New 'Hannibal' a horror

Anthony Hopkins leaves big shoes to fill. As a young Hannibal Lector, French newcomer Gaspard Ulliel certainly tries. While the veteran actor ably infused the despicable "Hannibal the Cannibal" with a palpable menace and an irreplaceable charm, those behind the newly released prequel "Hannibal Rising" seem to have forgotten precisely what makes Lector fascinating. As a result, the thriller is almost as forgettable as it is ridiculous.

The gross mischaracterization of the cannibal is especially surprising considering the film was written by Hannibal's creator, Thomas Harris. In this film, however, Harris tossed out the usual parameters for his Hannibal tales, like believability and suspense, in favor of a more ludicrous plot.

In this new movie, Hannibal is the product of a very unstable home life. As a nobleman's son in Eastern Europe during World War II, Hannibal lost his entire family. His little sister, Mischa, met with the worst fate, being cooked in a soup by a group of starving Nazi recruits in front of Hannibal's eyes.

This incident haunts the boy, who narrowly manages to escape and is placed in a hellish orphanage. Years later, Hannibal flees to France in search of his estranged uncle. Instead, he finds his uncle's Japanese widow Lady Murasaki (Gong Li) who is inexplicably well-schooled in the arts of the samurai. That's right, Harris has transformed one of cinema's most celebrated bad guys into a "Karate Kid" wannabe. After the Lady teaches Lector the art of the sword, he goes out to take his revenge on those who feasted on his poor sister. Mayhem ensues.

"Hannibal Rising" is more about revenge than suspense. Lector's first victims are so repulsive that the audience cares little about their fate. Because of this, the film has no real tension and elicits nothing more than boredom.

To make matters worse, Harris completely misses the opportunity given by the prequel format to deepen and enrich the iconic character. Questions about the persona, such how Lector developed his love for fine cuisine, are only answered in passing. Instead, the author goes into extraordinary detail about how Hannibal became a master samurai, which every Lector fan has been dying to know.

Because the script is so flimsy, the performances cannot help but be mediocre. Ulliel lacks the screen presence of his predecessor, replacing Hopkins' charm and charisma with empty glares and a continual smirk. To make matters worse, he speaks in a heavily accented language that makes his character a near parody of Hannibal. In fact, the only menacing feature about the actor is a bizarre scar on his cheek. This is not nearly enough to elevate Ulliel's Hannibal above anything more than a pale imitation of the great Lector of the past.

Though Hannibal is boring, some of the supporting cast shine briefly. Despite her character's absurdity, Gong Li gives her character a steely strength that would have been much more effective had Ulliel's performance been more intense. The other bright spot is Richard Brake as the villain who decided to cook Hannibal's little sister. Through Brake's depraved performance, the audience sees a reflection of what Hannibal will become. This character provides the only real surprise of the movie, and he is unfortunately underused.

Thankfully, the film's director, Peter Weber, proves himself to be worthy of far better material. A relatively untested talent, he demonstrates a fine eye for the art. Like a painter, Webber brings out the color of every scene, using it to highlight specific tones and moods. One such example occurs when Hannibal slowly drowns a would-be assassin. An eerie green color dominates the images, giving the sequence a sick quality. Even in the most twisted moments of gore, Webber finds beauty, zooming in on a strangled victim's face as blood rushes the whites of his eyes. If anything is of interest throughout the two hours, it is Webber's amazing direction.

"Hannibal Rising" is such a flawed piece of cinema that it showcases how not to craft a prequel, as well as a powerful example as to why authors should never adapt their own work. If you are desperate for a Hannibal fix, rent "The Silence of the Lambs" instead. It is a cheaper and, without a doubt, a more satisfying meal than this indigestible filth.