Hannibal Review

Ten years is a long time to wait for a sequel, but that’s how long it’s been since Anthony Hopkins gave his Oscar-winning performance in "The Silence Of The Lambs." Now he’s back in "Hannibal," but with a new director - Ridley Scott – and a new leading lady, Julianne Moore. The film also stars an uncredited Gary Oldman as Mason Verger, Lecter’s sixth victim, a man horribly disfigured when he followed Hannibal’s suggestion to peel off his face and feed it to the dog. It‘s Verger’s machinations that bring Hannibal back into the open and into the life of FBI agent Clarice Starling once again.

This time round we’re all familiar with what Hopkins’ psychotic cannibal is capable of, and consequently his theatrical flourishes are far less menacing. And with the film focusing on the well-established relationship between Hannibal and Clarice, Moore has little to do other than attempt to recreate Jodie Foster’s portrayal of Clarice as white trash made good.

If it wasn’t the sequel to one of the scariest and most disturbing films ever made, "Hannibal" would be considered a great movie. It certainly looks great, but, ultimately, fails to live up to the standard of its predecessor.