Agent Starling tracks Hannibal Lecter to Italy, while a
vengeful victim of his concocts a plan of revenge. CRIME/HORROR
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Hannibal (2001)Directed by Ridley Scott
Written by David Mamet and Steven Zaillian Starring Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, Ray Liotta, Giancarlo Giannini Sequel to 1991's The Silence of the Lambs Based on the novel by Thomas Harris |
I found this sequel highly entertaining, despite the critical backlash it received. And while the decision to replace Jodie Foster was ill-advised, Anthony Hopkins more than makes up for it with yet another chilling performance as Hannibal Lecter. Julianne Moore does the best she can with what she has, which is an impossible task. Nobody but Jodie Foster can play a believable Clarice Starling and isn't Moore's fault that the audience didn't buy her.
Apart from that, Hannibal is a stellar sequel to the first film. The plot is engaging, the characters are fantastic as ever, and I'm glad we got to see the fallout from Lecter's escape. The cinematography is remarkable, seeming almost as unhinged as its lead characters. While Julianne Moore may not have surpassed Jodie Foster, she did a tremendous job showing the mental and emotional damage that Starling was suffering as a result of Lecter pursuing her and the FBI betraying her. The casting change definitely makes this a less than worthy sequel to the impeccable Silence of the Lambs, but with Anthony Hopkins still on-board and Gary Oldman in yet another enjoyable villain role, it's hard not to like Hannibal just a little bit. |