Hannibal Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Hannibal Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 10, 2019

Kino has released the film 'Hannibal' to Blu-ray and, for the first time, to UHD. This Blu-ray is the film's first high definition issue since 2015. The film was first released to Blu-ray in a bundle with two other series films in 2009. Kino's Blu-ray features new 1080p video sourced from a 4K remaster and plenty of bonus content. It also includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that is very similar, if not identical, to the one found on the 2009 disc.

Ten years have passed since Dr. Lecter's (Anthony Hopkins, Proof) escape from captivity, and a survivor from one of his attacks -- a now grotesquely disfigured millionaire by the name of Mason Verger (Gary Oldman) -- has obtained information on the killer that he wishes to share with a now-disgraced agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore, Magnolia) who is working on clearing her record and conscience of a bust gone terribly awry. Verger, however, uses Starling as a pawn to help him track down Lecter; he plans to ultimately capture and murder the cannibal, exacting revenge for his disfigurement. Meanwhile, in Florence, Italy, police inspector Rinaldo Pazzi (Giancarlo Giannini), on the case of a missing museum curator, soon learns that the replacement curator is in fact Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Pazzi hatches a scheme to capture the criminal and collect a handsome monetary award, but Lecter proves a far more cunning opponent than Pazzi anticipated.

A bona-fide mega-hit when it arrived in theaters in February 2001, Hannibal carved up the box office to a record opening weekend. Clearly hungry for more exploits of the good Dr. Hannibal Lecter, audiences ate up Sir Anthony Hopkins' then-latest picture, though the absence of Jodie Foster certainly left many viewers with an empty feeling in their stomachs. Indeed, with the absence of Foster, the change in director, and five Oscar nominations under the belt of its predecessor, Hannibal had a lot to live up to, and while it's no turkey, it feels more like a fast food value meal than a robust five-course meal. It's no easy task to adequately follow up on a classic like The Silence of the Lambs; The Godfather: Part II is one such film that is every bit the equal of its predecessor, but most sequels to cinema greatness often only whet the appetite rather than satisfy the hunger for more of the same. Even had Hannibal set the table with both Foster and Lambs Director Jonathan Demme, the film's significantly weaker storyline would have still left it with too many empty calories to be of any artistically nutritional benefit.

It's not that Hannibal is a bad movie; it's certainly not something that will show up on any "bottom of" lists, but it's simply a far cry from the greatness of both Manhunter and The Silence of the Lambs. It's neither as thought-provoking nor expertly crafted as either Mann's or Demme's films. The more action-oriented Ridley Scott takes the reigns for Hannibal; he's a superb director but just doesn't have much to work with here. Whereas the film's surrounding Hannibal on his resumé -- Gladiator and Black Hawk Down -- feature a more kinetic, nonstop, gritty, and realistic tone, Scott attempts to slow things down in Hannibal, and it just doesn't quite fit in with the style he embraced in the early years of the decade, particularly once the film moves past the trademark Scott-style shootout in the opening act.

One of Hannibal's most glaring problems is Julianne Moore. She's a fair actress but displays little emotion throughout; she seems tired and indifferent, more interested in getting through the scene rather than breathing life into the part. Otherwise, the cast of Hannibal is solid. Ray Liotta is delicious in his somewhat small role, Zeljko Ivanek is wonderful in a supporting part, and Hopkins is, well, Hopkins, though even he can't quite seem to recapture the magic of The Silence of the Lambs with a part that's a bit more active and pronounced here. The show stopper, as he always seems to be, is Gary Oldman. No other actor working today, and very few in the history of movies, are capable of so absolutely losing themselves in a role as he. Oldman is completely unrecognizable as the disfigured Mason Verger, but it's more the actor than it is the makeup that manages to create the character. Ultimately, however, neither director nor stars are to blame for the picture's lukewarm feel; short on suspense and high on shock value rather than genuine terror, Hannibal just can't compete with its predecessors for sheer moviemaking and storytelling greatness.

Hannibal Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hannibal is at its best on the companion UHD release, but this 1080p Blu-ray is certainly a capable presentation and a very strong upgrade from the 2009 MGM disc. Grain management is improved and holds a very organic structure. Increases in sharpness are evident in every frame and color saturation and precision are greatly improved, even if the palette sometimes appears a little light and lacking more intense contrast (particularly compared to the Dolby Vision UHD). Still, there's no mistaking the improvements to color accuracy and vibrance compared against the aging disc, which appears dull in comparison. Take a look at Ray Liotta's Paul Krendler at the 15:11 mark. It's a good character portrait that showcases much needed clarification of his light blue shirt, dark blazer, and skin tone. Such improvements carry throughout. Kino's new disc offers comparatively crisper whites, superior blacks, and colors of much more even contrast, stability, and accuracy. Details are likewise much more firm. That same shot featuring Krendler is a good example of the vast improvements to sharpness and textural clarity and intimacy. Facial details throughout the film enjoy amplified definition. Environments are crisp and highly revealing, and Oldman's grisly makeup reveals the disfigurement in much greater detail. Some examples of heavy edge enhancement that appeared in the MGM disc -- particularly an entryway shot of Mason Verger's estate early in the film -- are gone (though edges against any high contrast area will yield a mild glow, but the trees, in this instance, no longer appear as if protected by a force field on this disc). Fans longing for a superior Blu-ray from the old MPEG-2 release have found it.

Hannibal Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

One similarity between this disc and the original 2009 edition is the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless audio encoding. The tracks are not identical, at least not technically; the older track plays with a larger bitrate in the 3.0-4.0 Mbps range while this one hovers around 1.5-1.8 Mbps. The added bitrate on the older track does not necessarily make it a superior track. Indeed, there are certainly no significant differences. The fish market shootout remains an engaging explosion of gunfire, slams, screams, and other chaotic sounds. Various one-off effects throughout sound generally similar between the two tracks, including squealing boars and a deeply whirring fan during a hazy surgical procedure late in the film. This new track might boast a mild increase in sound separation and immersion, slightly more precision placement, and modestly improved clarity, but don't expect a radical departure from the decade-old MGM offering. This track's essentials are handled well. Rainfall at the 62 minute mark proves very nicely saturating. There is good bustle in a police office at the 39 minute mark and later at the 65 minute mark after an opera, both examples of mild but immersive and well engineered din that brings the location to life. Ditto bustling city streets in various exteriors throughout the film. Music enjoys adequately wide spacing, modest but essential surround support, good clarity, and fair low end extension. Dialogue is handled well. It's naturally prioritized, detailed, and located firmly in the center channel beyond one or two fleeting moments of larger amplification.

Hannibal Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Kino's Blu-ray release of Hannibal comes loaded with supplemental content. No DVD or digital versions are included. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Audio Commentary: Director Ridley Scott opens by speaking on the process of translating the original novel for the screen and continues to discuss editing, plot points, characters and performances, shooting locations, working with the FBI, and much more. Scott speaks in a very even cadence and delivers a wealth of information that sometimes falls into discussing shots in detail while also offering more broad stroke insights.
• Breaking the Silence: The Making of Hannibal (480i, 1:15:11): A comprehensive exploration of the filmmaking process, beginning with the developmental process and moving on to explore technical aspects of the production, shooting locations, makeup and visual effects, score, the Hannibal Lecter character, and much more, all explored in great detail. The piece ends with a lengthy video taken at the film's premiere.
• Anatomy of a Shoot-Out: A Five-Angle Breakdown of the "Fish Market" Action Scene (480i, 47:46): As the title suggests, this supplement explores the making of one of the film's key scenes from several different perspectives, offering the viewer the opportunity to explore "the technical and creative choices made in terms of cinematography" as the piece states up-front.
• Ridleygrams: A Featurette on the Art of Storyboarding (480i, 9:11): A look at some of the director's own storyboard artwork for the film. In the piece, he discusses his process. Unfortunately the low resolution and often thumbnail sizing rob the images of more than basic clarity. There is a similar feature in the newly released UHD of Black Hawk Down.
• An Exploration of the Film's Opening Title Design (480i, 7:17): Variations on the title design. Included are Final Title Design with Final Theatrical Mix, Original Teaser Cut with Original Teaser Mix, Nick Livesey's Notebook with Ridley Scott Commentary, and Shooting Pigeons with Nick Livesey with Commentary.
• Deleted and Alternate Scenes (480i, 33:09 total runtime): Included are Fish Market Aftermath, Return to the Dungeon, X-Ray Comparison, "Dear Clarice...," Pazzi's Password, Perfume Shop, Romula, Il Mostro Case, Lecter Leaves Florence, Barney and the Boars, Coming to America, Covering Clarice, and Planning the Meal.
• Deleted and Alternate Scenes with Director Commentary (480i, 33:09): The same scenes as above, this time overlaid with Scott's thoughts.
• Alternate Ending (480i, 6:30).
• Alternate Ending with Director Commentary (480i, 6:30): The same scene as above, this time overlaid with Scott's thoughts.
• 19 TV Spots (480i, 7:56): The spots are presented in rapid-fire succession.
• Hannibal Teaser (480i, 1:03).
• Hannibal Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:18).
• White Squall Trailer (480i, 2:44).
• Nixon Trailer (480i, 4:32).
• When Eight Bells Toll Trailer (1080p, 2:49).

Hannibal Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hannibal, at least cinematically, can't stand up to The Silence of the Lambs, but it's a fair movie in its own right. What matters here, though, is Kino's upgraded video presentation, which is worlds better than the old MGM disc. Audio is basically unchanged but the studio has included a wealth of vintage bonus features which were not included on the original 2009 pressing. Recommended.