For the past 25 years, many fans of writer Thomas Harris (who wrote The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal and Red Dragon) have begged him to write a prequel to the books. They were so intrigued by the psychopathic, flesh-eating character of Dr Hannibal Lecter (famously played by Anthony Hopkins) that they wanted to know what he was like as a young man and how he turned into a monster.

Well, the answers can all be found in Hannibal Rising, Thomas' prequel to The Silence of The Lambs. The novel published last year and the film released this week chronicles the childhood and early adulthood of the world's favorite cannibal. The story begins in Lithuania where a very young Hannibal, his sister and their parents are running away from the Nazis. The parents are tragically killed, and Hannibal and his sister are taken hostage by a band of crazy bandits. But the bandits do something to his sister that leads to her death — something that Hannibal could never forgive.

Hannibal eventually finds himself under the care of his Japanese auntie (the majestic Gong Li). There, he learns Japanese martial arts and gets a scholarship to study medicine in Paris. But he cannot forget the men who killed his sister, so he systematically sets about to hunt them down and carve them up one by one...

As the young Hannibal, Gaspard Ulliel (who can currently be seen in a gay role in Paris, Je'Taime) gives a performance that is only adequate. Gong Li, on the other hand, is absolutely regal and commanding in the role of his aunt. Rhys Ifan (who usually does comedic roles) is absolutely chilling as the leader of the bandits.

Compared to its earlier films The Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon, Hannibal Rising is a lesser film. But considering how so many franchises screw up their attempts at prequels (Stars Wars, anyone?), Hannibal Rising is considerably better than its ilk. At least, it tells an engaging story that successfully answers fan's questions about Hannibal's intriguing childhood. Fans of Hannibal the Cannibal should not miss this