It may surprise some to see this movie so high on my list or even on it at all. Of course, those people probably didn’t see Red Dragon. On the surface, this movie sounds like nothing more than another sequel to a psychological thriller with big name stars. That is a gross understatement. Red Dragon is one of the most supremely well-done films in the history of the psychological thriller, a genre that has seen more mediocre films than perhaps any other genre other than, of course, the chick flick. In a time when Hollywood has been cranking out so many psychological thrillers with the same bag of tricks, this one pulls out a few new ones. In a time when Hollywood cranks out so many tired, unoriginal sequels that rehash old material, this movie takes its great original material and uses it to add depth to new and exciting material. In a situation almost set up for failure or mediocrity, young director Brett Ratner takes advantage of his good material and avoids the bad to create one of the most entertaining and thrilling films of 2002. He lets the action build slowly and introduces us to the characters in such a way that they are allowed to develop and gain our interest. This is a sign of a director who knows his audience and who knows how good movies work and we should expect great things to come from Ratner. Aside from the movie’s strengths from the writing and visual standpoints, Red Dragon also features some of the most talented actors in Hollywood today, all of whom do some of their best work in this film. The big standout is obviously Anthony Hopkins reprising his role as Hannibal Lecter, one of American cinema’s greatest characters. Hopkins is brilliant as always and his occasional appearances in the film are almost like little joyous surprises for the audience. Amazingly though, Ralph Fiennes stands out as giving the most memorable performance in a movie that also features Hannibal Lecter! That’s impressive in and of itself and if you saw his incredibly creepy portrayal of a man consumed by evil with humanity lying just below the surface, you will certainly agree with me. Edward Norton is brilliant as always and makes a fantastic hero for a movie like this. He is utterly confident in his abilities, but at the same time hesitant to get involved in something that could be a risk to his family’s safety. There are also numerous other great performances by the likes of Harvey Keitel, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Emily Watson, and The West Wing’s Mary-Louise Parker. That’s a cast! There are so many things that make this film worth watching I can’t even fit them all here but I can promise, promise, promise you that if you give Red Dragon a chance, you will not be disappointed. Forget that, you will be blown away! Red Dragon makes my list for being one of the best made, best acted, scariest, and most entertaining films of 2002, and were this any other year it would certainly have been a lot higher on my list.