DVD reviews: Hannibal Rising – Issue 65

Everyone knows that movie sequels are subject to the law of diminishing returns, just something for producers to milk until the well runs dry. (Hey, I’m practising for the School Of Cliché, okay?) [Actually, that's a mixed metaphor - pedantic Ed.] Every once in a blue moon (!), however, along comes a sequel (or a prequel, in this case) that doesn’t reek of stale re-runs. Hannibal Rising pretty much sums it up: this is the story of how flesh-eating Hannibal Lecter got his start, and thankfully Anthony Hopkins is nowhere in sight. Why is it better than it deserves to be? Well, Silence Of The Lambs author Thomas Harris wrote the script, and Peter Webber (Girl With A Pearl Earring) directed, so it’s not a b-grade offering. What separates it from the pack is its East European setting; Hannibal Rising traces the killer’s upbringing, including his wartime privations, the cannibalistic annihilation of his family, and the martial arts training in his youth that turned him into an effective killing machine. There are some good deaths here, and a horror worth its salt needs good deaths. The one slightly unconvincing thing is the acting performance of the teenage Hannibal (Gaspard Ulliel), who just can’t quite get the leering facial squint right. Other than that, it’s a cracker I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys a good evening’s carnage in 5.1. Which reminds me, the Dolby surround is particularly grunty. The transfer to DVD is okay but the colours are so unnaturally saturated it’s difficult to pick unintentional faults. The only really annoying thing about Hannibal Rising is its total lack of extras – and knowing that the US edition was packed full of them. Why are we so poorly served in this way down in old Region 4 territories? And to make matters worse, we’re expected to sit through previews for other DVDs; pressing the Menu button won’t help you here.

From: Roadshow/US
Genre: Thriller/horror
Rating: R18
Sound: 3.5/5
Vision: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5

GARY STEEL