10 Things Hannibal Does Better Than The Movies

1. The Greatest Interpretation Of Hannibal

The joy of a TV series as opposed to a film, is its ability to explore its characters in far greater detail. Over the last two years we have seen Mads Mikkelsen develop Hannibal far beyond the character presented in the movies. His role as a renowned psychiatrist, a respected member of high society and gourmet chef: the TV show has delved deep into the man before he was an incarcerated prisoner who provided clues to Will and Clarice from his cell. Mikkelson's Hannibal has shown up the killer in his natural environment in a way the movies never could. Even in the movie Hannibal, he was still hiding from the authorities. In the TV show we've seen what he is like when he can indulge in his tastes, his thrill of working with the FBI, studying other killers like himself. We've even seen a friendship bloom with Will that is far more developed then the distant kinship that arose between Hannibal and Clarice. Not to mention his ability to have a romantic, sexual relationship with Alana. Interestingly too we rarely saw Hannibal commit any act until the blood bath that was the season two finale. Everything had been hinted at up to the point where Hannibal turned on his friends and started a slaughter more brutal than anything seen in the movies. Anthony Hopkins was brilliant and his Hannibal in Silence Of The Lambs was less like the hammier version we saw in Hannibal the movie and closer to the TV version than you might think. In truth, watching Silence again you can see where Mads Mikkelsen has drawn on some of Anthony Hopkins' more nuanced performance. It seemed impossible to beat Anthony Hopkins' interpretation of Hannibal Lecter, but Mads Mikkelsen has done it. There is no greater villain currently on television. Do you agree that Hannibal deserves to be crowned the greatest representation of the story? Share your thoughts below.