Fiery 'Dragon' Brings Bite Back to Hannibal Lecter Series

"Red Dragon"

It's time to break out the fava beans and Chianti.

"Red Dragon" -- the first chapter in the Hannibal Lecter trilogy -- has swept into theaters and broken "the silence."

In this prequel to "Silence of the Lambs," Sir Anthony Hopkins returns as the notorious Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter. Edward Norton co-stars as former FBI agent Will Graham, the man who put Lecter behind the famous glass wall and muzzle.

Graham is summoned by a former associate (Harvey Keitel) to capture a serial killer known as the Tooth Fairy. The killer is actually Francis Dolarhyde, (Ralph Fiennes), a disturbing combination of Norman Bates and Forrest Gump -- clearly plagued by even bigger issues than his harelip and bad haircut.

He paces around a crusty old nursing home and worships Red Dragon, an evil force that possesses him through a William Blake painting of the same name.

There's just one catch -- to find the killer, Graham must request the expertise of The Cannibal.

The film is delightfully full of suspenseful scenes, eerie settings and intense symphonic music that accentuate Graham's quest to slay the Red Dragon.

The film also succeeds at playing into the audience's subconscious desire to submit to Lecter's witty deception -- as in "Silence of the Lambs" -- and accentuates the graphic gore and insanity shown in both "Silence" and "Hannibal" but with more subtlety. The only downfall is director Brett Ratner's obvious dependence on scene shockers to smooth over holes in the plot.

Rounding out the cast are Philip Seymour Hoffman as a cheesy reporter whose bad press fuels the Red Dragon's wrath and Emily Watson as a blind woman who befriends Dolarhyde and is able to see through his grisly exterior and into his tormented soul.

As expected, Hopkins' performance, with its almost Dracula-esque intensity and presence, gets under your skin and makes you squirm. His sudden movements and signature psychobabble are enough to conjure goose bumps and nervous laughter in even the most sadistic audience member.

Whether you're an art buff, wine connoisseur or human flesh gourmand, "Red Dragon" spreads fear, horror and terror onto the silver screen like a tablecloth at a banquet fit for a king -- or a cannibal.

The Art & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.