Aspect Ratio: 2.39 (Bollywood)
Colour: Colour
Sound: Surround
Camera: 35mm
Related Links
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Synopsis
A prequel to Silence of the Lambs. It is the first of the 3 adult Hannibal stories (Hannibal Rising is the first where Hannibal is a child) and is followed by Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal is the last in the sequence. They were made in the order Manhunter (the previous version of Red Dragon) came first in 1986, Then Silence of the lambs(1991), Hannibal (2001), Red Dragon (2002), Hannibal Rising (2007).
Agent Graham (Edward Norton( captures Hannibal (Anthony Hopkins) at the start of the film as a prelude, the main action revolves around Graham being recalled to enlist Hannibal's help in capturing Dolarhyde (the Tooth Fairy - Ralph Fiennes) and a postlude has Graham visiting Hannibal in jail one more time where we learn that a female agent is to visit Hannibal for help with another case - a lead in to Clarice Darling in Silence of the Lambs.
Reviews
by rogerco on Thu 15th Feb 2024 DVD proj @ home
Better than the previous version
Full review
Much better made than Manhunter and the prelude with Agent Graham capturing Hannibal provides a nice lead-in. However the story is a bit uncredible and both Dolarhyde's disfiburment (a slight hare lip) and Graham's supposed psychological trauma causing him to be invalided out of the FBI to a comfortable retirement at a young age were unconvincing as hooks to hang the story on.
So as with Manhunter it comes down to a race-against-time chase - which is handled much better than Manhunter - but the film as a whole remains flawed and not fully engrossing.