Hannibal returns in 'Rising'
By PETER RAINER THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

For those hardy souls who can't get enough of the Hannibal Lecter ethos, Hannibal Rising is here to sate your jaded palate. Even more so than with the other Lecter movies, this prequel you should plan on seeing after you've eaten dinner. Better yet, skip the movie altogether and have dessert. We learn why Hannibal (Gaspard Ulliel) became a cannibal and, truth be told, one can only sympathize with the poor guy. Gong Li plays a Japanese woman of mystery who teaches him how to swing a samurai sword. Thomas Harris adapted his own bestseller and Peter Webber, who previously directed "Girl with a Pearl Earring," had the unenviable task of trying to give this glop, which is too gruesome to be campy, a high gloss. It should be called Man With a Severed Head.