'Hannibal Rising' (R)(out of four)

When serial killer Hannibal Lecter first appeared on movie screens in 1986 with the film "Manhunter," both he and the film didn't leave too memorable an impression.

However, five years later, Lecter became a kind of pop icon when Anthony Hopkins took the role over from Brian Cox and faced off against FBI agent Jodie Foster in the box office hit "The Silence of the Lambs." A new horror classic was born, with the film winning Oscars for both Hopkins and Foster, as well as for Best Picture.

The movie also gave birth to endless jokes about what type of main dish can accompany fava beans and a nice Chianti. Naturally, a sequel was eagerly hoped for, but crime reporter-turned novelist Thomas Harris waited years to write a new book -- the disappointing "Hannibal," which was made into the equally disappointing 2001 film of the same name. Hopkins returned for that movie, as well as 2002's "Red Dragon," which was a more effective remake of "Manhunter." But with those movies in the can, the question was, "Where to take Hannibal?"

The answer: back in time to find out what made Mr. Lecter develop his love for human cuisine.

But with "Hannibal Rising," there is no Anthony Hopkins and no big-name actors to help sell the film. There is, however, plenty of gore. The film begins during World War II and introduces us to the Lecter family. Mom, Dad, younger daughter Mischa, and little Hannibal are obviously well off, living in a castle in Lithuania. Unfortunately, they get caught in between the Russian and German armies and are forced to flee to an isolated house, where they hope to stay out of everyone's way.

Sadly, their plan fails and the doting brother and his sister are left to fend for themselves. Things take an even uglier turn when Lithuanian allies of the Nazis invade the house, looking for shelter.

They are led by Rhys Ifans, who is barely recognizable as Hugh Grant's eccentric housemate from "Notting Hill." He and his crew are clearly evil, what with their bad dental work and their tendency to laugh uproariously at cowering children. With their food supplies running low, they look at Hannibal's sister as the perfect entree.

Not surprisingly, this turn of events leaves a deep scar on Hannibal, who when the story fast-forwards eight years, transforms into a young man played by French actor Gaspard Ulliel ("A Very Long Engagement"). Lecter escapes his Russian orphanage and heads to France to find an uncle and his Japanese wife (played by Chinese actress Gong Li.). Hannibal's recently widowed aunt takes a liking to her nephew, and in between worrying about his constant nightmares, gives him a crash course in the martial arts and fighting with swords.

Those skills come in handy when Lecter starts lopping the heads off people who rub him the wrong way. Director Peter Webber ("Girl with the Pearl Earring") takes delight in showing things being cut up, whether it's a fish being cleaned, a finger sliced open, or a human chest carved with a knife. Things really start to get violent when Hannibal gets a lead on the men who killed his sister and implements a plan for revenge. One of the aspects that made "The Silence of the Lambs" work was Foster's complex character, Clarice Starling, because she had the audience's sympathy.

But in "Hannibal Rising," it's difficult to muster up very much "atta boy" spirit for the budding serial killer. There's a French police detective (well-played by Dominic West), but his interesting character is barely outlined.

This film has other problems. There are a number of lines that are difficult to understand due to the accents of both Ulliel and Gong Li. At the screening I attended, I kept hearing people around me asking, "What did they say?" Ulliel's performance as Lecter seems more a caricature than a portrayal. He has an ever-present smirk on his face, as he glides into rooms to utter Bela Lugosi-like "good evening" to those around him.

Other issues are the film's torture scenes, which are difficult to stomach. A scene where a young girl is being led off to her death, with the killer holding a hammer in front of the camera, was not easy to take. And to top it all off: the question of why Lecter becomes a lifelong serial killer is never answered. Revenge is one thing. Decades of murder is another. "Hannibal Rising" is a disappointment. If I have a Chianti with this film, it will be to wash away the bad taste.