Red Dragon is based on the same book as Manhunter, so this is basically Hopkins version of Brian Cox's take.

The movie does a lot of things differently (and better) than Manhunter. I feel like Hopkins has a much bigger role an his relationship with Ed Norton's Will Graham is much better defined. Norton's thoughts spoken out loud sound slightly more natural and less hammy than Peterson's. The killer they are looking for, Dollarhyde, also gets much more screentime and much more character development, specifically the how and why he is so sick. Ralph Fiennes is really excellent as Dollarhyde, but Noonan gets damn close to being better.

That said, this movie is never as tense as Manhunter is. Ed Norton looks lost in thought in the quiet moments, not obsessively focused like Peterson. Dollarhyde is more theatrical, which makes him less creepy or at least less sad. This is basically a bland cop procedural version of Manhunter.

It still works just not as good as it could.

Based on the premise alone, Hannibal kind of does everything wrong. Its 10 years after Starling caught Buffalo Bill and Hannibal escapes. Starling is now a trigger happy field agent for the FBI, and Hannibal is nursing a massive crush on Starling that makes him seem very stalkerish. It kind of ruins all of what made their relationship great in the last one. I suppose is an attempt to show how much their lives were affected by their first encounter, but I feel like they changed the characters too much too quick. It should have been more gradual.

This time around Starling is bait for Hannibal by a former victim of Hannibal's. Mason Verger. Verger was a wealthy child molester, an Lector was his court appointed therapist. Lector attacked Verger leaving him disfigured and paralyzed. Verger is played by Gary Oldman who does his best to act through all the make-up and physical limitations. Verger is pulling all the strings trying to get Hannibal to show himself so that he can have his vengeance.

All the movie is really good for in my opinion is a really memorable scene with Ray Liotta that I don't want to spoil.

Silence of the Lambs is based on a novel that is a sequel to the novel Red Dragon, which inspired Manhunter. BUt Silence of the Lambs isn't really a sequel to Manhunter. It would have been interesting to see what Brian Cox would do with a much meatier role, but Anthony Hopkins gets his chance...[more]...

William Peterson plays Will Graham, a FBI profiler who had a mental breakdown after being attacked by infamous cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecktor, played by Brian Cox. The character of Lector (spelled with a k in this one) has become pretty infamous thanks to Anthony Hopkins, but Brian Cox was the first actor to play the gig. He isn't really in it much, but he makes great use of what screentime he actually has...[more]...