Kinda boring

Rating: 6/10 (29 June 2006)

Somewhat an inferior sequel to "Manhunter," we find Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) assigning FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) to interview Lecter about killer Buffalo Bill, who has been kidnapping young women throughout the southern United States.
Much like "Manhunter," this movie focuses on the investigator. However, Clarice Starling isn't nearly as interesting as Will Graham. She thinks she's one of the big boys, but hasn't done anything to prove herself and actually shows herself unworthy of that recognition.
Anthony Hopkins, replacing Brian Cox, hams up the role of Lecter, taking away a bit of a creepy edge. Jodie Foster proves that accents aren't one of her talents. Scott Glenn is once again great in a small role.
The movie unwraps slowly, but without worthy characters, we don't find ourselves interested in what develops. The movie doesn't really pick up until the climatic confrontation.
A year after this movie's release, "Basic Instinct" was badly received for its perceived homophobic content. However, "Basic Instinct" only had a killer that happened to be a lesbian, where "Silence of the Lambs" creates an explicit link between the killer's killing and his sexual confusion, definitely making it the more homophobic of the two.
It's a good story of a young woman's growth, but it's not compelling or thrilling.