Hannibal (2001)

NOTICED ANYTHING DIFFERENT ABOUT CLARICE?

Starring: Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore.

Ok, so this is not a classic like its prequel ‘Silence of the Lambs’, in fact a lot of people don't like this film and I must admit, I had pre conceptions before I had seen it, mainly because Jodie Foster didn't play the role of Clarice. Yet I have to say, hats off to Julianne Moore, she portrays Clarice perfectly.

Sooo, what is it all about? Well, Hannibal 'the Cannibal,' Lecter has been at large for, get how crap the F.B.I is, 10 YEARS! We catch up with the almost loveable serial killer (come on, everyone likes Hannibal in a chilling type way!), in Florence, Italy. Here he goes by the alias Dr Fell (Notice he had to make sure people still called him Dr!) He lives in the library of a museum where he is trying to get the job of curator. His predecessor mysteriously disappeared!

Meanwhile, Clarice Starling is getting hung, drawn and quartered by the Bureau. Basically she is getting a telling off by the F.B.I for killing a lot of people in a drug bust that went wrong. Dr Lecter gets wind of this as her downfall becomes public. So he writes to her....So it all begins again.

Clarice Starling is assigned to the Lecter case by Paul Krendler (an idiot, corrupt agent!), to see if she can find him where obviously so many have failed. As we expected, good old Clarice tracks him down at record speed to Florence. Yet, what is this...A Florence dead beat detective by the name of Rinaldo Pazzi has recognised Dr Fell for who he is. He even checks the F.B.Is 10 most wanted list photo against Dr Fell’s picture and is satisfied that he has found the allusive monster. Yet of course, Rinaldo Pazzi is after the reward money which is a lot! So, off goes the detective to ring the number for the reward and to put their trap into action.

The person who is offering the reward for Lecter is a man by the name of Mason Verger. Now Mason is Hannibal Lecters only surviving victim. I say surviving, as yes, he is alive. Mason Verger barely has a face and he is completely paralysed. Yet, he is absolutely loaded with cash, living in a huge mansion with a servant, well a personal Dr by the name of Cordell. Mason Verger had a run in with Dr Lecter when he was being treated by him. I guess Lecter didn’t like him (as Verger is a twisted, paedophile, horrible man), so he got him drunk and gave him drugs before he made him peel his own face off....I won’t spoil it for you by telling it all.

Things get fast paced now as Rinaldo tries to catch Lecter...Ha ha ha! Then Clarice catches up with him. Mason Verger then has a go at revenge...hmmm, and Paul Krendler was rude to Clarice so Hannibal goes to tell him off! Great scenes at Krendlers house by the way, a little bit gory, but great!

There is a tender moment between Lecter and Clarice before Lecter has to split to evade capture...again! So Lecter flies off into the sunset, minus an appendage...watch it and you will understand. Good sequel!