gets in the way of the FBI, despite being under lock and key. It’s a beautifully well-paced, character-driven film that far exceeds any of director Brett Ratner’s other work.
As for the inevitable comparisons to Manhunter, there’s no doubt whatsoever that Red Dragon knocks spots off of its predecessor. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the people who claim otherwise are more than likely only doing so to point out that they’re aware of the original’s existence – more than likely just so they can get a filmic one-up on the general punters who’ve never seen/heard of Brian Cox’s portrayal of cinema’s beloved villainous doctor.
The point is that if you haven’t seen it, you really need to check it out as it’s a superb piece of contemporary thriller brilliance that never got the credit it so rightly deserved. Unsurprisingly then, you may want to scope out the Blu-ray as it’s not a bad package.
Okay, so the real downside of the disc is that it’s not until about halfway through the film (where we get to see some nice, bright interiors) that the picture even begins to impress. While the colours are all vibrant and bold, the image is only marginally sharper than it is in standard definition. For a film that was only made in 2002, it’s more than a little disappointing in that regard. However, the DTS track is as immersive and deep as anyone could hope for. Between the hectic action scenes and Anthony Hopkins’ haunting, rasping monotone taunts, it’s crystal-clear proof of just what a surround sound system can do for your home AV setup.
As for the extras, there’s a ton of loot on board that should have Lecter fans licking their lips in anticipation. Featuring all the superb extras that adorned the two-disc DVD release, the Blu-ray also features an additional commentary with Danny Elfman, storyboard comparisons and Brett Ratner’s weird, soundless student short. While not overwhelming, it’s undoubtedly a good bunch of extras that a film of this calibre deserves. Lovely stuff.
Overall Verdict: A decent Blu-ray package for a truly great film. Well worth the upgrade once the price drops, on account of the aural pampering you get with it.
Special Features:
Feature Commentary with Director Brett Ratner and Writer Ted Tally
Music Score Commentary with Composer Danny Elfman
Lecter's FBI File and Life History
Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer: Hosted by John Douglas
Anthony Hopkins: Lecter and Me
The Making of Red Dragon
A Director’s Journey
Brett Ratner’s Student Film
Visual Effects
Screen and Film Tests
Makeup Application
The Burning Wheelchair
The Leeds' House Crime Scene
Storyboards to Final Feature Comparison
Additional Scenes
Reviewer: Jordan Brown
