Film: Red Dragon

Cert: 15

By PETER MAGILL

THE omens weren't good as I reluctantly ventured to UCI on Monday night to catch the latest chapter in Hannibal Lecter's grisly opus.

Not more footage of Anthony Hopkins flouncing around Florence in a flailing leather jacket, camping it up to the nines.

But thank heavens that for the bulk of Red Dragon, Thomas Harris first outing for Dr Lecter, he is safely behind bars.

Exuding quiet menace rather than the ridiculous mincing which ruined Hannibal, Hopkins once again resumes his rightful place as the thinking man's sociopath.

In between the Welsh knight's blatant scene-stealing, the main plot is equally disturbing.

Photo lab technician Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes) has an unhealthy obsession with William Blake, particularly his masterpiece, The Red Dragon.

And in an attempt to exorcise his demons, and experience a 'rebirth', he butchers whole families.

His penchant for donning a gruesome set of dentures and tearing hunks out of his victims sees him christened The Tooth Fairy.

Enter Special Agent Will Graham - the excellent Edward Norton - whose last triumph was placing Dr Lecter behind bars.

Cajoled by FBI chief Jack Crawford (Harvey Keitel playing one of the two roles in his repertoire), Graham must face Lecter once again.

With the clock ticking, the feds are banking on the good doctor's warped genius to shed new light on the investigation.

Fiennes is surprisingly creepy as the hare-lipped psychopath Dolaryde, but then touchingly vulnerable when he embarks on a doomed romance with blind co-worker Reba (Emily Watson).

Ever-reliable Norton puts in another fine show as an investigator obsessive about his quest for justice and troubled by his insights into the troubled psyches of his prey.

But let's not kid ourselves here, this is Hannibal's show.

Hopkins rediscovers his killer touch, so to speak, and is effective when called upon to do the minimum, whether it's a rapier-like aside or a sudden snap of temper.

Quite faithful to the book, Red Dragon shuns the schlock horror of Hannibal, and in many ways (whisper it) surpasses The Silence of the Lambs.

Verdict: 8/10

Fine Old Hannibals