 |
 |
Hannibal (2001)
|
Genre: |
Thriller |
Director: |
Ridley Scott
|
Rating: |
R |
Running Time: |
131 Minutes |
Release Date: |
February 9, 2001 |
Official Website: |
|
Movie Trailer: |
|
Discuss and vote: |
|
|
Cast: |
Anthony Hopkins
Julianne Moore
Giancarlo Giannini
Ray Liotta
Gary Oldman
Zeljko Ivanek
|
|
Pickup Line: Scary, Gory, and Eerie!!
Quickie: He's baaaaaaaaaaack! Hannibal Lecter is on the prowl again and good ol' FBI agent Clarice Starling, along with a grotesquely deformed multi-millionaire, is out to get this flesh-rippin' man-eatin' criminal!
The Long Review:
"Hannibal" is one of those movies that you know you probably shouldn't see, since you know that it's going to be bad for your head….not to mention your stomach. But you also know that if you don't drag your butt to the nearest cineplex, you're probably going to be one of the only two people (you and the Pope) who didn't have the guts to watch Hannibal feast on human flesh. So you go watch it. And then as you exit the dim, hushed theatre, you think to yourself, "Euuuuuwwww…Why in the name of man-eating pigs did I put myself through that?!" And then another think comes along and you say smugly to yourself, "Yeeeeeh. I did it! I lived through it! I'm one of 'them' now!"
"Hannibal" continues the disgusting, distressing, disillusioning story of Hannibal Lecter , a renowned psychiatrist (well, he used to be, anyways) who decided to make a career (and diet) change and took to torturing people before making them into a tasty entrée. After spending some time in Italy, he goes back to the United States and he is hungry and horny for his long-time object of affection, FBI agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore). Of course, Agent Starling would rather handcuff him and put him away rather than handcuff him and put out. "Hannibal" follows Lecter and Starling's (whose sterling reputation is tainted after a botched drug raid) story as they pursue each other. The story is made even more twisted (and uglier) by the appearance of Mason Verger (Gary Oldman), the only survivor of Hannibal's torturous antics. Verger is a grotesquely deformed multi-millionaire who's after Hannibal as well. Man, vengeance never looked so hideous!
This movie is scary, suspenseful, gory, and yes, humourous. Hannibal is one funny madman! Anthony Hopkins does a great job of portraying a sadistic cannibal with a gritting and irresistible sense of humour. He is so entertaining! Okay, okay, his is one friggin' scary character. But he can make you laugh. The Hannibal in this sequel is more humanized than the one in "Silence of the Lambs." You just may find yourself feeling for him. You better watch it! Julianne Moore delivers an alright performance as Clarice Starling. She's definitely no Jodie Foster: She is unable to convincingly demonstrate the intriguing relationship her character has with Hannibal Lecter. We get the point from Anthony Hopkins but not from her. Oh, well. 'Guess she's better than nothing. And hey, both her and Jodie's names start with the letter J. If that's not a qualifying factor, then what is? Giancarlo Giannini as Rinaldo Pazzi, a cop from Florence who undergoes his own pursuit of Hannibal, turns in a credible performance as well; just call him the Italian Benicio del Toro. And finally, Ray Liotta is the perfect asshole as Paul Krendler, a corrupt politician who's out to bring Agent Starling down. Watch for his life-altering scene in the movie. You'll see what we mean.
Roger Ebert didn't appreciate this movie that much. He says, "I cannot approve of the movie, not because of its violence, which belongs to the Grand Guignol tradition, but because the underlying story lacks the fascination of "Silence of the Lambs." Lecter on the loose loses power, Clarice is harder and less likable, the story unsuccessfully joins its depravity with its police procedural details, and the movie is too bold in its desire to shock ("Silence" somehow persuaded us the shocks were forced upon it)." Hmmm…we disagree that Hannibal loses power; if anything, he was more menacing (not to mention entertaining) on the loose! We agree that Clarice is lackluster this time around, though. And as for the movie being too bold, well, we think that added to the whole creepy factor without overdoing it. Geez! He should see the horrific scenes that DID NOT make it into the film!
Overall, "Hannibal" is a well-crafted film that reaches into your head and guts. It'll boggle and disturb you. Particularly clever camera angles and a haunting musical score make certain scenes perfectly shocking and eerie…even artistic. It's an intense thriller that plays more with your mind than anything else, really. And that probably makes it even scarier than an all-out scream-fest flick. Some who anticipated blood and guts everywhere ala slasher movies may be disappointed because although this movie has several unforgettable zinger scenes, it's not what the whole fim's about. But those who'd rather be haunted by the dirty workings of a criminal mind and the unthinkable actions of a criminal's hands will be plenty satisfied.
In Two Minutes:
Did you know?
- In case you didn't read the book, the ending in "Hannibal" the film was altered from that of the novel. Thank goodness!
- Gary Oldman, who plays the disfigured multimillionaire in this flick, seems to have a weird penchant for villainous roles. Check this out: He played Dracula in "The Professional", Dr. Smith in "Lost in Space", Zorg in "The Fifth Element", the Russian bad guy in "Air Force One", the pimp in "True Romance", and Lee Harvey Oswald in "JFK". Gee. Talk about being typecasted!
- Julianne Moore was not at all anxious about having to fill Jodie Foster's shoes as Clarice Starling. Maybe she should have been…perhaps a little more anxiety would have made her portrayal a bit more convincing.
|
Thumbs Down