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Rating: One wonders why a film like this exists, although the answer "money" dispels any doubt. Wasn't Manhunter, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and Red Dragon enough to satisfy the eyes (stomachs?) of viewers? They were more than sufficient, and in fact, Hannibal had already proven to be largely unsuccessful. Then Thomas Harris, the creator of the Lecter character, returned and decided to give his creation a beginning set far back in time. The writer (here also the scriptwriter) traces his Hannibal back to World War II, when he and his sister, stranded in Lithuania after losing their entire family, find themselves facing a band of ex-Nazis. The killing of the little sister will trigger a violent short circuit within Hannibal's mind, leading him over the years to seek out all those responsible for the terrible execution of the little girl.
The starting point for this umpteenth semi-horror in the saga of one of the most well-known cinematic characters of all time is at least improbable, and before director Peter Webber (already filmmaker of "Girl with a Pearl Earring"), the real major misstep belongs to Thomas Harris. His book and screenplay are void, lacking the spark, the originality required for a story already explored in every minute aspect. The attempt (poorly executed) to give Lecter a backstory and youthful narrative contradicts the elements that had splendidly characterized his persona: that absence of morality and past references that had made Anthony Hopkins' sadistic face one of the most unsettling ever seen in cinema, capable of destabilizing with intelligence and the power of his gaze. In this Hannibal Rising, everything goes to hell: Gaspard Ulliel, cast as the young Lecter, is irritating, to say the least, with that face you'd really want to punch. Zero credibility, zero expressiveness. But what really does not convince about Webber's film is the total lack of ideas: the theme of revenge has long worn out its welcome, and moreover, the way the director presents it gives us no reason to be pleased with its staging. In this film's horror, thriller, and slasher outbursts, there's nothing that adds to the lengthy series born from Thomas Harris's pen.
A story full of holes: poorly interpreted and with credibility and a cinematic outcome close to zero. Knowing that they're even considering a new chapter on Hannibal's youth frankly leaves one bewildered. And once again, it makes you wonder: why carry out operations like this?
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