Rating: 
Summary: Better than Silence of the Lambs
Review: A precursor to Silence of the Lambs, this film is less Hollywood-ish, but much more chilling and realistic: the mental turmoil Peterson goes through, the serial killer's personality, Dennis Farina as the head FBi officer... all are down-to-earth and believable.
Rating:
Summary: Better then "Silence of the Lambs"?
Review: While "The silence of the Lambs" was a great thriller, i've always prefered this film adaptation of the earlier Thomas Harris novel "Red Dragon". It was directed by Michael Mann (Heat,The Insider) and he manages to get closer to the book than the more famous sequel ever did. By having the character record his thoughts onto tape during the film, the viewer gets right inside the mind of the FBI agent Will Graham as he tracks down a serial killer. So good is the script, that even a scene of FBI agents sitting in a room talking about the case can be more tense and exciting than most action sequences you will see elsewhere! The acting is great (check out the first screen appearance of a certain Hannibal Lector played by Brian Cox), and the ending will have you on the edge of you seat. Anyone looking to add a scary,intelligent movie to their collection should check out this DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Gripping and Unnerving Thriller!
Review: While comparisons with 'The Silence Of The Lambs' are inevitable, they are both completely different films. 'Silence' is more atmospheric and isn't faithful to Thomas Harris' novel, 'Manhunter' is creepier and more unnerving. But it is better to view both films for what they are and avoid any comparisons at all. Michael Mann directs with a forceful grip on the audience and chose to add a heart-pounding soundtrack that heightens the atmospheric dread. William L. Peterson is superb as the brooding retired (?) FBI agent who uses a very successful but also mentally damaging method for tracking serial killers. The method consists of Peterson actually 'thinking' like the sadistic killer and foreseeing his next move so he can be captured, the scenes where Peterson is slowly delving into the criminal mind of the 'Tooth Fairy' are compelling and fascinating. This method, as complex as it may sound, is actually used by the FBI in real life and also the method used is 'Silence'. Brian Cox is also great as Hannibal Lecter, while he is no Anthony Hopkins, he creates an equally compelling character. While definitely not as scary or as memorable as Hopkins, Cox managed to create psychological tension between Peterson and him in their few scenes together. There is also a very interesting scene that tells us how Peterson tracked down Lector. Tom Noonan is unforgettably creepy as the 'Tooth Fairy', who gets his name for appropriately sadistic reasons. Joan Allen is also great in an early role as a blind woman who may become his next victim, she shows us very early in her career what she is capable of, her performance is very carefully calculated and extremely efficient. A forceful and gripping thriller that never lets go. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 7!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Original Film
Review: This was made four years before SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and was based on the earlier Thomas Harris novel RED DRAGON. They did not call it RED DRAGON, because there was another movie that year with DRAGON in the title that did not do so well...and the studio feared it would get confused with that film. It's driected by Michael Mann who is famous for MIAMI VICE, and yes it shows in this film. But it's a grueling fast-paced reality-based thriller similar to SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Big challenge is they had to vocalize Will Graham's thoughts in the book into actual lines in the movie. Sometimes you can tell the film was made on a smallish budget in the mid-80s, but on the whole? It holds up today as a great adaptation of a great book! It's a fun movie, and if you are a fan of the other thrillers like SILENCE OF THE LAMBS this will be right up your alley. Yes, there is a wonderful appearance by Hannibal the infamous cannibal -- though not much is made of his modus operandi. He is never referred to as a cannibal. But Brian Cox's portrayal is strong if brief. The real stars here are the actors portraying Will Graham and the killer. Both give creepy a human edge as they play cat and mouse with each other. And fans of Joan Allen -- her portrayal of the blind Reba is amazingly well done. Sexy and stylish, not too much gore, and very tight pacing. I can't be more effusive about this movie.
Rating:
Summary: William Petersen Is, In Fact, The Greatest!
Review: The Reviewer is the author of the book NOT GUILTY BY REASON OF INSANITY,(which is also on Amazon.com). I've seen a multitude of great psychological thrillers. And, I've read a lot of great books of this sort. Never have I, however, happened across any such example as powerful as this movie. In particular, there's this one scene where "our" reality and the distorted "reality" of the demented killer are contrasted, while being blended together. It's sheer beauty how the distorted mind of the paranoid "bad guy" is captured! Mr. Petersen, as the out-of-retirement FBI agent is, perhaps, at his very, very best in Manhunter! I truly hope the forensic experts are paying earnest and professional attention to this movie, because it's not only great entertainment, it's also vital educational material!
Rating:
Summary: Manhunter
Review: Manhunter is far superior to Silence of the Lambs, which can be looked at as a sequel of sorts to Manhunter. The acting, script, mystery intrigue, music, and pace of the action make this one of the best overall movies of the 1980s and still in high demand at the video stores, even though relitively unknown. The sound in stereo is phenominal and I can't wait to get it on DVD with Dolby 5.1. You will play Manhunter more often than Silence of the Lambs.
Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: A made for TV thriller which should have made it to theater. Fantastic look into forensic science. This movie is not for the faint of heart. Can't wait to get the DVD. If you liked Silence of the Lambs you will love Manhunter. Chilling look into the mind of a vicious killer and the cunning it took to find him. Don't watch it in the dark, alone in the night.
Rating:
Summary: A Must See Film!
Review: I can't believe this film only recived 3 stars in theaters! I think the film, effects, and acting are supurb! And how about Brian Cox? He was a fasinating Hannibal Lektor (spelled Lektor, not Lector as it is in the books and Silence of the Lambs) I think Brian Cox played Lector more how he is potrayed in the book, The Red Dragon. I'm not saying Sr. Anthony Hopkins didn't do a supurb job playing Lector in Silence of the Lambs...he did, he's also my favorite actor, but I just pictured Brian Cox when I read all 3 books. The only complaint I have is the ending. I didn't think the ending was as good as it could have been, I wish it would have ended more like the book. I also wish that Lektor would have been in it a little more, like the book, but still I was thrilled to find and watch this movie, I was so surprised to find that most Silence of the Lambs fans knew nothing of Manhunter...I love both movies and can't wait to see Hannibal...but I must put my vote behind Manhunter. If you haven't seen it you don't know what you're missing! Oh...I was wondering...I keep hearing that this is not the original movie and that the original is longer and more like the book, but they dicontinued it. If that's true, does anyone know how to find it?
Rating: 
Summary: "Manhunter" Mann-handled.
Review: Although effective in its own way -- it was a made-for-TV movie -- it pales in comparison to the filmed version of Harris's third novel, "Silence of the Lambs." And, unfortunately, it must be compared to its more famous younger sibling. "Manhunter" suffers from too much Michael Mann, the movie's director. Mann was still in "Miami Vice" mode when he made "Manhunter," and the movie suffers from that same slick, style over substance quality that plagued "Miami Vice." Everything looks nice, but is curiously hollow. The scenes between Crawford and Graham; Graham and Lecter; Graham and his wife (and others scenes), are devoid of emotional content. Compare those scense with any one from Demme's "Silence of the Lambs" to appreciate fully the contrast. The actors are curiously detached from their own characters. And Cox, as Lecter, fails to inspire fear. He seems rather pedestrian and mortal, none of the 'they don't have a name for what he is' monster locked away in a dungeon we see in "SotL." (And make no mistake about it, Hopkins's Lecter captured fully what Harris imagined the character to be.) I am being harsh because the source material (Red Dragon) is so good and it was stripped of its suspense and horror by Mann. When you boil it down, it is not much more than a glorified "Miami Vice" episode. See "Manhunter" to find out what made "Silence of the Lambs" such an outstanding film.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Cannibal Film!
Review: Although I saw this movie when it was released in 86, I never rembered it being the first movie to feature Hannibal Lecter (Lecktor in this film).Now made so memorable in the Silence of the Lambs, I went back to revisit this movie and found a nice little gem of a film. Always a big Micheal Mann fan, since Miami Vice, I followed his career through this movie, Theif, Last of the Mohicans etc... to the undisputed winner of best film of 1999 (well, at least in my book) The Insider. I like the fact that this movie prtrayed lecktor in a more believable light. In Lambs, he is almost super-human ( and especially made more unbelievable as he is played by an older actor like Hopkins). He is shacled, mouth cuffed, and wheeled around whenever being dealt with. In Manhunter, he is a deranged cannibal who was made fallible when caught by Peterson. When Lecktor asks Peterson how he caught him, Peterson replied that he had one weakness; "he was insane." Brilliant!This was also one of Peterson's few good roles, as he seemed to slip later in his career either into playing secondary characters or starring in B movies ( like that giant squid picture recently!).Lecktor was also made more human in his vengenace towards Peterson by aiming the killer Peterson is now after to his family!The Lecter of Lambs would never be so overt. What keeps this movie from getting higher marks, hard for me to say since I love Mann, is the direction. I'm not sure he was quite right for this film as it was supposed to be "dark." Mann was still caught up in his then trademark day-glo, neon coloring. Compare Lecktors cell to that of Lecter in Lambs. Manns is bright white and sterile. In Lambs, Lecter is kept in a dark, dank dungeon where he can barely be seen in the shadows. There was also Manns signature of inserting blaring rock music into the musical score. Again, this was the type of film that would have better benefited from a mix of a rock track and symphony track. It was ironic that he chose In A Godda Da Vida by Iron "Butterfly" for this movie instead of the second where butterflies, or moths, are such an intergal part of the movie. Still, Mann was just starting out in features then, and has now become one of the greatest directors of our time! With a picture like this, you can understand why & watch his career develop! I cannot wait for the DVD release this year!
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