Review: Hannibal TV Series
I typically only concentrate on comic book related material on this site, but since sCrypt Comics is involved in creating HORROR graphic novels, I had to make an exception here. Hannibal the TV series is a delightful dish for any fan of the Hannibal Lecter movies/books. So far on screen, we have seen “Hannibal Rising,” “Red Dragon,” “Silence of THe Lambs,” and “Hannibal”, in chronological order.
This takes place between Hannibal Rising and Red Dragon, and though I don’t believe this is part of the movie continuity, it so far has not interfered. I hope it remains that way, but I don’t really care as long as it keeps my interest in the way that it has.
We are only three episodes in, and I’m captivated. I admit however that at first I was a skeptic. The series premiere’s first 20 minutes confused the hell out of me, but I finally understood what was going on. Special Agent Will Graham (portrayed by British actor Hugh Dancy) empathizes with the killers he is trying to take down. He is a recluse of sorts, and is placed into the psychological evaluation of Doctor Hannibal Lecter. Lecter (portrayed by Madds Mikkelsen) is secretely a cannibalistic killer, hired for his psychological expertise by Head of the FBI, Jack Crawford (Lawrence Fishburne).
I don’t want to give away too much because it is too early on, but if you are a fan at all of any of the above movies or the novels, then I highly recommend giving this a chance. It is a visually stunning work of art, that is not handled like other cop dramas. Instead of a killer of the week, it looks like we are going to get episodes dealing with the ramifications of what each killer has done. We get to see an inside look at how things work inside the character’s minds, and we get disturbing imagery that makes you cringe. Mikkelsen, Fishburne and Dancy do wonders portraying the characters.
If you thought that noone could ever replace Anthony Hopkins as a disturbing killer, then you were wrong. This captures the best elements of Silence of the Lambs, and looks to be a very promising series. I give it an 8 out of 10 so far. Chime in with your thoughts.
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