Rating: 
Summary: GRIM AND GRIPPING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER...
Review: Based upon the wonderful, well written novel "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris, this is a superior and chilling thriller. Grim and gripping, it features William Peterson in the role of taciturn, retired FBI agent, Will Graham, who is called back to service in order to track down a bizarre serial killer. It appears that Graham has the uncanny ability to get into a killer's mind set and figure out what his next move might be. It is as if he and the killer become one. In his preparation for this, Graham even consults the imprisoned Hannibal Lecter (yes, THE Hannibal Lecter), deliciously played by Brian Cox.The movie is compelling and, at all times, gripping. Joan Allen affectingly plays a blind woman who unknowingly involves herself with the creepy serial killer who is chillingly played by Tom Noonan. It is her involvement with him that helps bring the film to its stunning conclusion. Good performances by Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang, and Kim Greist round out this fine, ensemble cast. This film is a taut, unnerving psychological thriller that is deftly directed by Michael Mann and accompanied by a terrific, musical score used to great effect. Who ever would have thought that Iron Butterfly's heavy metal "In A Gadda Da Vita" could be used to such chilling effect in the final, climactic scene? This is a film well worth watching.
Rating: 
Summary: Rent it
Review: I enjoyed this film. The cinematography was beautiful and creative. The use of geometric shots mixed with bright colors gave the movie a very artistic feel. That is exactly what made this movie so odd to watch. It was a mystery/thriller shot like an art film. Manhunter was filled with long, drawn out shots that were more effective at showing off the artistic vision of the film makers rather than building suspense. As I said, I enjoyed the film. I highly recommend renting it, because it's worth watching. That being said, I only give this movie three stars because it's not a film that I think I would ever watch more than once. There were a few things that made this film difficult to enjoy. First, right on the label it has the words displaying "Better than Silence of the Lambs". Well...that's a tall order, and this movie doesn't live up to that claim. As o.k. as the actors in this film were, their ability in no way comes close to topping Jodie Foster, Tommy Lee Jones, and of course Anthony Hopkins. That leads to the second problem. It's not Manhunter's fault that Hopkins was so kickin' as Lector that he won the Oscar. Unfortunately, because he was so damn good, it makes coming back to this film and seeing the almost cockney Lector a let down. Other problems are the pacing of the film, the bad sound, the wanna-be Tangerine Dream soundtrack, and Graham's constant ranting to himself which would have been much better as a voice-over. Taking into account that this movie is 15 years old, I still can't overlook how dated it feels. That's not a sign of age, rather it shows less than perfect film making. A movie shouldn't feel dated as it ages if it is to stand the test of time (that's why Rear Window is a masterpiece!).
Rating: 
Summary: The Best movie about Hannibal Lector
Review: Manhunter Was the beginng of two things,A show [C.S.I] which deals in the same field as in MANHUNTER and Hannibal Lector. People Don't probely remember this movie. It is the first movie to introduce Hannibal Lector. This 2-disc limited edition set includes two versions of the movie [Theatrical And Director's Cut], Talent files, 2 featurettes, and a theatrical trailer. MY father owns this and I watch it all the time. my favorite version is the Director's cut. If you like MIAMI VICE syle movies and television you like Manhunter.
Rating:
Summary: Not recommended for no english speaking !
Review: This DVD has great quality! The soundtrack is really good and the video quality is much better than the VHS edition. But I am quite disapointed because there aren't any sub titles for people like me (I live in France) who don't understand perfectly english. That s... ! Knowing that I wouldn't have own it. Why even no english sub titles ?? No customer care... PA
Rating: 
Summary: utterly pathetic
Review: I searched a local videostore after I finished Thomas Harris's fantastic and gripping novel "The Red Dragon" I had nothing but high hopes for this movie, I mean they would have to really bomb this one for me not to be intrested. And wow, thy suceeded admirably. Lecter is a horrible cast, and no this is not in comparrison to Anthony Hopkins Lecter in Silence of the Lambs (being I havent seen it) Lecter disgusted me more than he did frighten me. He looked as if he was a middle aged Englishman with a nice pair of loafers on. I watch many movies, I have all my life, I own roughly 100 dvds, but never, and I mean never, have I experianced music in a movie so offsetting and bad. I gleems of 80s pop culture, im sorry but air guitar in the background of serious points just doesent suite me, or the movie in that matter, very well. In the novel, the killer, Francis Dolarhyde, is said to be a man of great power, several instances it went on about how he was so muscular he could have competed in several local bodybuilding competitions, in the movie he s a frail, lanky, weak looking man with a receeding hair line, I understand book-to-movie translationstend to alter a bit, but when it destroys the credibility of the charecter it simply cant be tolerated. This movie had so much potential its sick, but hat you have is a very poorly executed, and simply terrible, adaptation of the first part of ths "lecter" saga.
Rating:
Summary: Could have been
Review: Could have been much better if they would have been more aligned with Harris'Red Dragon. It would have made for a much better ending. In addition, "the Tooth Fairy" would have surpassed Buffalo Bill in sure creepiness if the Red Dragon would have been emphasized greater.
Rating:
Summary: William Petersen just isn't even a poor man's Jodie Foster.
Review: In a way, I kind of feel for William L. Petersen. According to the IMDB, he's had about 30 roles. He's currently starring in and producing the very special CBS crime drama C.S.I He's done Shakespeare and other stage theater. Yet, someday he's gonna die, and his obituary is going to read "Petersen starred in Manhunter, a prequel to Silence of the Lambs the film that earned Jodie Foster an Oscar." I had to think about this one for a long time, and I have come to the conclusion that its not a bad film. I'm always the first person to say that you have to try to look at a movie in regards to itself, not its peers. But on the other hand, I'm human and I have likes and dislikes, and I can say without a doubt that I liked Silence of the Lambs better. But it doesn't stop there, Petersen is also likely to spend the rest of his career being compared to his other "little sister" Julianne Moore. To put things in perspective, I'll say that I did like Manhunter better than Hannibal. This appears to be Petersen's "method acting" phase. Perhaps he is trying to relate to his character, William Graham, the FBI profiler who caught Hannibal Lecter (here spelled Lecktor) by using method acting. Graham has the ability to get so into character, to feel the killer's emotions so well, that he knows how he thinks and can behave as the killer would. Sadly, Petersen just doesn't quite have that skill (or didn't in 1986, anyway). He frequently comes across as weak and overemotional, when I think we are supposed to read him as troubled and intense. There is a difference. I've dwelled on Petersen enough, its time to examine the rest of the film. Manhunter was written and directed by Michael Mann (much like every other crime drama ever :-) ) of whom I consider myself a fan. Sadly, I don't believe the rest of the crew was quite up to the task of realizing Mann's vision. There are several poor edits in the film, sub-par special effects for 1986, and a few continuity errors in shots that easily could have been avoided. Or maybe Mann just couldn't quite realize the vision himself. Manhunter was released at roughly the half way point between Starsky and Hutch and Heat both of which Mann also penned. I believe that Mann's career may have had a perfect linear progression between those points. Heat is a brilliant and original work with drama, character and stunning action scenes. Starsky and Hutch is a dated cookie-cutter car chase cop show. Manhunter has aspects of both. At times, Mann will give us brilliant cinematography of establishing shots of a forest juxtaposed with a characters frantic facial expressions, or hand us a well thought out character profile that draws us into the film. Other times, he will instead give us sixty seconds of drab dialogue while we stare at half of Joan Allen's butt, or totally break character of the main villain in order to add a romantic sub-plot to the film. One thing I wanted from this movie was suspense. This is probably the biggest disappointment. I found the character profiles of the hero (Graham), the villain (Tooth Fairy) and Dr. Lecktor all very engaging. I enjoyed following Graham around and watching him discover the case through profiling. What I missed was the suspense aspect of the film. A good suspense thriller gives me enough information to try and figure things out for myself even as the characters do. I enjoy having my mind race to beat the hero to the solution and then seeing how close I came. In Manhunter this isn't possible. Mann doesn't allow us clues. We only discover them by through Graham who always immediately tells us what they mean. There is no wonder about what a plot element means because elements are only introduced at the precise moment that the story needs them. The film is still enjoyable, but the suspense is pulled from it, which immediately detracts from what good have given it a great deal more appeal. Still, I do recommend the film. Particularly if you are fans of the genre, Mann, or the other two films. It gives an interesting alternate insight into a world that most us have come to know intimately through the other films. However, I will usher a warning. Try not to think about that during the movie. This film has no real relation to the other films save a single character in common and basis in the same series of novels. Look onto it as its own entity or risk ruining it for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Two and a half really, but not real impressed
Review: Maybe if I had seen this one first. But I didn't. So, Hannibal 'the Cannibal' Lecture(sic) will always be Anthony Hopkins. But, thats having just seen the firt two movies. Haven't read the books, don't want to read the... third one? Because my mom read it, and said it was pretty bad. Sorry
Rating:
Summary: Manhunter is a treat....
Review: especially for fans of Michael Mann, and his stylish, intense film presentation. If you absolutely must have your movies true to the book, or if you are watching Manhunter to try to get an early view of Hannibal Lecter (pre-Silence of the Lambs), you may be disappointed. Mann gives us William Petersen, a little younger and thinner, but much the same as his current role in the television feature "CSI". He has nearly destroyed himself and his family life with his ability to profile serial killers, and his inability to stay out of harm's way. The villain of this setting (and the book, "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris) is called the "Tooth Fairy" and his slaughter of two families is particularly grisly; how and why he chose his victims will surprise you. Mann's use of rock classics for the score, and his choice of actors for the parts of both villians are brilliant. Although I prefer Anthony Hopkins, the Lecter role is played with brilliant understatement by Cox, an actor who can "ooze" madness and evil, and does so in this film. Like many of the reviewers, I found only the original widescreen DVD, and not the 2 part Director's cut to demonstrate the excellence in this film. BRAVO, Michael Mann!
Rating:
Summary: Creepy and Intense
Review: Creepy and intense is what the book's author and the movie's director must have been going for, and do they ever deliver! Forget trying to compare this Lector to later versions, just get into the tale. Watching Graham get into the mindset, seeing the detection methods, looking at the Tooth Fairy's pursuit of his next "victim" starting as something relatively benign and ending as nothing but.... it is all very gripping. If you like suspense, and good versus evil, and want to enjoy the ride, this is for you.
|
