Critics’ reviews

Hannibal (2001)

11 reviews from 11 publications. Critics’ score 52: 2 positive, 6 mixed, 3 negative.

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52
Positive
2
Mixed
6
Negative
3

The reviews lean towards a mixed response to Hannibal, with praise clustering around its visual polish and performances rather than its storytelling. Anthony Hopkins’s Lecter remains a source of pleasure for several critics, who find his performance compelling or enjoy its playfulness; Julianne Moore also receives credit as Clarice Starling. The more favourable accounts find an engaging, stylish entertainment, even when the grotesque material threatens to become excessive.

Reservations centre on weak suspense, sluggish pacing and plotting that fails to sustain interest. The spread is wide: RogerEbert.com finds style and strong performances enough to keep the film engaging, while The Guardian sees a tensionless sequel whose gore and camp overwhelm the drama. Hopkins himself divides opinion, with his playfulness reading as parody to some. Even among the more receptive reviews, enjoyment often comes with the caveat that this is a less compelling sequel to The Silence of the Lambs.

RogerEbert.com
9 February 2001 · ★★★/4 · Roger Ebert
75

Ebert finds the film stylish and engaging, though its grotesque material can be excessive. He singles out the performances as a strength.

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Variety
4 February 2001 · Todd McCarthy
70*

McCarthy finds the film engrossing and tantalizing, though less powerful and less consistently compelling than The Silence of the Lambs. He praises Anthony Hopkins’s riveting portrayal of Lecter, while faulting the more mechanical plotting after the story leaves Florence.

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Screen Daily
12 February 2001 · Emanuel Levy
64*

The visible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It provides no praise or complaint because the review text is behind a paywall.

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The New York Times
9 February 2001 · A.O. Scott
64*

The page is identifiable as a review of the film, but its text is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be verified.

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Time Out
· GA
64*

The available page identifies this as a review, but provides no accessible critical verdict. Its standfirst introduces Lecter as a sophisticated cannibalistic serial killer, without revealing what the critic praises or faults.

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Radio Times
★★★ · Jeremy Aspinall
60

The review presents the sequel as a tongue-in-cheek continuation, with Julianne Moore giving a creditable performance as Clarice Starling. It notes the production’s troubled path to the screen and Anthony Hopkins’s playful return as Lecter.

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Total Film
16 February 2001 · ★★★ · Total Film
60

The review finds Hannibal disappointing as a sequel but entertaining as an adaptation of the novel. It praises Anthony Hopkins’s performance while faulting the film for lacking suspense and a strong narrative thrust.

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The Guardian
16 February 2001 · Xan Brooks
15*

Brooks finds the film a bloated, tensionless disappointment that turns Lecter into a parody of his former self. He briefly praises the Florence scenes for sparking to life, but says Moore is underused and the film’s gore and camp overwhelm its drama.

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Empire
1 January 2000 · Ian Nathan
10*

Nathan finds the sequel inert, dull and a disappointing use of its central character. He faults its lack of atmosphere and thrills, while noting that Liotta and Oldman have fun in their roles.

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Den of Geek
8 September 2009 · ★★★ · Dave Adamson
60

The critic finds Hannibal interesting but overly self-indulgent, and weaker than Silence or Red Dragon. They praise its attractive visuals and Hopkins’s performance, while faulting the mediocre script and slow pacing.

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Eye for Film
9 March 2001 · Angus Wolfe Murray
30*

The critic sees the sequel as a failure, with implausible story details undermining it despite Ridley Scott’s polished style. Julianne Moore’s performance is singled out for praise, while Anthony Hopkins’s Lecter is described as oddly comic.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate