Former FBI Agent Will Graham, who was once almost killed by the savage Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter, now has no choice but to face him again, as it seems Lecter is the only one who can help Graham track down a new serial killer.
It's highly entertaining, fast-paced and ultimately without deeper meaning, just like most other Hollywood blockbusters these days.
– Peter Howell,
Toronto Star,
4 Oct 2002
rotten:
The beats are the same, but the eerie vibe has been lost in translation.
– David Edelstein,
Slate,
5 Oct 2002
fresh:
Wonderful performances and some really chilling moments.
– Richard Roeper,
Ebert & Roeper,
7 Oct 2002
rotten:
Where Mann and Demme steered the hokum away from dull genre generalities, Ratner's point-and-film literalness churns out a thriller by rote, shorn of the psychological dogfighting that distinguished the first two films.
– Geoff Andrew,
Time Out,
9 Feb 2006
rotten:
Frank Whaley and Philip Seymour Hoffman play minor characters so annoying they might as well wear T-shirts reading 'Eat My Brain.'