As Hannibal season 3 arrives on NBC, we rank the character’s cinematic outings from worst to best…

The Hannibal Lecter franchise is a unique patchwork of a film series.

So, in reverse order, lets start with the one wed all rather forget.

Hannibal Rising (2007)

One of the most well-worn titles in my Blu-Ray library is myHannibal Lecter Trilogyset.

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The message is clear;Risingis not part of the series.

Its not so much thatRisingis bad.

Even the performances are fine.

But it carried a greater responsibility than that.

This was the film that would lift the curtain on one of the most fascinating villains in history.

For long-time Lecter fans like myself, this movie was a big deal.

The fact is,HannibalRisinghad an impossible task.

It didnt have to be perfect, but it could have at least been interesting.

Or even justtried.Everything about this film reeks of a production team chasing a paycheck.

Lecters origin is so basic and bland that the good Doctor himself would find it rude.

But the movie doesnt even allow for a taste of personality.

Red Dragon (2002)

This was a tricky one to place.

And with the help of a top shelf cast,Red Dragongenerally works.

Danny Elfmans soaring score creates a feeling of menacing grandeur that elevates some moments to real excellence.

And Ralph Fiennes is really magnificent; both horrifying and sympathetic as Francis Dolarhyde.

Luckily, the film by and large does and as an adaptation its perfectly serviceable.

So why does the film choose to depict him as a straight-laced everyman hero?

Its a powerful moment where for just one irrational second we wonder whose side were actually on.

But somehowHannibalbecomes something approaching a flawed masterpiece.

The heightened, operatic world coupled with a languid pace and dreamlike aesthetic makes for a fascinating creative vision.

So where does it fall short?

This makesHannibala hard film to truly invest in and therefore the violence starts to feel gratuitous and ugly.

When the violence becomes extreme it is either extremely powerful or treated with a tongue-in-cheek sense of black humor.

The violence inHannibalnever really strives for either and so it just rings hollow and ultimately distracting.

And it pays off in spades.

Manhunteris a film that exudes a personality unlike any of the other films.

And Brian Cox is a perfect counterpoint.

Hes a fascinating, transfixing character at the centre of a fascinating, transfixing film.

Any franchise boasting one film of this quality is very lucky indeed.

Somehow, the Hannibal Lecter series boasts two.

Defining scene:Hannibal and Wills conversation is a moment scarcely topped by anything else in the canon.

It is exhilarating, terrifying and satisfying all at once.

It is a perfectly paced, perfectly structured film hinged on two deservedly Oscar winning performances.

It is quite simply one of the greatest films ever made.

He is a funny, scary scene stealer but crucially thisis not his story.

The varying styles of the different films just prove how malleable this series can be.

Defining scene:There are so many to choose from.

In a film of immaculate craft, this scene is the jewel in the crown.