Hannibal


2/4

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, Ray Liotta, Giancarlo Giannini

Rated R for Strong Gruesome Violence, Some Nudity and Language

When “The Silence of the Lambs” was unleashed in 1991, its success surprised everyone.  It was one of three films to win the Oscar Grand Slam (Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director and Adapted Screenplay).  The film was so popular that novelist Thomas Harris was inspired to continue the saga of Dr. Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter.  To say that the sequel is a letdown is the understatement of the year.  Jonathan Demme’s film was a demented and frightening excursion into insanity.  The sequel is a geek show that won’t raise anyone’s pulse (although viewers may want a barf bag).

It’s been ten years since Lecter escaped custody, and while he was hiding out in what appeared to be the Caribbean at the end of his last adventure, he is now residing in Florence, Italy.  Meanwhile, Clarice Starling is now a full-on FBI agent, although a shootout has left her in disgrace (how this is her fault is not made clear).  But she is given information on the whereabouts by a wealthy victim of Lecter’s, a disfigured man named Mason Verger (an uncredited Gary Oldman).  So she’s back on the case in a quest for redemption, but she’s not the only one.  A fellow FBI agent named Paul Krendler (Liotta) and an Italian detective named Pazzi (Giannini) want to catch him as well so they can collect a $3 million dollar reward.

With all of this talent, it’s a wonder how this could have ended up misfiring so badly.  We have Anthony Hopkins returning, respected actress Julianne Moore taking over for Jodie Foster, and Ridley Scott taking over for Jonathan Demme.  Also on board are noted character actors Gary Oldman (who is no stranger to playing psychos) and Ray Liotta (who like Oldman is known for playing psychotics, but Krendler is not among them).  But this film is a misfire.  It’s certainly not scary; in fact, it’s more often than not, boring.

Maybe it has to do with the script.  According to iMDb, the script was rewritten 15 times, after Ted Talley’s (Silence’s original screenwriter) was rejected.  The Hannibal Lecter in “Hannibal” is not the same one that terrified audiences in 2001.  He has been stripped of all of his intelligence, charisma and penchant for clever dialogue.  In 1991, he was a unique and terrifying creature.  Here, he’s a one-dimensional creep who just looks like Lecter.

I feel bad for Julianne Moore.  She’s a gifted actress, but she’s been saddled with a role that was made definitive by Jodie Foster.  Try as she might, she can’t make us stop missing Foster.  Giancarlo Giannini is good as Pazzi, but it’s not a particularly meaty part.  That’s more than can be said for Ray Liotta, who is given almost nothing to do until the end (which is where it descends into self-parody).

I was also surprised by the lackluster direction from Ridley Scott.  Scott is no hack director.  He’s made a number of brilliant films, such as the 1979 horror classic “Alien.”  Much of the reason why that film was as scary as it was is because of Scott’s ability to create atmosphere, but apparently after 21 years he’s lost his touch.  One might argue that a Hannibal Lecter movie demands a different flavor than that of a slasher/monster movie, but that’s really all this film is…except with a bigger budget.

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