Watch this BEFORE reading the book, or watching Red Dragon

Rating: 5/10 (13 December 2006)

Having read both Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs, and having seen the movie adaptations of each (in that order), this movie was somewhat disappointing to me. My two major complaints are with the pace and with some of the acting.
To start, the pace of the movie as compared to the book is cut all to hell. Of course things would need to be shortened or refitted from novel to feature length movie, but much of the insight into several characters and their relationships is either rushed or utterly lost. Jack Crawford's personal back story, for instance, is completely left out; this leaves Scott Glen nothing to work with, though we know from past roles that he is at least an able actor Jodie Foster is contemptible as Clarice Starling. In T. Harris's well-written book, she is portrayed as frustrated and sometimes disturbed, but able, rebellious and determined. In this movie she is almost constantly falling apart and is barely able to keep herself together. Further, the reason for involving her so heavily in the case, while addressed in the book, is never properly explained here.
To the movie's credit, and ironically, the characters we are supposed to like least are the most believable, and provoke the most reaction: Ted Levine as Buffalo Bill, Anthony Heald as Dr. Chilton and of course Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter.
With a change of director, and screenwriter Ted Tally's growth over 11 years, Red Dragon is much more reflective of its source material, much more insightful, has a much better lead actor and is simply better all around. One will enjoy this movie as a thriller IF one does not first read the book, or see the much more ably-handled Red Dragon.