Hannibal

The Silence of the Lambs sequel is finally here, and while it is certainly unsettling and appropriately ghastly, the film is more about the showmanship of director Ridley Scott than it is about the odious appetite of Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lecter. Punctuated with some amped-up action and camerawork that blurs and shakes like a music video almost every time Dr. Lecter has his ravenous way with one of his victims, Hannibal seems to lose sight of its high-IQ, psychological terror foundation whenever something hair-raising happens. The inimitable Anthony Hopkins reprises with relish his chillingly calm, urbane and playfully intellectual, lip-licking portrayal of the cinema's most endearing icon of upscale fright flicks. Julianne Moore does an adequate job in the role of Lecter's foil, FBI agent Clarice Starling (originated by Jodi Foster), but she's more plot device than personality. Gary Oldman, however, matches Hopkins goose pimple for goose pimple as Lecter's only surviving victim, a horribly disfigured and terribly disturbed billionaire who is hunting Hannibal to wreak biblical vengeance. A strong optional purchase. (R. Blackwelder) [4K/Blu-ray/DVD Review—May 7, 2019—Kino Lorber, 131 min., R, DVD: $14.95, Blu-ray: $29.95, 4K/Blu-ray Combo: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray and debut on 4K, 2001’s Hannibal features a great transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary by director Ridley Scott, a 'Breaking the Silence' making-of documentary (75 min.), and the production featurettes 'Anatomy of a Shoot-Out' (48 min.), 'Ridleygrams' (10 min.), and 'An Exploration of the Film’s Opening Title Design' (7 min.), as well as deleted and alternate scenes with optional commentary (33 min) and an alternate ending with optional commentary (7 min.). Bottom line: this Silence of the Lambs sequel looks sharp on 4K.]