Superb Classic!!! All of the films

It is now the summer of 2016 ...

& recently a few months back a viewing for about the 3rd time of Hannibal rising, then Hannibal, released in 2001.

Coupled with being floored by the original Silence of the Lambs in the cinema in early 90's, the entirety of the Dr Lecter movies done over the past 26 years or so, it all really starts to Make sense.

Given the span of 3 decades, I think 5 films when including the Edward Norton Jr film, my personal perception of Dr. Letter, Agent Starling & the likely purposeful out of order release of Hannibal rising in 2005 ...

The Hannibal series makes so much sense now. All along, Hannibal has been not much more than a bonafide Bully's worst possible nightmare.

It occurred to me that Hannibal Lecter never actually harms anyone truly innocent in the movies.

He goes after the folks that are as equally creepy, even more so than Dr. Letter was originally portrayed in the Silence of the Lambs movie.

Now agent Starling and alot of good guys and ladies have some very close calls, but Dr. Letter never veers much from the kid and young adult he portrays in Hannibal rising.

In that film, he does no more than fight fire with fire with the Nazi collaborators who killed his little sister. He pays everyone back that did him wrong from his stay in the post WWII eastern bloc orphanage.

Albeit, the fascist and sexist French cook guy creep who is abusive to his Aunt, he is pretty cold about how he dispatches that rogue, but he doesn't harm the cool French Detective who also shared the same losses Hannibal did in WWII.

He has boundaries though and an unwavering consistent sense of loyalty and Honor. And that feels really strange saying this given just how scary and terrifying the Silence of the Lambs film was upon 1st release.

Even then, the bad guy in that movie was his ex patient. The same goes for Ralph Fiennes role opposite Edward Norton Jr.

Dr. Letter has no tolerance for hypocrites. He knows how those in power become corrupt and do equally evil and damaging things to good people, a theme we see from his childhood in the 4th film, Hannibal rising.

Sounds weird, but Dr. Letter is actually fair and protects the good guys and glad that are truly good and stay true to their moral values and ethics.

Ray Liotta's character as the sleazy peer of agent Starling suffers some really creative and horrible payback for dogging agent Starling. But, it is Dr. Hannibal Lecter!

Dr. Letter saves agent Starling's life and even chops his own hand off when she tries to handcuff him!

The film's have been released here and there over any years and at least 2 different Directors, but they stay true to the whole story which has alot of surprises and curve balls.

Though it is a set of films in the horror/thriller genre and should not be taken too seriously, the films do convey the message that the World can be very treacherous.

And in theory, everyone should want for the World the way it should be, the fictional character of Dr. Letter is a stern reminder of the World being the way it is ...

This evening's viewing of Hannibal brings up the possibility that Dr. Letter, as crazy and creepy as he seems, is one of the arch-heroes so popular today.

He is fire that cancels out much worse fire than he could ever be. He does it in such a trippy cool way with great intellectual intelligence that an argument could be made he is like a dark version of James Bond or Inspector Callahan from the Clint Eastwood movies.

His methods are shocking and disturbing but he gets the job done. I liked the Italian Detective in Hannibal and really wish he would have been granted amnesty but he was going to turn over Dr. Letter to the wicked Gary Old man character who intended to feed him to the wild boars!

So it goes, don't mess with Hannibal! And however much some joker with some power who is trying to keep their secret about being a stone cold fascist ....

Don't mess with the good Dr. Letter!!!

Finally, unlike the steadfast and true Harry Potter films, the Lord of the Rings films, us viewers didn't get the privilege of watching the Hannibal films in their correct chronological order.

This seems purposely designed so as to have the movie fan constantly reassess their perception of Dr. Lecter.

It works!!!

Exceptional movies, every last one of them and Anthony Hopkins is a fabulous Actor and a legend.