Thursday, March 27, 2008

MOVIE: Hannibal Rising

Trying to capitalize on the "Hannibal Lecter" franchise, I believe Hannibal Rising was supposed to be an enlightening prequel. The sort of thing that exposes how and why our favorite madman initially lost his grip on his sanity. A prolonged look at the character's early life. Experiences as a child. Transition to adulthood. First brush with murder. Initial dances with law enforcement. That type stuff.

Plot is somewhat interesting though it takes far too long to barely go anywhere. The action is mostly mild. The acting isn't going to win any awards. The writing will likewise go unheralded. And the viewer is quick to realize that a young Hannibal Lecter is a fairly boring Hannibal Lecter.

Though briefly entertaining as background material, ultimately instead of a fleshing out (so to speak) the origins of a beloved anti-hero, Hannibal Rising only manages to reduce him down to a few unremarkable psychological traits.

Perhaps it was a good book. It did not transform into a good movie.

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