Hannibal

REVIEW
Moody, suspenseful and just a little too gratuitous in its gory depiction of evil genius, Hannibal picks up the story of Dr. Hannibal Lecter ten years after having an old friend for dinner in The Silence of the Lambs. With a new director on board for this third chapter in the Lecter series, Hannibal retains the vision of director Scott much like Silence was a product of Jonathan Demme. Gone is the psychological tug-of-war between Lecter and FBI agent Clarice Starling (played with efficiency by Moore who replaced Jodie Foster). In its place is a visceral panorama of unbridled menace, a stylish, more graphic display of malevolence captured with chilling deliberation. The story follows Starling in her attempt to track down Lecter after he is returned to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. In the mix is a disfigured millionaire, a victim of Lecter's appetite, who will stop at nothing to apprehend him. Returning to the role that won him an Oscar, Hopkins delights in the sinister civility of Lecter once more, giving another precise portrait both controlled and cunning. It's the centerpiece of a devilishly entertaining, if sometimes unnerving film. In the end, Hannibal may not be as accomplished as Silence, but it will certainly get the pulse racing.