Hannibal

Rating:
Summary: Good horror flick. Bad Hannibal Lecter movie.
Review: Hannibal is one of those sequels that continues from the original, but completely changes the story line. The Silence Of The Lambs was a drama about entering the mind of a serial killer with the help of a past one. Hannibal is just about tracking down a serial killer. This was definatly made to be a horror movie, not a suspense drama.

Hannibal picks up awhile after The Silence Of The Lambs. In the first film, Hannibal breaks out of prison torwards the end of the film not to kill again, but to retire and live a normal life. But now Dr. Hannibal Lecter(returning Anthony Hopkins), is about to come out of retirement to hunt again. But only Clarice Starling(Juliane Moore replacing Jodie Foster) knows enough about him to track him down and catch him.

The plot is simple, nothing near the plot of Silence Of The Lambs, the acting is not bad but definatly not at its best(Anthony Hopkins still plays his role rather well, but could have done better). The only thing I could say was rather good was the directing from Ridley Scott(Alien, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down). But other than that, fans of horror movies will probably enjoy this much much more than fans of The Silence Of The Lambs, like myself.

"Hannibal" runs for a little over 2 hours. It is rated R for very strong gore and gruesome violence(some may not even be able to handle the some of the extreme gore), some strong language, and disturbing images.

Rating:
Summary: This Is Such An Underrated Film
Review: We all know that the critics blasted "Hannibal" and it's so easy to see why- they went into the theatre expecting to see another "Silence of the Lambs". It's as simple as that. What the critics failed to see is an interesting movie about what Hannibal Lecter is like outside the asylum, with his freedom.

I was quite disappointed when Jodie Foster didn't reprise her role as Clarice Starling, but Julianne Moore's performance as the ten year after Clarice Starling is just as good, in my opinion. We are talking about a different Clarice Starling, much different from the one we saw and loved in "Silence of the Lambs". In "Hannibal", she has realized that the FBI's value systems are beginning to get messed up and with her value systems intact, she doesn't know what direction to go to. Julianne Moore just delivers such a great performance. True, there isn't much that she can do with this character, but what she does is still excellent. Check out the scene where she cries after the *spoiler* fishmarket disaster. Check out her facial expression all throughout the final sequence, where they all have that demonic dinner at Paul Krendler's lake house. *end of spoiler*

Anthony Hopkins reprises his role as Dr. Hannibal Lecter with a lot of wit, intelligence, and depth. You see, "Hannibal" is not supposed to be a horror film. It's simply a film that shows what Hannibal Lecter is like outside bars. And it's a very interesting portrayal. We begin to understand the pathology of this character. How he eats people, and he reasons that he is doing the public a service.

There is a lot of sexual chemistry going on between Hannibal and Clarice Starling. If you've read the book, you know what happened there, which is probably why Jodie Foster declined to reprise the role.

I loved Hans Zimmer's score on this film. The editing is excellent, and so is the cinematography. Hey, we're talking about several sequences that ocurred in Italy, and Italy is such a beautiful place to shoot.

I absolutely love "Hannibal". I love all the Hannibal Lecter movies. But "Hannibal" was a great way to end it. *spoiler* In the last scene, we se Dr. Lecter in an airplane full of Asian people in there. This is a hint that he is on his way to either Japan or Thailand- judging it from his taste.

If you thought "Hannibal" was a disaster, just think about what I said. Rent the DVD again and try to see the film as a stand-alone film. Then maybe you'll understand my points here. And when you're convinced, buy the DVD from Amazon.com.

Bon Appetit!

Rating:
Summary: The actors do what they can
Review: This is a radically different film from Silence of the Lambs. Not just the look, but Hannibal, who just doesn't seem as dangerous now that he is not behind bars. When we watched Silence of the Lambs, we did not see what Hannibal did, but rather heard about it, like a legend. This is what made Hannibal such a lovable villain, not what he did on screen, but rather what he is capable of.

I would not say Hannibal is a total disaster because it really isn't. Fans of Hannibal Lecter should consider seeing this film despite the critics' disapproval. I enjoyed the sleeky feel of the film and Ridley's visual genius that comes into play. One scene begins the film with doves forming Hannibal's face on the ground. This film does not have much suspense, but reverts to gore and violence (ugh, the brain scene was unnecessary).

Poor Ray Liotta, I'll never see him as anything more than the guy that ate his own brain for a meal. This is not surprising as it is shocking. Having read the book (somewhat of a disaster) I'm glad that Ridley Scott did not incorporate that ending. This is not a terrible film, I gave it two stars compared to the Silence of the Lambs. Fans of this series should check out Red Dragon, an excellent prequel.

Rating:
Summary: UNDERRATED
Review: One of the most underrated movies around. Hannibal, under the artistic eye of Ridley Scott, far exceeds the previous films and the painfully pretentious novel of the same name. People claim that this movie is 'preposterous and ridiculous'. I say the very unbelievable concepts are what give this movie such a great heart! This movie is fantastic in every way, and Maestro Ridley creates a visually stunning stage on which the actors forge unforgettable, larger-than-life characters. This is Good vs. Evil at its finest. This is true art.

Anthony Hopkins is delicious. Julianne Moore is determined. Ray Liota is pitch-perfect. Gary Oldman is simply the best actor on the planet. From Florence Italy to the suburbs of Virginia, this masterpiece becomes much more of an Adventure movie (like an artfully directed James Bond or Indiana Jones movie) than a Horror film. Anybody expecting a shallow, scary thriller should turn away. This is a movie of a deeper breed...

(Note: on the special features disk, watch for Clive Barker in the crowd at the Westwood premier!)

Rating:
Summary: This Movie was just [yucky0
Review: I have to admit that Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore are 2 of the best actors out there! But this movie was the worse movie...I would never want to see it again! I admit there was some good acting but...[yuck]! I wouldnt recommend it to anyone! Red Dragon and Scilence of the lambs though, that is a different story

Rating:
Summary: This is pretty lousy
Review: Other reviewers have already covered all the bases, but I feel I have to say something about this cinematic prostate exam. Avoid. This film massacres the book. It leaves out important characters and events, and completely changes the story(the ending). Even if you've never read the book and don't know what you're missing, avoid anyway! Hannibal Lecter is NOT scary outside his cell. It's a huge mistake to show the things he does. By not showing you and simply telling you-like they did in Silence Of The Lambs-your mind can fill in the gaps with the most horrible and terrifying things imaginable. That worked! Showing him does not! And what's with Julianne Moore? Why does Hollywood think that using a different actor for a role played by a previous actor/actress isn't going to affect anything? Jodie Foster was half of the friggin' movie! I'm sorry, but when they switch actors it is just not the same, especially such a memorable role in a classic film. Why not just replace Egon with Adam Sandler for Ghostbusters 3? So, if you know what's good for ya, run screaming. It's not scary or suspenseful. My mother's tupperware party had more thrills.

Rating:
Summary: Baddy Baddy
Review: An unnecessarily graphic and grotesque follow up to "Silence of the Lambs". It jettisons most of the psychological byplay between Lecter and Starling that made "Silence" so good, in favor of "how-can-we-top-this?" graphic violence. By the time it reaches the final "dinner party" scene (I'll spare the details), it's not so much gross as it is ridiculous. Julianne Moore is very good given the thankless task of filling Jodie Foster's shoes as Clarice Starling, but Sir Anthony Hopkins becomes a parody of himself as the titular Hannibal Lecter. It's not his fault, mind you. Thomas Harris and Ridley Scott just forgot that what made Hannibal the Cannibal so menacing was not seeing what he did so much as imagining what he could do.

Rating:
Summary: Very good, but not nearly as good as Silence of the lambs.
Review: It is a great movie if you don't compare it to silence of the lambs. The two movies are entirely different. It is very engrossing (and gross as well at times). Not too much mystery to it, but enough to keep you going. You just might not want to eat for a few days afterwards though....

Rating:
Summary: Watching this is like talking to someone with bad breath!
Review: Man, it's just AWFUL. The B-movie "head" scene alone will have fans of "The Toxic Avenger" shouting, "Bravo!" Imagine this sequel to Silence of the Lambs being like having a pina-colada wine cooler after a glass of $150 Merlot. Those that don't know the difference have their head in the sand. Refrain from wasting your time or money on "Hannibal."

Rating:
Summary: Surprising amount of goodies
Review: Disc 2 on this DVD has quite a few interesting tidbits. Such as casting, a featurette on the pigs, and the premiere. And of course the standard behind-the-scenes documentary. One thing I also enjoyed was the deleted scenes with a director commentary option. Ridley Scott is interesting to listen to and you can see how and why the reasoning for removing the footage. I honestly did not think the movie justified this amount of extras, but MGM makes the most of it, and it's a pleasant surprise.

The movie itself is also good in it's own right. Julianne Moore easily makes you forget that the role was once Jodie Fosters. Fans may be dissapointed at the grandiose tone of the film, especially compared to the gritty realism of "Silence". But if you take it for what it is, it's a decent flick. Ridley Scott is effective in making the veiwer almost root for Lecter and then yanking the rug out from under you by well placed scenes of brutality. The Doctor needs to be locked up. A nice addition to a DVD library.