Manhunter - Dir: Michael Mann

In my journey to revisit all the past Hannibal Lecter movies, it would be imcomplete without re-viewing this title. Before Hopkins came along, Brian Cox had given a seriously understated and creepy performance as Lecter. Based on the Red Dragon book, this film is often regarded as pretty good, but how well does it stand up now? The answer is pretty good. There is no denying the 80s synth soundtrack really chafes, but Mann's evidence of being a good director shines through even back then. Good performances all round. Stick with it. This is a JM RECOMMENDS.

All The King's Men - Dir: Steven Zaillian

This remake of a classic 1949 movie should be amazing. An accomplished writer and an amazing cast including Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins and James Gandolfini. Surprisingly it all ends up being blander than bland and leaves you with a vaguely pointless feeling. Sean Penn is always great to watch but there's a sense of not knowing really what he's trying to accomplish. It's hard to get away from seeing Gandolfini as Tony Soprano and Hopkins as Lecter in moments of boredom. It looks beautiful and the direction is solid enough, but it all ultimately feels as if it leads to nowhere. This is a JM THUMBS DOWN.

Hannibal - Dir: Ridley Scott

After revisting Silence of the Lambs, I decided to revisit this sequel. On paper, it has everything going for it, including thr return of Anthony Hopkins, a script by David Mamet and the arrival of heavyweight director Ridley Scott. In the same way that Hopkins is irreplaceable, is soon transpires that Foster is too. In this movie, the role of Clarence Starling is played by Julianne Moore, and although a pedigree actress, she never really hits the mark that Foster did. The script changes the book plot for the worse, and never really captures the menace of the previous film. Disappointing but worth it just to see Hopkins reprising his role as Lecter. This is a JM SUCK IT AND SEE.