SummaryHannibal continues the story begun in "The Silence of the Lambs." Ten years have passed since Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins) escaped from custody, ten years since FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Moore) interviewed him in a maximum-security hospital for the criminally insane. The doctor is now at large in Italy, gloriously at liberty in an unguarded ... Read More
Directed By:Ridley Scott
Written By:Thomas Harris, David Mamet, Steven Zaillian
Hannibal
Metascore
Mixed or Average
57
User score
Generally Favorable
6.5
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Metascore
Mixed or Average
50% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
47% Mixed
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
90
It's unmissable, flaws and all, because riveting suspense spiced with diabolical laughs and garnished with a sprig of kinky romance add up to the tastiest dish around.
75
''The Silence of the Lambs'' was a classic; Hannibal is only a good movie of its type.
User score
Generally Favorable
52% Positive
127 Ratings
127 Ratings
39% Mixed
94 Ratings
94 Ratings
9% Negative
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
Nov 11, 2011
10
This movie is superb, i strongly believe that those that didn't enjoy
it did not or perhaps cannot appreciate its finer points. I don't know
what people were expecting but i watched this alone and still gave a
round of applause when the credits rolled. Its a deep and interesting story because while Hannibal is a killer,
and of course a gruesome cannibal, everyone he killed in some way
deserved it, and if youve read the books you will know that the trauma Hannibal suffered as a child goes a long way to excuse him. So the films begs the viewer the question as to his
morality, and his punishment if any at all. The viewer perhaps will
grow to like Hannibal, and so will be presented with many philosophical
quandaries as the film progresses, would they rather see him jailed or
free, alive or dead? Hannibals interaction with Agent Starling is a fascinating one, wrought
with sexual and psychological tension as agent Starling and the viewer
both *feel* that Hannibal wouldn't harm her, but you are never quite
sure and neither is she. The pace of the film builds up to a climactic finish which doesn't give
itself away until the very end. You are always guessing, will they run
away together? will he kill her? will she kill him? will she hand him
into the police? will he escape? Watch it and see. I would say that this film doesn't hold your hand, there are a lot of
finer details which may be unappreciable to those who haven't read the
books or at least seen the "dragon rising" movie which explains
Hannibals childhood. Many will be dismayed by the end because they
think that Hannibal is meant to be a cardboard cut out villain, he
isn't, and they're wrong, this is a fantastic movie.
May 24, 2011
10
Make sure you finish your popcorn early when viewing Hannibal for the first time. While most of this film is based on suspense, there is certainly plenty of gruesome horror by the end. Anthony Hopkins revisits his infamous role of Hannibal Lector in this disturbing sequel to Silence of the Lambs. Julianne Moore revises Jody Fosterâ
67
It's gory, really gory, gratuitously and often inelegantly.
60
Though the movie is clearly meant to work on its own, the relationship between Starling and Lecter plays best if you're familiar with "Lambs."
58
Has almost none of the nail-biting suspense and fascinating character interplay that made the original so authentically terrifying.
50
Hopkins' Hannibal is no longer mysterious, Clarice is no longer vulnerable, and the overextended Florence scenes dash any hopes of early momentum, even if Giancarlo Giannini is perfect as the cop.
0
Hannibal, which is very likely the worst film of this year and quite possibly the next, achieves what no movie I can recall ever even attempting: It somehow manages to be both repugnant and boring.
Jan 4, 2011
10
Hopkins portrayal of Lecter was not like it's predecessor (Silence of the Lambs)...Making Hannibal feel more like a pompous old geezer with a taste for hedonism and human flesh.
Jan 20, 2026
6
The polished aesthetics of a cannibalistic ritual: A 3.0-star "stagnant" drift through morbid elegance.2011 (3.0)I watched "Hannibal" in 2011, and while it offered a "vivid" and visceral "revelation" of grand-scale gore, it remains a functional 3.0-star record that ultimately felt somewhat "stagnant" compared to its predecessor. This 2001 sequel provided a high-tension atmosphere of European sophistication, **** the fourth wall of generic slasher films with its "raw" and stylish obsession with classical art and anatomy. However, the narrative rhythm often felt "pathetic" in its pacing, lingering too long on "vivid" visual indulgence rather than providing the "chewy" psychological payoff I found in my 5.0-star pillars. The 95% preservation of my memory is dominated by the "raw" and stomach-turning dinner scene, yet the emotional connection felt oddly detached—unlike the "sensational" and rhythmic energy of "Death Proof" or the "vivid" passion of "Nodame Cantabile." While it was far superior to the "1.0-star traumas" of my 2011 record like "Romeo + Juliet," the experience was an immersive but ultimately surface-level encounter with darkness. It stands in my archive as a 3.0-star artifact of morbid curiosity—a "sensational" showcase of Ridley Scott’s visual mastery that struggled to maintain a high-tension soul throughout its entire runtime. It was a "vividly" grotesque journey that left a "raw" impression of style, but lacked the transformative emotional power to leave a permanent 5.0-star scar on my soul.
Sep 9, 2016
6
The brain scene is awful and disgusting. But Anthony Hopkins' terrific performance almost lifts it from the pits of mediocrity. Moore's character sketch is very poor though. but her performance is very good. Not as suspenseful as The Silence of the Lambs but has more gruesome violence than it. Also, Oldman is good but is not recognisable.
Aug 28, 2021
3
This movie is for simpletons who didn’t quite understand what Silence of the Lambs was all about and just thought that Hannibal guy was “bad ass”. Jodie Foster knew exactly why she didn’t want to be apart of this mess. The Hannibal character is meant to represent what serial killers idealize themselves to be, while Buffalo Bull represented the unorganized, imperfect way serial killers actually operate and, eventually, get caught. It’s not a beautiful opera, it’s a chaotic mess. The Hannibal character behind bars was perfect in exemplifying that. Trying to make a backstory for this plot device of a character does nothing but weaken his purpose. Now he has to become superhuman in order to actualize the idealized manner of his murders instead of it just being a puzzling mystery that the audience is meant to wonder about. But I’m sure you all just think “It’s cool that he eats that guy from Goodfella’s brains! Oh, and there are no gay scenes of guys tuckin their **** in while looking in the mirror! I’m totally not gay, bro! All this movie was missing was Clarice’s **** But 9/10 regardless!”
May 15, 2020
3
Ponderous, slow moving sequel lacking the wit of the original. A shame given the caliber of writer and director. Of the five Hannibal films, this one clearly had the biggest budget and most polished production values, but it’s all style over substance. Ridley Scott spends too much time concentrating on the look of a shot and not enough on the actual story. The first two thirds of the film looks like a travelogue with beautiful photography but without any engaging narrative. The story gets going near the end but by then it’s too late and the final ‘scary’ scene with Ray Liotta is just plain ridiculous!
During lockdown I rewatched all the movies in the series again and for my money the best is Red Dragon, even better than Lambs.
Production Company:
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
- Universal Pictures
- Dino De Laurentiis Company
- Scott Free Productions
Release Date:Feb 9, 2001
Duration:2 h 11 m
Rating:R
Tagline:Break The Silence
Awards
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
• 2 Wins & 8 Nominations
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 1 Win & 5 Nominations
MTV Movie + TV Awards
• 3 Nominations
