Red Dragon (R, 2002)

This was a really great film; the performances were uncanny, the storyline was well-written, and the suspense is top-notch. The only reason I give this four stars instead of five is becuase it grows just a tad weary near the middle, but the excellent twist and sequences in the end make up for it. Bravo, especially to Anthony Hopkins and Edward Norton, and Kutos to Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson, Harvey Keitel, and everyone else in the film! PARENTS: The violent images in this film are quite horrific and almost nothing is left to the imagination.

I actually thought that Red Dragon was a pretty good movie. I saw it when I was 16, and it's still one of my favorites. If you like murderers, stuff like that, if it interests you, then the Hannibal Lecter series is definitely for you. Even if you think the police force looks interesting for your future job, you might want to watch movies like this to give you an idea of things that can happen while you're on the force. Red Dragon is perfect for that because Edward Norton's character confides in someone he shouldn't have, and in the end nearly dies twice, both while working in the field. It can just give you an idea about the worst possible situations, and what you could do wrong or what could happen to you.

I don't think Common Sense Media really went into detail in their review. Some things they left out that I thought should be there are there is nudity, although it is rather short. There is some shots from the back, and almost full frontal male nudity (a man is running upstairs naked and although he is covered in shadow, you can see everything). The violence may be disturbing, such as a child in danger, a man is lit on fire (you don't see that actual part, just him while he is completely engulfed in flames), graphic and bloody shots of mutilated bodies, a bloody corpse, and near the beginning, a man is shot and proceeds to stab his attacker with arrows. But all in all, a good movie. The only issues you may consider before letting you kids see it is the nudity and whether they get grossed out eaisly.

This is currently my first Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter movie, so I won't be comparing it to The Silence of The Lambs. It is, however, an excellent movie, and one I would love to see again. Though I don't appreciate Common Sense's lack of detail, I agree with their general age group. This is not one for kids just celebrating their 13th birthday, and certaintly not for younger people. Violence: Not as frequent as one would think, but it is there, and it is graphic. Several scenes show people getting shot, and the camers always show the bullet hitting them. There is also some stabbing, and one scene where a nude serial killer (you see it in an overhead shot, but his rear is visible) bites a man's nose off, then spits it out. There are also photographs showing murder victims with pieces of glass shoved in their eyes, though this is shown quickly, it is clearly visible. There is also the near constant threat of violence, which gives the film a very bleak tone. There is also a very tense scene in which a man threatens to kill a child, poking a shard of glass at his face. Sexual Content: One of the first victims of the "Tooth Fairy" was raped, and a quick flash of the act shows her bare breasts, though only for one second. You also see one man's bare butt in several scenes, and in one scene, you see him from the front fully nude, though he is completely enclosed in shadow. Not much else in that field. Language: A few scattered uses of f***, a few uses of s***, and the like, not the worst part of the movie, but it does help with the R rating. Nothing else to worry about, though people who have issues with product placement (I do not), will notice a Mr. Coffee coffee maker in one scene, though I did not notice anything else, there may have been more. In all, an excellent film, and it increased my desire to see The Silence of The Lambs exponentially. Not much else to say, enjoy!