7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Ex-FBI agent Will Graham is an expert investigator who quit the Bureau after almost losing his life in the process of capturing the elusive Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Years later, after a series of particularly grisly murders, Graham reluctantly agrees to come out of retirement and assist in the mysterious case. But he soon realizes that the best way to catch this killer, known as the Tooth Fairy, is to find a way to get inside the killer's mind. And the closest thing to that would be to probe the mind of another killer who is equally brilliant and twisted. For Graham, that means confronting his past and facing his former nemesis, the now-incarcerated Dr. Lecter.
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily WatsonThriller | 100% |
Crime | 49% |
Psychological thriller | 48% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS 5.1
German: DTS 5.1
Italian: DTS 5.1
Japanese: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
D-Box
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Why do people go to scary movies? Is there some psychological doctoral thesis on this subject which sheds light on the really rather peculiar human need to be frightened out one’s wits? Is there an endorphin rush after the shock that makes it all worthwhile? What about the slow, steady spread of terror when you watch a film pitting a raving madman against an investigator who’s also a family man, which you know in your heart of hearts is going to end with a showdown between good (sweet little nuclear family in a sylvan domestic setting) and evil (rabid killer, usually with some sort of threateningly sharp object in hand)? From Night of the Hunter to Cape Fear, these well worn clichés seem never to lose their adrenaline-pumping value, nor their audience appeal. Do our onscreen victims serve as scapegoats for our most buried fears that our own families may well become subject to the vagaries of unpredictable elements out in the real world?
I certainly have no easy answers for any of these quandaries, and yet as I watched Red Dragon, the second film adaptation of Thomas Harris’ novel (Michael Mann’s excellent Manhunter was the first) which introduced iconic serial killer Hannibal Lecter to the world, I couldn’t help asking them. When one is confronted by such deliberate and deliberative evil as is embodied in the character of Hannibal Lecter, one is forced, perhaps unwillingly, to confront a whole host of issues about how reality, and indeed good and evil, are perceived. That certainly is brought home in the character of FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton), who in the riveting prelude to this film figures out that Lecter, who in his guise as a world famous psychiatrist has been aiding in the search for a serial killer, is himself the madman for whom he’s been searching. That leads to a viscerally exciting showdown scene where both men are horribly wounded, leading both to Lecter’s imprisonment and Graham’s retirement from the force. But Red Dragon is actually a ménage a trois of sorts, as Graham ends up needing Lecter’s assistance in tracking down another vicious serial killer, one who preys on young families, known as the Tooth Fairy Killer.
Chianti? I ordered Chablis!
Red Dragon looks as sharp as a filet knife on this AVC encoded 1080p Blu-ray, in a 2.38:1 aspect ratio. Universal loves DNR, as many BD fans already know, and while there may have been some minor digital scrubbing here, it never rises to the heights we've seen in some other Universal catalog releases. Grain texture is largely intact and the entire film is often breathtakingly gorgeous, rather odd considering its unseemly content. The Florida sequences are jaw droppingly beautiful, with wonderfully robust color which is stunningly saturated without ever going over the edge into blooming territory. Contrast and black levels are really exceptional here, with the many shadow-strewn segments offering abundant detail. No artifacting of any import was noticed and fine detail throughout this presentation is strong and very clear.
There aren't a wealth of opportunities in Red Dragon for knock your socks off surround activity, but given that caveat, the lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix here is surprisingly nuanced, able to craft a subliminal stratum of terror with simple, everyday sounds of households. There is some fun surround activity in some of the shock scenes, and some of the sound effects are spectacularly successful. Listen for the "whoosh" of Lecter's initial attack on Graham in the film's prelude for one sterling example. Dialogue here is very clear and well presented, and the mix between dialogue, the ubiquitous sound effects and Danny Elfman's excellent score is very well handled. In fact, it's really splendidly handled at times when all three elements are in play simultaneously, as in the climactic fire scene. Surround activity in scenes like this really comes alive and immerses the listener in a very evocative and scary soundfield.
A glut of SD supplements ported over from the previous Collector's Edition SD-DVD augment the main feature:
Red Dragon occupies a solid place in the Hannibal Lecter filmography. While it's true that Manhunter is probably more stylish, Red Dragon is exceedingly effective on its own terms and offers a chance for some A-listers to turn in some unusual performances. Ratner shows an uncommon aptitude for actors in this outing, and while some may decry the build up to the inevitable showdown between the evil serial killer and the good and decent family man, Red Dragon offers a good deal of disturbing scares getting there. Recommended.
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