(I try not to give too much away, but some things can't be helped. The short, non-spoiler version is "go ahead and see it if you like this sort of thing, but don't blame me for what doesn't work. Everyone else should just rent The Silence Of The Lambs")

In 1991 the release of Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs caused something of a minor cultural revolution. Anthony Hopkins' magnetic performance did what not even Anthony Perkins could manage - it transformed the serial killer into a cultural archetype with positive overtones, despite the fact that the actions of Jeffery Dahmer became public only five months later. A sweep of the Oscars ensued, and the cinematic Cult of Hannibal emerged. Hannibal Lecter had already made one screen appearance in Manhunter, Michael Mann's adaptation of Red Dragon, the first Lecter novel by Thomas Harris. Based on the success of the abysmal Hannibal, producer Dino deLaurentiis put a new version of Red Dragon on the fast track, managing to attract a very good cast with Anthony Hopkins as the lure.

I'll get it off my chest first thing. I liked Manhunter. In some ways I liked it more than The Silence of the Lambs, though comparing the two is pointless. Manhunter is dated, an early film for Michael Mann marred by lack of stylistic restraint, choppy editing and the most terrible music imaginable. It pissed off fans of Harris' novel, as it deviates wildly from what Harris put to paper, but that's never bothered me. Brian Cox is my hero; there's something about Cox's greasier Lektor (as he's called in Mann's film) that appealed to me. But the strength of Mann's film is his humane treatment of the central character, murderer Francis Dollarhyde, aka The Tooth Fairy. This Red Dragon's strengths lie in the same area, but Ratner and deLaurentiis are out to make money through Lecter, who's given too much screen time. The film does have an interesting story hidden inside it, but that story is eclipsed by the producer's need to cram more of Hannibal Lecter into the film. Red Dragon works on enough levels that its much more satisfying and ultimately meaningful than Ridley Scott's flashy, insipid Hannibal, but it's a decent film marred by a condescending spirit.

I was curious about what ersatz action/comedy director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour and sequel) could do, given a more faithful screenplay (by Ted Tally, screenwriter on Silence) and the strong cast. Ratner was the weak link: "How did this guy get this project?" Watching the film, it's obvious that he struggled through it in many places, carried along (or shoved forward) by his cast and Tally's script. The end result is you've got a director of one successful franchise moving to another highly successful franchise. The franchise treatment is the downfall, as Tally and Ratner spend valuable time pandering rather than getting to the point. In keeping with the franchise design, Tally's script is cut from the Silence mold, with a structure that is laughably similar to that film and a final sequence that insultingly reminds the audience that they're being bled dry by the franchise mentality. I'm surprised the final shot wasn't an ad for the Silence of the Lambs on DVD. As such, Red Dragon is a film that can never stand on its own, endlessly inviting comparisons to The Silence of the Lambs and Manhunter. Ratner uses the latter film as a crutch, in some sequences remaking it shot for shot rather than move into unfamiliar territory, leaning on cinematographer Dante Spinotti, who also shot Manhunter.