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Red Dragon
[Blu-ray 4K]
Blu-ray ALL - America - Kino Lorber Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak (12th October 2023). |
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The Film
 In 1981 novelist Thomas Harris conceived one of the most terrifying figures in popular literature, Doctor Hannibal Lecter, the book was "Red Dragon". Having been a moderate best seller it sparked a film adaptation that was loosely based on his book. In 1986 executive producer of the hot show "Miami Vice" (1984-1989), Michael Mann helmed that film re-titled to "Manhunter" (1986) and cast actor Brian Cox to play the role of Hannibal. The contemporary cops-and-robbers melodrama was told with a very Miami Vice-esque slick style that didn't really register at the box office. The film was quickly dismissed and only managed to gross about half its production cost. Since its release the film has garnered a cult following, but it wasn't until a decade later that Hannibal would resurface again, this time in the low-budget thriller "Silence of the Lambs" in 1991. Filmmaker Jonathan Demme who until then made a string of forgettable films helmed the picture with an A-list star Jodie Foster and classically trained actor Anthony Hopkins taking on the role of Hannibal. Released in February of 1991, the film became an instant hit, later that year garnering a slew of Oscar nominations and winning all 5 of the top honours including, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. Ever since then Hannibal has been an icon in popular culture. The popularity of the character spawned a series of spoofs, and commercials that imitate Anthony Hopkins' performance. Phrases from the film where memorized and spoken of by people around the world. But it was ten years later that the character of Hannibal would make it back to the big screen, it would have been sooner had the rights of the film not been tangled in a legal web that took a decade to untangle this time at the hands of producer Dino De Laurentiis, the production of the third film in the Lecter series was a bumpy road, none of the principle crew would return, Demme passed as did screenwriter Ted Tally, even Jodie Foster declined to reprise her Oscar-winning role as Agent Clarice Starling. A complete over-haul occurred this time with director Ridley Scott hot off the heels of "Gladiator" (2000), he took the helm of "Hannibal" (2001). The film generated an unprecedented amount of hype, but eventually was received with mixed reviews from both audiences and the media. The film was very different in structure and style to "Silence of the Lambs" although a box-office hit it didn't quite live up to its predecessor. But that didn't stop De Laurentiis to continue to exploit the character's popularity, soon after "Hannibal" finished its theatrical run yet another Hannibal film was announced, this time a re-make of "Manhunter" (1986). The first and original book was going to get an update, "Red Dragon" went into production in 2001. The project attracted a lot of attention, as original "Silence of the Lambs" screenwriter Ted Tally signed on to pen this version, A-list Hollywood names where all in vying for a role in what was said to be an incredible script. But it was the choice of director that confused a few people, Brett Ratner who made a name for himself making the action comedies "Rush Hour" (1998) and "Rush Hour 2" (2001) was commissioned to take on this project. An odd choice for a director to be sure, can this guy really pull out a physiological thriller? Or will it bomb? But in 2002 those initial fears where put to rest as the prequel to Silence premiered to generally positive reviews and a robust box-office reception. In "Red Dragon", FBI Special Agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) has been called out of early retirement to catch a serial killer, known by authorities as "The Tooth Fairy" (Ralph Finnes). But in order to do so he asks for the help of his arch-nemesis and the man who he captured and jailed, Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), Graham requires Lecter's knowledge and experience in killer profiling to help him catch "The Tooth Fairy" and bring him to justice. The only problem is that "The Tooth Fairy" is getting inside information about Graham and his family from none other than Dr. Lecter. A cat-and-mouse game ensues between Lecter, Graham and "The Tooth Fairy", but Graham must find him before another victim is found. To make matters worse a media rat Freddy Lounds (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is snooping at the case and trying to expose Graham's involvement with Lecter to catch this serial killer for his next big scoop. All elements culminate to one seriously thrilling conclusion. "Red Dragon" is generally a well-crafted piece of cinema, all the elements are there for an enjoyable ride, well-performed characters, excellent set pieces, crazy killers and suspenseful action. But it does fall a little short, in the sense that although it is well made, the script does feel a like a paint-by-numbers effort. As far as thrillers go you won't see anything new here, the charm or rather entertaining aspects of the film lies with its main character Lecter, it's always gratifying to see Hopkins back in the role that he is most remembered for. Other performances in the film also standout, for example Ralph Finnes' "The Tooth Fairy" AKA Francis Dolarhyde is equally disturbing as the flawed serial killer with a sensitive side. The film itself is full of tense moments, some that will make you jump and other that will make you sick (especially the crime-scene walk-through) it's no secret that the production value on this film was high so what we get are very accurate and often gruesome scenes. It's debatable whether this film is better than "Manhunter", or whether it should have been made, either way this film doesn't demerit the Lecter franchise, it's a worthy addition and a better film than "Hannibal" was.
Video
Presented in 2.39:1 widescreen and licensed from Universal Pictures, Kino Lorber presents a brand new transfer restored in 4k scanned from the original 35mm negatives. The 4K UHD image is presented in 2160p 24/fps mastered using HEVC codec and can be viewed with either Dolby Vision or HDR10. It's been years since I've seen "Red Dragon" and the last time I reviewed the film it was released on DVD, obviously this new 4K is a significant upgrade over previous editions. Universal Pictures did the heavy lifting in remastering the picture using original elements with Kino Lorber handling the home video distribution. The film was originally shot on 35mm and the 4K image preserves that quite well. The overall image itself is quite dark, but that's all part of the atmosphere the filmmakers created. The black levels are deep, with adequate texture, grain, and no obnoxious noise. The sharpness looks good, with a few shots here and there looking a little soft, but it's not too distracting. Presented on a three layer 100GB disc allows the film to shine.
Audio
Two audio options are included in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. For the purposes of this review I chose to view the film with its 5.1 audio. Mixed at 48kHz 24-bit, the audio is impressively complex, rich with surround activity, a well done score, and clean and clear dialogue. You can't ask for much more than that. Optional subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired only.
Extras
Pretty much all of the extras produced for Universal's former release has been licensed and ported over here for Kino Lorber's new release. Below is a closer look at these supplements. DISC ONE: 4K UHD The first extra you'll find on the first disc is the audio commentary by director Brett Ratner and screenwriter Ted Tally. For those familiar with Ratner commentaries, he approaches them with an over-exuberant and easily excitable attitude, constantly talking fast and moving from one topic to the next almost as if trying to keep up with what's happening onscreen, which can sometimes be hard to follow. During his torrent of speech he manages to let us know about certain complexities involved in making a film such as this, but is usually confined to letting us know which are his favourite scenes, shots, camera angles etc. This track also includes Tally who manages to question Ratner throughout the track almost like a moderator would, but also adding his own insights of the project to the track by discussing the writing challenges. The second extra you'll find on this disc is an isolated music score with additional audio commentary by the composer Danny Elfman. The track itself showcases the musical work created for the film, so all dialogue, sound effects etc are muted. Elfman jumps in occasionally during the track to talk about the different pieces of music he composed and how they fit into the film. DISC TWO: BLU-RAY Once you've popped disc two into your player you'll find this is where the majority of the supplements are kept. The same audio commentary and isolated music score are featured here. "The Making-Of Red Dragon" featurette (14:19) is your standard EPK style with a lot of back patting from the crew. For a making-of there is very little explanation for how the film was made. "A Director’s Journey" documentary (39:27) is notably the best extra on the disc, it's Ratner's video diary. this feature is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this film from the perspective of the director as he readies the project from pre-production to completion. We get access to location scouts, the shooting of scenes, and the post-production process like recording the score for the film and segments from the premiere. Following that we get a "Visual Effects" featurette (4:26), and we get to see the evolution of some scenes as they undergo CGI additions or enhancements. "Anthony Hopkins - Lecter and I" featurette (4:25) is an interview with actor Anthony Hopkins as he discusses the impact the character of Hannibal has had on his life and career. The next brief featurette is entitled "The Burning Wheelchair" (4:01) takes a closer look at how this scene was created by the stunt team. "Screen and Film Tests" featurette (11:43) is a series of camera tests narrated by Brett Ratner, director of photography Dante Spinotti, and special make-up effects artist Matthew Mungle. Here we see camera tests for hair, Lecter's cell, blood, teeth and cleft palate, fire, Graham's wardrobe, mask and tattoo tests. "The Leeds’ House Crime Scene" featurette (3:38) explains how Technical Advisors where employed to help re-create authentically accurate crime scenes for the film. "Makeup Application" featurette (0:45) and is narrated by Brett Ratner and special make-up effects artist Matthew Mungle, here we see the application of the mirror eyes on the characters for the Leeds crime scene. "Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer - Hosted by John Douglas" featurette (8:16) this is basically an interview with former FBI profiler John Douglas, who worked on "Silence of the Lambs" and "Hannibal" as well as "Red Dragon" as an advisor, he explains here how a profile is created based on certain crimes to help agents better understand the criminal in which they are searching for. A series of seven deleted scenes (5:23) are included with optional audio commentary by director Brett Ratner, screenwriter Ted Tally, and editor Mark Helfrich, they are: - Will looks at sleeping Josh - a nice scene where we see Graham admiring his son. - Chilton and Graham walking down the hallway - a scene where Graham is going to visit Hannibal in his cell, this scene features the two conversing about Hannibal. - The Cat Grave - a scene where Graham outside the second crime scene discovers a cat grave, insinuating that the Tooth Fairy killed the cat as well. - Will talks to Josh about Lecter - a scene just as the title suggests. - Lecter watches the Leed's video tape - a scene where Lecter is given access to more information about the crime scenes. - Josh gets more ingredients - a short scene that was cut for time reasons. - Lounds reads letter into tape recorder - in the film you see the tape being played, here we see him actually making the recording. Four alternate scenes (4:34) are included with optional audio commentary by director Brett Ratner, screenwriter Ted Tally, and editor Mark Helfrich. They are: - Breaking the code (without reading the message out loud) - Just as the title suggests. - FBI listens to tape (no screaming) - As they listen to the Lounds tape. - Flaming Wheelchair - this alternate take shows us a few different angles. - Attic scene in Dragon voice - Dolarhyde talking as if he is the Dagon, in the final version they chose not to include an audible voice but rather keep it internal within Dolarhyde. Three extended scenes (2:28) are included with optional audio commentary by director Brett Ratner, screenwriter Ted Tally, and editor Mark Helfrich. They are: - Graham investigates the Leed's bedroom - these include additional shots of Graham looking around the room. - Graham has a vision in the tree - as he sits in the tree outside the crime scene house where he finds the symbol cut into the tree, Graham has a vision of the killings. - Janitor finds note in Lecter's cell - the janitor is cleaning his toilet when he discovers the note wrapped up among a toilet paper roll. The next extra you'll discover is Storyboard to Final Film Comparison (8:38) this is an exploration of four segments from the film you'll see a split screen at the top is the final film version and at the bottom the storyboard equivalent. You get four comparisons, the first for Scene 6 in which Graham discovers that Lecter is a serial killer while going through his office from the beginning of the film, the second comparison is for Scene 156 in which Dolarhyde is about to set his house on fire. The third Scene 154-157 sees the authorities approaching the Dolarhyde house on fire and the explosion and finally we also get a comparison of Scene 167-169 of the final confrontation at Graham's Florida home. There are "Lecter’s FBI and Life History" notes consists of 25 pages, that were previously DVD-ROM extras. A short film made by the director is next, this extra entitled "Brett Ratner's Untitled Short Film" is black and white short is a film he made at film school in 1987 and for some reason is included here. Rounding out the extras is the film's original theatrical trailer (2:32).
Packaging
Packaged in a 2-disc black amaray keep case housed in a cardboard slip-case.
Overall
As far as a film goes "Red Dragon" holds up much better than "Hannibal", the filmmakers have done a satisfactory job with this by-the-numbers thriller. Fans of the Lecter series will most certainly enjoy this outing made better with great performances from the A-list cast.
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