Hannibal 18 Based on Thomas Harris's book Cast Hannibal Lecter - Anthony Hopkins Clarice Starling - Julianne Moore Mason Verger - Gary Oldman Paul Krendler - Ray Liotta Inpsector Pazzi - Giancarlo Giannini Barney - Frankie R. Faison Crew Directed by Ridley Scott Producers - Dino De Laurentiis and Martha De Laurentiis and Ridley Scott Executive Producer - Branko Lustig Screenplay - David Marmet and Steve Zillian After seeing this movie i left the cinema feeling very dissapointed but for the wrong reasons, I was comparing it to its predacessor SOTL's which is a bad habbit we have when we go to watch Sequals. And very rarely do Sequal live up to their predessor. Also i had read the book so i had alot of expectations when going to see this film. But i know realise this is a film to need to watch without any expectations. With comparing it to SOTL's It just seemed ridiculous and over the top even though i knew what to expect  story wise from reading the book but seeing it on Screen it seemed even more silly. But saying this Don't get me wrong as i did think it was a good movie with good script writing and once again superb acting especially from Hopkins. Not as good as he was originally but still his standard remains very high and chilling. This is a very gripping film and i never lost interest once. I was glued to the performances. I feel Hannibal Lecters (Anthony Hopkins) character was very different to who he was in SOTL's but then i guess thats whats the films about getting to see who the real Lecter is with no boundries. And in this film you certainly did!... The Italian police officer Pazzi (Giancarlo Giannini) who i had never heard of before was very good in it to. He put in a very good performance. Julianne Moore (Playing Clarice Starling) was a good replacement for Foster, Some say she was better but i feel she lacked the depth of body language and facial expressions which Foster pocessed but Moore was good all the same and i never thought of Foster during the film. I think one of the best scenes was the scene between Lecter and the Pick pocketer. I would say thats one of the most suspensful moments. Im glad they didn't have the full ending from the book as i didn't like the books ending and it doesnt play true to the character of Starling that you see in SOTL's. I think the dinner scene was unessarily graphic and partcially ruins the film. Im not a big fan of gore and although i was able to surprisingly able to stomach it i just feel is was unessaryily gory. Although from reading the book you can see how it would be hard to avoid in the film. But it just seemed typical of Hollywood that they need put out all the stops to shock the audience with such scenes. Hannibal is actually qouted by Ridley Scott and agreeded by others to be more of a dark comedy than a horror and although you don't want to laugh  it did have some funny moments which were obviously there to make the audience laugh. Which they did. This aspect is certainly where it most certainly differs from SOTL's. Even though the humour worked in Hannibal. And Hopkins did it very well i feel it shouldn't have been there as ( no pun intended) it was in bad taste as although it is all fiction it is not something that should really be made a joke of. But then it does lightening a film that could easily turn some of the strongest stomachs. I think everyone was well cast in the Movie. Mason Verger (Gary Oldman)  The make up was very good. And unless you already knew you would not have Known it was Oldman playing the part due to such extensive Make up. The film could have been better and have included some more bits from the book which would have given it more depth. Maybe if it concerntrated more on the depth and less on the gore. It would have been interesting to know how Johnathan Demme (Director of SOTL's) would have done the film. All in all its a good movie and i think you just have to watch it with no expectations and not relate it to much to SOTL's. Like i say it is a good film even though its a bit silly, the acting skills make up for that with a great cast. It's most likely the best film i have seen so far this year. Ta Ta for now. Rating: 8/10 Hannibal The Offical Website.