Instinct is a surprisingly tame psychological thriller that comes to life thanks to the superb talents of Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding Jr.. While Instinct explores some interesting concepts and ideas, it still suffers from a bland and scattered story line that is never quite sure what type of movie it wants to be. Director Jon Turteltaub and screenwriter Gerald DiPego inundate the sluggish and long-winded narrative with excess subplots about other inmates and pointless prison administrators. Amazingly, the film's two stars are able to break free from the banal material, and the narrative assumes real life when Hopkins and Gooding engage in a series of the turbulent talk sessions. Gooding's self-control and sincerity is the perfect match for Hopkins and his rather over-the-top, mangy madman. They are also flanked by a talented supporting cast -- Donald Sutherland, Maura Tierney and George Dzundza all give solid performances. Most audiences may assume Instinct is another big-studio variation of The Silence of the Lambs, allowing Anthony Hopkins to revisit a psychotic Hannibal-esque role. Unfortunately, this mild movie isn't nearly as compelling and suspenseful as some of Hopkins' previous thrillers.