Hannibal Rising or Red Dragon

[Veum]

 

[Casiusco]

It's not easy to answer.

 

"Red dragon" is a very entertaining movie, where we can see Hannibal free at home for the first and only time. With some really good scenes, and where we can find the usual habits and flashes in our protagonist. 

 

Without going any further, the dinner scene is one of those that is remembered for a long time.

 

But, in my opinion, "Red dragon" is like "Terminator 3", it takes the characters and the situation that we already knew to end up making a correct and entertaining film, but without going further, without any other depth; no other charisma. An industrial product well done as entertainment that is too easily forgotten.

 

"Hannibal Rising" is just the opposite. It's the attempt to take the heritage of "Hannibal", and draw a European film -like Lecter's first context- about his childhood / adolescence; a dark film, at the same time elegant, cloudy and at the same time exciting. But it doesn't. Despite having a great cast, a good director, and a great team, including a great cinematographer or an outstanding composer, the ensemble fails to achieve what it wants.

It's entertaining, but it's not light and highly entertaining like "Red Dragon," nor does it have the solemnity and effectiveness that the great Ridley Scott gave to "Hannibal."

 

Still, I like it. It's a film that says more about Lecter than it seems, and where, after all, many of his ideas, his traumas, his emotions originate. From his perspective around the world and humanity.

 

Neither of both films strikes me as a brilliant movie, both entertained me, and I voted for "Hannibal Rising" for being more ambitious, for taking more risks. For not limiting a character as powerful, deep and ambiguous as Hannibal Lecter, to an -too- typical police carousel.

 

PS: How I wish I could buy a collector's edition with all four.