10 years after "Silence of the Lambs"
and they FINALLY got round to making a sequel. Dr Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) is still at large and Agent Clarice
Starling (played this time by Julianne Moore) is still trying to track him down.
Having adopted a new identity, he has spent his time on the run in Italy, where he's become the curator of a large art gallery (not exactly laying low is it?). But when his identity is discovered by a disgraced local cop, inspector Pazzi, rather than alerting Interpol, he tips off his whereabouts to a former victim of Lecter's, Mason Verger (played by Gary Oldman, though you'd never recognise him). A wealthy business man who Lecter drugged up and suggested cutting off his face (which he did) years earlier.
Verger has been offering a substantial cash reward for anyone who can help him get Lecter before the authorities, as he has his own special brand of revenge he wishes to exact on him. Fleeing to the states, Agent Starling finds herself in a race to apprehend Lecter before Verger's hired hitmen can get their hands on him.
Directed by Ridley Scott, overall this is, in my view, a worthy sequel to "Silence of the Lambs", though somewhat different in style, with the focus this time being Hannibal trying to stay one step ahead of both the authorities and Mason Verger. It was good to see Anthony Hopkins back in the role of Dr Lecter, though it was a pity Jody Foster didn't wish to reprise her role for this. But I felt Julianne Moore did the role justice. Ray Liotta also turns up as a corrupt Justice Department official, who comes off more than worse for wear after helping Mason Verger try and capture Hannibal (but I won't spoil what happens).
If you enjoyed "Silence of the Lambs", you should also enjoy this. Though the only negative thing I will say, is that if you're in the Top 10 list of people most wanted by the FBI and Interpol and are trying to keep a low profile, why would you become the curator of one of Europe's largest art galleries????
