PILOT REVIEW: Hannibal

HANNIBAL

Starring: Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas, Hettienne Park, and Laurence Fishburne

Developed for television by Bryan Fuller
Written by Bryan Fuller, Directed by David Slade

Hannibal is a new drama based on the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris and featuring the iconic serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen). The series takes place well before Lecter's true identity is learned and he befriends Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), a young criminal profiler who has issues of his own (likely Aspergers though it is not made crystal clear). Lecter and Graham are put together by Graham's boss, Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne). Also in the main cast is psychology professor Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas), who is attempting to understand Graham, and crime scene investigator Beverly Katz (Hettienne Park).

THE GOOD: I really liked this pilot. It was very interesting because of the level of emphasis it put on psychology and psychoanalysis. Yes, there was a crime to be solved but that wasn't the main focus of the episode. It also had a refreshingly slower pace than most shows like this do. It left a lot up to the imagination, particularly with Lecter. Although we know what he'll become, the pilot was very ambiguous about his current state of mind and involvement. The performances were strong. Hugh Dancy is excellent in the lead role and Mads Mikkelsen is very intriguing as Lecter, though it's hard to top Anthony Hopkins' award-winning turn in the films. Laurence Fishburne is strong too in his role. The pilot set up a lot of interesting stories thanks to its well-crafted characters in the lead role. This show is going to be all about Lecter and Chase, and it should be.

THE BAD: There was a lot I really liked about this pilot so I don't have too many negative things to say.
They didn't really develop the two female characters at all but I'm sure that's coming. Also, Bryan Fuller is notorious for being an oddball in his shows so they need to be careful they don't go down that road too much and keep it real. I started to worry about that in a few of Chase's "dreams." That will be distracting to a story that is good enough without that type of stuff.

BOTTOM LINE: This is a tricky show to pull off because the Hannibal Lecter character is so memorable from the films but this show is off to a good start with a re-imagining of the character. Dancy is a real strong get here in the lead role because his character already has many layers. Mikkelsen is strong too in a role that can be tough. I'm curious to see where this show goes and how they unfold the Chase/Lecter connection. I'm looking forward to more.