His eventual, horrific demise is, in fact, one of the few moments that we actually feel anything beyond queasiness. More than 90 minutes into the film, Hannibal and Clarice finally interact, though even then it's by cell phone. In fact, most of the scenes are gorgeously staged by director Ridley Scott. Gore and lusciousness vie for the audience's attention, with lavishness generally winning out. Florence is beautifully photographed, and even scenes in Clarice's basement office feel more alive than most movies.
Terror is a foreign concept here, replaced instead by ugliness.
The acting is generally exceptional. Hopkins is as fine as ever, and Moore once again eschews flashy acting in favor of simply becoming a character. Oldman overacts to his heart's content, but never in a totally off-putting way. That's hardly enough, though. The actors alone can't fix what was a totally misguided project from the start.