Review: ‘Hannibal’ Brings More Dr. Lecter, But Falls Victim to Many a Sequel Attempt

For all the abundances in Hollywood, one thing that is in super short supply are sequels that outdo their predecessors. The onslaught of the shared superhero cinematic universes certainly helps, but they can’t really outpace the history of the disposable, carbon copy cash-ins of the horror genre. Sure, some classics birthed truly great follow ups; but more often than not, this is not the case. That is what makes 2001’s “Hannibal” a true anomaly. The follow-up to 1991’s Academy Award Darling “The Silence of the Lambs” is neither a good sequel or a bad sequel. It just is. And I feel weird about that.

For “The Silence of the Lambs,” Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins won the Oscar for ‘Best Actress’ and ‘Best Actor,’ respectively. You would think it’d be a no brainer to get the band back together and capitalize on this momentum. But of the two, only Hopkins is back in the title role for the sequel. Recasting never really works, especially for a main character. I love Julianne Moore. She is top notch in everything from “Boogie Nights” to “30 Rock.” She takes over as Clarice Starling here and…no. It just doesn’t work. Is it her fault? Probably not. “Hannibal” dials up the horror and scales back the psychological thriller aspects of its predecessor, and that is a huge misfire.

First off, the tone. It’s not inconsistent; it’s non-existent. What are we trying to accomplish here? I’ll wait. “Hannibal” is the equivalent of what I anticipate the 2021-2022 NBA season will be for the Los Angeles Lakers. Sweeping every available talented person looks great on paper, but chemistry it does not create. Sure you can surround Lebron James and Anthony Davis with Rajon Rondo, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, but what is it more than a barrage of names. There’s no team. No flow. Just like “Hannibal.”

Never one to shy away from going way overboard into a character, Gary Oldman is unrecognizable as Mason Verger, the sadistic disfigured villain filling the Buffalo Bill void. He’s offensive on every level and I love Gary Oldman. Hell, I try to look like Gary Oldman. But, no. Then there’s Ray Liotta looking lost. The dude put more effort into those Chantix commercials than this mailed-in flaccid performance. And Ridley Scott… You are better than this! Remember when you directed “Alien?” Come on.

The one great aspect here is Anthony Hopkins. He is excellent. The title character gets a lot more screen time this time around and he definitely makes the most of it. If only he could have been in every scene. I mean, feeding Ray Liotta a piece of his own brain is just wonderful. Come to think of it, I wonder if that was real…it’d explain his performance.

If you are dying for a Hannibal Lector fix, I’d recommend the predecessor, the film after this, “Red Dragon” or the excellent television show of the same name. It’s as bad as undercooked liver. And no one enjoys that.