Pictures Gallery For The Hannibal Lecter Trilogy

The Hannibal Lecter Trilogy (1999)

The whole chilling story of Hannibal the Cannibal

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson, Mary-Louise Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald, Julianne Moore, Ray Liotta, Frankie R Faison, Giancarlo Gianni, Francesca Neri,

Director: Brett Ratner, Jonathan Demme, Ridley Scott

Running Time: 459 minutes

US MPAA rating: N/A
UK BBFC rating: 18
Crime, Drama, Horror, Thriller

On DVD

On DVD

The "Hannibal Lecter Trilogy" is made up of three films: "Red Dragon", "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Hannibal". They tell the story of a brilliant but dangerous serial killer, the gifted psychiatrist Dr Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). In the first two films, he is used by the FBI as a consultant on the crimes of other serial killers, playing psychological games with the FBI agents and proving to be every bit as dangerous as the killers they are trying to catch. "The Silence of the Lambs" in particular shows him at his best, developing a twisted relationship with FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster). In the third film, his past comes back to haunt him, as a surviving victim resurfaces in pursuit of revenge and he re-establishes his relationship with agent Starling (this time played by Julianne Moore). As a collection, this is an outstanding set to own. "Red Dragon" is a fine film with plenty of thrills and tension. "Silence of the Lambs" is the definitive film of the genre, winning many awards and making an icon of Dr Lecter. "Hannibal" is the weakest of the three, but is still a better-than-average film and has the highest production values of all the films. Each film is part of a two-disc set with plenty of extras, making up a six-disc box set full of background information and entertainment as well as one of the best trilogies ever made. Lecter has become the serial killer that all film serial killers aspire to emulate, and watching all three films together serves to demonstrate how the legend was created.

DVD Extras: A super collection of extras comes with this outstanding six-disc box set.

Extras:

Red Dragon - Filmmakers' commentary, Music score commentary, Characters make up, Anthony Hopkins - Lecter and Me, Making of, Deleted scenes including alternative and extended scenes, Visual effects, Screen and film tests, Burning wheelchair, FBI profile, Brett Ratner's student film, Leeds house crime scene, Director's journey, Storyboard to final feature comparisons.

DVD-ROM Extras: Total Axess

The Silence of the Lambs - Making of, Featurette, Deleted scenes, Phone message, Outtakes, Stills galleries, Teaser trailer, Hannibal trailer, Theatrical trailer, TV spots.

Hannibal - Director's commentary, Alternate ending, Deleted and alternate scenes, Five featurettes on the making of, Multi-angle featurette, Multi-angle action scene, Multi-angle opening titles, Production stills, Poster concepts, Trailers, TV spots. Extras: 8 out of 10

It's Got: Lots and lots of horrible Hannibal.

It Needs: A director's commentary with "Silence of the Lambs".

Alternatives: Manhunter, Se7en, The Cell.

Summary: This is an outstanding collection of three films featuring the iconic Dr Lecter. One of the best DVD buys on the market. Overall Score: 8 out of 10

Review by Andrea Chee
Review Date: 6th April 2003