Hannibal Rising

It'll take more than a few gulps of fine Chianti to make this chunk of cinematic cheese go down easy: this fifth (and hopefully final) installment in the Hannibal Lecter saga—based on novelist Thomas Harris' prequel—was probably ill-advised to begin with, but without the steadying influence of Anthony Hopkins it's particularly weak. Directed by Peter Webber, Hannibal Rising begins in Eastern Europe at the end of World War II, introducing the titular antihero (played at first by Aaron Thomas, then by Gaspard Ulliel) as an orphan victimized by Nazis and reared in a Soviet orphanage. Eventually escaping to the Paris home of his uncle's widow, the striking but enigmatic Lady Murasaki (Gong Li), the young Lecter enrolls in medical school, resolving to exact vengeance on the men who made his childhood such a living hell. The interlude in France seems out of place, but that's only one of the film's problems: the dialogue is uncomfortably stiff, the would-be grisly set-pieces just aren't that shocking in a post-Saw and Hostel cinematic horror environment, and French leading man Ulliel is nowhere near as suavely sinister as Hopkins (indeed, nothing about his voice or appearance suggests his Hannibal will mature into Hopkins' character). Simply put, Hannibal Rising falls flat. Not recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include audio commentary by director Peter Webber and producer Martha De Laurentiis, a 16-minute “Hannibal Lecter: The Origin of Evil” featurette, an eight-minute “Designing Horror and Elegance” featurette with production designer Allan Starski, five deleted scenes with optional commentary (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing entry in the franchise.] (E. Hulse)