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Amazon.co.uk Review
Though Hannibal Rising's Lecter (Gaspard Ulliel) is a pussycat compared to Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs, this sequel's story of revenge is grizzly enough to satisfy lovers of Thomas Harris's epic tale. After young Hannibal (Aaron Thomas) is forced to watch his little sister, Mischa (Helena Lia Tachovska), devoured by starving soldiers in his homeland Lithuania, Hannibal vows to avenge his sister's death by slaying those who committed not only war crimes against the Lecters, but also against other families during WW II.
In detailing Hannibal's revenge plan, the film investigates the psychological implications of witnessing cannibalism to justify Hannibal's insatiable appetite for human flesh. The most interesting aspect of Hannibal Rising--its analytical connections drawn between Hannibal's childhood traumas and his murderous adult obsessions--is also the film's weak point. The links oversimplify Lecter's complex character. For example, though titillating to see flashbacks of Lecter's sister hacked up and boiled while Lecter visits a Parisian meat market, the reference is too obvious. One learns why he excels in his medical school classes dissecting cadavers, and we're given explicit explanation for why he slices off and eats his victims' cheeks. The story only complicates when Hannibal interacts with his sexy Aunt, Lady Murasaki (Gong Li). When Murasaki educates him in the art of beheading, the viewer sees Hannibal's sword fetish as a manifestation of physical lust. --Trinie Dalton
DVD Description
At last, the evolution of his evil is revealed. Hannibal Lecter emerges from the nightmare of the Eastern Front, a boy in the snow, mute, with a chain around his neck. He seems utterly alone, but he has brought his demons with him. Hannibal's uncle, a noted painter, finds him in a Soviet orphanage and brings him to France, where Hannibal will live with his uncle and his uncle's beautiful and exotic wife, Lady Murasaki. Lady Murasaki helps Hannibal to heal.With her help he flourishes, becoming the youngest person ever admitted to medical school in France. But Hannibal's demons visit him and torment him.When he is old enough, he visits them in turn. He discovers he has gifts beyond the academic, and in that epiphany, Hannibal Lecter becomes death's prodigy.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting more than thrilling,
By Antony (England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Hannibal Rising [DVD] (DVD)
If "Silence of the Lambs" was an episode of "Lost", this would be the flashback sequence. While the acting is fine, the script is fine, the production is fine, the sum of the whole simply lacks bite. It's competent, it's okay, it's worth watching. But any film featuring the Hannibal Lecter character is forever in the shadow of the "Lambs", and to date no other Lecter movie has replicated its subtle terror, and indeed Anthony Hopkins almost became his own caricature by the time "Red Dragon" hit the shelves.
This installment does nothing to enhance the franchise, and let's be honest here: if not for the previous movies, this would never have been made - at least not with a cinema release and certainly not as glossy and well-finished. And this is where it falls down. It's TOO nicely finished, TOO clean. This needed to be gritty and dirty. It reveals too much story too soon, leaving only a single revelation for the denouement. There's too much obvious violence early on, and it soons descends into a pretty average revenge movie. Yes, an interesting insight into the Lecter character. But thrilling? Nah. (Still better than "Hannibal" though). Oh, and wide open for a sequel / TV series? Yeah, that's right. It is.
16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An great addition to the Lecter saga,
By
This review is from: Hannibal Rising [DVD] (DVD)
Hannibal Lector is the World's most famous fictional cannibalistic killer and the main character in four of the best crime fiction novels ever written (from author Thomas Harris) and four of the scariest and most brilliant horror films of all time, Manhunter (played by Brian Cox), Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal and Red Dragon (played by Anthony Hopkins). If you've ever wondered what had driven Hannibal to become a cannibal and a murderer, the answers are all revealed in 'Hannibal Rising' which takes you back to when Hannibal is a young boy.
The film starts in Lithuania in 1944 during the Second World War where the Lecter family are forced out of their home due to bombings and go to live in a house in the woods. The family are killed by soldiers, leaving 10 year old Hannibal to look after his younger sister, Mischa. Scavengers then take refuge in the cabin, chaining up Hannibal and Mischa and eating their food. When the food runs out and they are starving, there is only one thing left for the scavengers to do is to eat Mischa. It then jumps eight years to when 18 year old Hannibal is living in an orphanage. He escapes and travels to Paris in search of the only family he has left - his aunt and uncle. Hannibal has help from his aunt, Lady Murasaki, to remember his past that has been blocked out from his mind and then goes to seek revenge on those who had murdered, and ate, his sister. Although this is filmed in a style quite unlike the other Lecter films it still feels very much a part of the saga. Gaspard Ulliel plays the part of older Hannibal extremely well, pulling off the mysterious, clever and truly evil character good enough to believe he actually did grow into the character portayed by Hopkins in Hannibal's later life. After many bad reviews I'd read of this film I was pleasantly surprised that it was a good quality movie with excellent acting, special effects and script, not just a cheap spin-off of the Lecter name. There is a fair bit of gore and some gruesome death scenes but they are all necessary to the story. For a 2 hour film, there isn't one dull moment and the film flows nicely and quickly and also sticks very close to the novel's storylines, maybe due to the fact that the screenplay was written by Thomas Harris himself. If you're a fan of the other Lecter films this is definitely worth a watch but DO expect this to be different from the other films.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Come back, Sir Anthony - all is forgiven!,
By Snorri the Priest "Skullsplitter" (Orkney, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Hannibal Rising [DVD] (DVD)
In one word - disappointing.
Firstly, the lack of Anthony Hopkins hits the film hard. Secondly, the film crew seem to have forgotten to pay the electricity bill (again). The early part of the film is very confusing, as a result, and by the time it comes to an end, you don't really care. A cannibal too far, methinks.
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