"Hannibal Rising" No Stars (out of four): Unforgivably awful prequel puts the final nail in the Hannibal Lecter series.

An origin story is an iffy prospect. When crafting a prequel, filmmakers are frequently tempted to do one of two things: (1) populate the story with characters from the later films (i.e., since when did Darth Vader build C-3PO?); or (2) use pop psychology to explain the character’s behavior (i.e., Anakin is really upset about Padme). In the first instance, it’s still possible to make a good movie with wit and humor, but the second case is almost always problematic. When it comes to the human mind, rarely does a plus b equal c. “Hannibal Rising”, the latest and, if there’s any justice, last installment in the Hannibal Lecter series traces the origins of everyone’s favorite lamb-silencer. And, wouldn’t you know it, he had a tough childhood.

Read More on BigPictureBigSound...