Red Dragon

There was no reason to remake "Red Dragon," except perhaps to cash in on the popularity of Anthony Hopkins — at least when he's playing cannibal serial killer Hannibal Lecter.

After all, the material on which it's based — Thomas Harris' novel of the same name — has already been done (1986's "Manhunter," in which Brian Cox played a much-less campy version of that same character).

Of course, it is possible that Hopkins and company felt the need to make up for the awful "Hannibal." To be fair, this gory thriller is at the very least more effective than that, even if the formula is starting to lose its peculiar appeal.

"Red Dragon" actually begins with the capture of Lecter, who's just been busted by FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton). But the investigation has left him scarred in more ways than one, and years later Graham finds himself retired in sunny Florida.

Will's former boss (Harvey Keitel) is trying to talk him out of retirement, however. The FBI needs help tracking down the Tooth Fairy, a killer who has been slaying and mutilating families around the time of the full moon. Which means they have a little less than three weeks to stop him before he kills again.

Unfortunately, that means Will may have to turn to Lecter for advice. Unbeknownst to him, Lecter is already carrying on a correspondence of sorts with the killer (Ralph Fiennes) and may even be helping him.

Among the film's bigger mistakes is trying to make us sympathize with these serial killer characters — often the heroes and incidental characters are less appealing than the supposed villains. But the film is surprisingly well-directed by Brett Ratner (the "Rush Hour" movies), who keeps things moving well — at least until the problematic third act.

The stars are inconsistent at best. As Will, Norton is somewhat bland, while Hopkins' trademark leer has lost some of its menace. Of course, their performances are still more compelling than Fiennes' uninteresting villainous turn. The trio of supporting players — Emily Watson, Mary-Louise Parker and Philip Seymour Hoffman — are much better in too-brief parts.

"Red Dragon" is rated R for graphic violence (gunplay, stabbings and other attacks) and gore, occasional use of strong sex-related profanity and crude sexual slang terms, glimpses of male and female nudity, and brief sexual contact. Running time: 126 minutes.

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