people have probably read the book and saying more could only work to spoil the enjoyment so I will now just tackle the actors and production. Needless to say the film looks spectacular. The Florentine sets are breathtaking, but what else would you expect from the director of Blade Runner, Gladiator and Thelma & Louise - we know Ridley Scott can deliver the visuals.As for the actors, Hopkins delivers the goods as we have come to expect from him. But here he is having a blast with a character he clearly enjoys inhabiting and he is rarely more powerful and commanding a presence than he is in this film and Lambs.An unrecognisable Gary Oldman and uncredited it the opening titles and on posters holds his own as subvillain Mason Verger, Lecter's only surviving victim and the flashback of his mutilation is well handled. The film does provide plenty of gory surprises.As for the key question, what of Julianne Moore? We all know how good an actress she is Magnolia, Short Cuts, Boogie Nights but can she fill Jodie Foster's Oscar winning shoes? The answer is yes! You will not give Foster a second thought in this film as Moore is Clarice Starling from the moment she appears. She is not trying to be Jodie Foster, she IS Clarice Starling. Hannibal is more a cat and mouse chase than the one-to-one Silence of the Lambs and it is difficult to imagine Foster playing this side of the character. That is the key, showing a different side to the character gives Moore something to work with more substantial than just being Jodie Foster. Personally I love both actresses but I wouldn't want Foster in this role having seen it if you paid me. This is Moore's part and she equips herself well.See this film, marvel and then see it again. It may not quite be the masterpiece of Silence of the Lambs but it's close and it's a lot more entertaining. You'll laugh, you'll sit on the edge of your seat, you'll say "now that's just plain sick!"Enjoy!

beautifully-filmed movies I've ever seen. Scene after scene is just jaw dropping and features some of the best shots, outside and inside, of Florence, Italy, you could ever imagine. Ridley Scott is known for his stylish direction and that is certainly the case here.The dialog is fascinating, led by Anthony Hopkins' famous "Hannibal Lecter" character, whose vocabulary and intelligent sarcasm and baiting are clever and entertaining to hear. Unlike "Silence Of the Lambs," there is little verbal crudeness in this film, very little profanity at all. On the third viewing, I played this with the English subtitles on, so I could catch all the dialog.This was a much lower-key film than it's famous predecessor, which probably disappointed a lot of people who prefer a lot more violence and f-words in their crime movies.Although Jodie Foster performed well in the role of FBI Agent Clarice Starling, I preferred watching and listening to Julianne Moore play the part in this film. A "sleeper" here, too, was the great performance by Giancarlo Gianni, as the greedy Italian lawman, who winds up paying a huge price for his avarice.Like "Godfather III," this is a very unjustly-criticized and overlooked third installment of a famous film trilogy.

rich..Good Sequel Indeed!! "Your brother smells just as bad as you do" - Hannibal Lector

hours long to even begin to explore the depths plumbed by Harris in the book.Anthony Hopkins is, as usual, brilliant! Julianne Moore was sexy and strong. Giancarlo Giannini was outstanding and Gary Oldman creditable. My only complaint with casting was Ray Liotta, who just didn't have "it".Having seen this movie three times thus far, I will say that watching it is like peeling layers off an onion. You see more and more with each viewing - little treasures and nuggets that you find almost by accident. The first time I saw it, I left the theatre not really knowing what I thought of it. Then I found myself smiling. I did like it. When I went back again and again! I liked it more and more.Gory? Not really - and I consider myself pretty sensitive to gore. I have seen far worse. The story does have violence in it, and I think Ridley Scott, while depicting an integral part of the story, handled the violence tastefully if you'll pardon the expression .Is it as good as Silence of the Lambs? No. It's DIFFERENT from SotL. In Silence we had a caged monster whose intensity was extremely focussed. Here, we have a monster who is on the loose in a great big world, free to indulge in his passions. Hannibal Lecter's essence has not changed. He's merely in a different situation.My only disappointments were: The changed ending. This was the major one. I realize the critics lambasted Thomas Harris for the ending in the book, saying "Clarice would never have done that", but Clarice was the child of Harris' imagination. The author is god, and if god says a character will do something, who are we to second-guess?The length of the movie. It could have been a little longer and more focus could have been put on the relationship between Hannibal and Clarice - specifically, his obsession with her, and the time they spent together after the fiasco at the Verger Estate.It was also too bad that Mason Verger's sister, Margot, was written out of the script.All in all, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the dark humor and the adventure. Hans Zimmer's score is magnificent! This is a really good film - not a great film, but a really good one. Don't go into it expecting to see another Silence of the Lambs. It's not - and I don't think anyone has ever tried to claim that it is. Expect to see a weird and wonderful love story and an adventure! It's just too bad about that ending!

kindly grandad, who suddenly turns and eats your brain. Julianne Moore`s excellent Clarice vaguely reminded me of Ripley, the star of Ridley Scotts masterpiece Alien. At worst, the rest of the cast were well above average.The film had me captivated with its style, twisty plot, acting and gore. I found myself slightly rooting for the baddie Hannibal at some points, something I haven`t experienced since my empathy for evil Alex in A Clockwork Orange. If people find the deaths of some characters predictable, then maybe Scott has directed well in projecting Hannibal`s approach and morality.This is the sort of big budget horror film movie-goers have been waiting for, so go see it on the large screen before its too late! Okay, it is not the same as Silence, so what? Ten years have passed and things have changed. I`ve heard the book is better. Well, I may now read it, but in the meantime I have enjoyed an excellent, thought provoking Film Of The Year!

cloaked in inestimable, menacing charm.Julianne Moore drew the short straw in having to re-create the Clarice Starling role that had been so memorably played by another actress. She does well in my opinion, but inevitably we keep thinking 'where is Jodie Foster?', and this lends her portrayal a lack of credibility which is entirely unfair. Gary Oldman's Mason Verger is suitably loathsome and manages to make Lecter seem almost like the hero in their battle of wits. If there is a weak link, Ray Liotta's Krendler seems a bit misplaced.The direction deserves special mention. The lush, beautiful settings are mocked by the horror of what is happening in them and the perfectly-selected atmospheric music stayed in my mind long after the film had ended.Once again, the film lacks realism, but as with the original, it doesn't matter. Of course things like this don't really happen - but so what? It's a film. Get over it! I was prompted after seeing it to read the books, and the right decision was made in changing the ending of this story from that written by Thomas Harris. We were subsequently treated to another look at Lecter in a decent prequel movie, 'Red Dragon,' but I will not be alone in hoping that some day we will see yet more of him in a further instalment. Unlikely I suspect - but not impossible.

after a scandal with the FBI, and an old victim of Hannibal's contacts her with a proposal to trap him once and for all. Things go awry, chaos ensues. The performances are just as brilliant as the original, and that goes a long way to helping the slightly over-the-top story stick together. The thing is, it's a completely different movie, which is probably why I and many others didn't like it upon release. Gone is the tension of the first movie, replaced instead by a much more potent sense of paranoia and dread - mostly down to Hannibal's new found freedom. Also new to this movie is the blood and gore that it's so infamous for. It did feature in the original, but not like this. This is an exceptionally violent movie, and features one of the sickest, nastiest scenes in the history of mainstream cinema you know which one I'm talking about .Unlike other movies, though, the violence means a lot here. Sure, it's gross and icky and what have you, but more than anything, the nastiness reveals a lot about its characters that the original film didn't touch on. Unlike the original, this isn't a film that particularly likes Hannibal - here, he's not the endearingly-creepy movie-monster, but he's an utter psychopath. This is bound to put some people off, but it feels like the natural thing for this film to do. Does it go too far? Possibly. Some things never need to be shown, but it's all integral to the film's vision so it gets a free pass... just about. As for the film being a drama played like a thriller, that does mean it loses the probing character-based drama of the original. Starling's story in the original is so raw on screen that it practically bleeds - this film deals with similarly prickly affairs, but never really addresses them. The knock-on effect is that it ends up being a less involving film, but a more exciting one. Again, this isn't really a good point or a bad point, but it's more just a point of comparison. Don't come into Hannibal expecting the virtuosic drama of the original.What ultimately saves Hannibal the reason I've given it an 8 is the grand, darkly romantic vision it commits to. It's a sweeping, perfectly orchestrated film that feels as if it's what could have been made if film existed at the height of the romantic era. The sets are some of the most lavish to ever grace the crime-thriller genre most of it is set in Florence , the music exists solely in the realms of opera and classical, and the plot, flawed as its logic sometimes is, hits every note with an intensity lacking in most crime movies. It's all fantastically realized.In the end, it's not the perfect sequel to Silence of the Lambs. Some may find it too gory yours truly included , and that's a fair comment. The plot enters a territory that will probably aggravate some, and that's also a fair criticism. If you can come into it realizing it's a different film to the first, however, you may ultimately end up finding a lot to like.

more credit for producing.Also, The endings of the book versus the movie do present very different pictures of Clarice as a person--either of which I think is a valid interpretation of her character. Please read the book AND watch the movie and decide for yourself. It is really worth your time.

Jodie Fosters excellent turn at her . The direction is amazing, Ridley Scott can take on Cannibals, Gladiators, Aliens, and Thelma & Louise, and make them all destined classics.Now for the gripes. The novel Hannibal, by Thomas Harris is one of my favorite all time reads I rank the novel right at the top along with almost anything by the great Dean Koontz . The ending in the movie was changed from the book. The DVD presents Hannibal with two quite different endings both 100% different from the book . I almost hated the ending shown at cinemas. As we watch Hannibal we look at him as the hero. Maddenly Brilliant. He's better matched along side Indiana Jones than Charles Manson. Keeping that in mind we want Hannibal to, Firstly get the girl, secondly to escape plight with no injury, and thirdly we want those who want to hurt him to pay. The movie, following its climax, gives us this and more.....minus the first two points. incidently the book gives us all three .So, for all you true Hannibal fans out there, I recommend the following: Read the novel first. Watch the film at night with all lights out of course and if you have the DVD, check out the alternative ending Its gives us all points except the first...a little better .