Entertaining-- and the young Lector did a good job. He was not Anthony Hopkins, but what could you expect? No one is Anthony Hopkins as tied into the collective consciousness with Lecter. The acting was still superb, and many of the quirks Hopkins brought to the character were duplicated or adapted for his younger self.
I do admit during the whole movie I wondered how Lector, the conscienceless killer we know, is portrayed as merely a revenge story. I finally decided, however, that the movie hints beyond that. It is partly an element of his personality.. the same thing that brings some people from abusive backgrounds to be murderers or low-lives, and some to be exemplary people in real life. Also, they seem to show that Hannibal thinks of murdering the schoolmaster-- who seemed in the scene to treat Hannibal well. That implies that the vicious murders were not really revenge, so much as revenge was an excuse for the vicious murders Hannibal found himself prone to and desiring. Most serial killers fight their urges for some time before beginning to kill. This seems to be shown-- it just so happens Hannibal had somewhat of an excuse for his murders (if a flimsy one at times, such as the butcher.) to stop him from needing to fight the urge for too long. Also, it could be estimated that after killing several times, he realizes an intense excitement for it that exceeds merely the "satisfaction" of revenge--- and personal demons that do not go away with the completion of his revenge.
It is not Silence Of The Lambs but it is better than Hannibal. Watch it without over-inflating your expectations, and you won't be disappointed.
I do admit during the whole movie I wondered how Lector, the conscienceless killer we know, is portrayed as merely a revenge story. I finally decided, however, that the movie hints beyond that. It is partly an element of his personality.. the same thing that brings some people from abusive backgrounds to be murderers or low-lives, and some to be exemplary people in real life. Also, they seem to show that Hannibal thinks of murdering the schoolmaster-- who seemed in the scene to treat Hannibal well. That implies that the vicious murders were not really revenge, so much as revenge was an excuse for the vicious murders Hannibal found himself prone to and desiring. Most serial killers fight their urges for some time before beginning to kill. This seems to be shown-- it just so happens Hannibal had somewhat of an excuse for his murders (if a flimsy one at times, such as the butcher.) to stop him from needing to fight the urge for too long. Also, it could be estimated that after killing several times, he realizes an intense excitement for it that exceeds merely the "satisfaction" of revenge--- and personal demons that do not go away with the completion of his revenge.
It is not Silence Of The Lambs but it is better than Hannibal. Watch it without over-inflating your expectations, and you won't be disappointed.