Manhunter
|
List Price: Our Price: $7.17 You Save: $7.81 (52%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $5.95 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Manhunter
Movie Review: Hunt this man down.
Summary: 5 Stars
Quietly forgotten in the whirlwind hype surrounding the more mainstream versions of Thomas Harris' character Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs, etc) - this severely under appreciated gem juggles elegance and style, character development and excellent plotting to conjure up the most satisfying of all the Lecter adaptations to date.
Release in 1986 to middling reviews, director Michael Mann's third feature (following on from his TV success with 'Miami Vice' and big screen endeavors 'The Keep' and 'Thief') is a triumph of both style and substance. Shot with a mid 80s gloss, Mann transfers Harris' novel to the big screen with panache and manages to wring many a scare out of the source material. The movie stars William L. Peterson as Will Graham, an ex-FBI agent who is forced out of retirement to track down a serial killer, suitably named 'The Tooth Fairy' (played beautifully by Tom Noonan). His only hope is to seek council with a killer he successfully captured years before . . . Hannibal Lecter (here spelt 'Lektor'). This sets in motion a chain of events that will lead Graham to question his own talents and sanity all the way up to a dynamite climax in which graham comes face to face with The Tooth Fairy himself.
Peterson is well cast as Graham. Brooding and awkward, yet heroic in equal measure - he fills the screen whenever he is in shot. His performance totally eclipses Edward Norton's interpretation of the character in Brett Ratners' pointless remake 'Red Dragon'. Dennis Farina essays the role of Jack Crawford, and although I prefer Scott Glen in 'Silence', he too is excellent in the part. His and Peterson's exchanges in the movie give it its intensity and power the movie along. As always, Mann directs with style to spare and (for me, anyway) gives his best movie - even bettering the mid 90s star fest 'Heat'. Brian Cox essays the role of Lektor this time around, and although not as entertaining as Anthony Hopkins interpretation, he does a sterling job and keeps the character in check with a subtle nuance.
The score too is excellent - granted, very mid 80s, but Mann's choices of music to accompany the visuals is inspired and really lifts the imagery. Talking of imagery, Dante Spinotti's cinematography is excellent and really alternates the picture between high gloss slick drama to gritty, urban thriller. The police procedural elements are very well handled and the sense of urgency that is highlighted give the movie its heart and the lighting and style echo each and every beat of the story. All in all, an impressive film that deserves to be seen.
The DVD too is impressive. With an excellent high calibre transfer and short documentaries to unravel the behind the scenes story. All in all, a worthy DVD of an excellent movie. Recommended.
Movie Review: The original and best version FINALLY on DVD!
Summary: 5 Stars
Now we finally have the DVD release of the proper version of this film. In recent years we've seen two DVD releases containing a total of 3 different cuts of this film. But none of them contained the original theatrical version (the one released on VHS and laserdisc oh so many years ago).
This one, the MGM release, is the "definitive version" that most of the fans have been screaming for for a long time. I can't believe it took this long.
I was delighted when the other versions were released on DVD because they had some bonus goodies included with them, but my delight faded as soon as I discovered the film was cut differently from the version I had seen so many times on VHS and Laserdisc and had grown to love. The other DVD versions are missing parts of scenes, have alternate versions of some scenes, are missing dialogue, and have added scenes that interrupt the flow of the movie. At least one of the other versions includes a coda at the end where William Peterson's character pays a visit to the family that would have been the Tooth Fairy's next victims. Being so familiar with the original theatrical cut, I found that coda to be unnecessary and and even a bit clunky.
This new MGM release has no bonus features at all. And you know what? I don't care. I didn't buy it for the bonus goodies, I bought it for the FILM!
And with all due respect to Sir Anthony Hopkins and his take on the Hannibal Lector character (which grew more over-the-top with each sequel/rehash), Brian Cox's portrayal of Lector is shrewder and more believable. His Hannibal is far more understated than Hopkins', and it works better for the character and the film. Hopkins' portrayal seems "too Hollywood" by comparison. But as another reviewer so rightly pointed out, "Manhunter" is a crime drama and "Silence of the Lambs" is closer to being a horror film. Brian Cox's Hannibal wouldn't be as effective in "Lambs" and Hopkins' Hannibal would be FAR too much in "Manhunter". So I guess it really is like comparing apples and oranges.
But you don't have to choose one over the other. You really should like them both. "Manhunter" is gritty, "Lambs" is eerie.
But you need to have one definitive version of "Manhunter" to hold up high and cherish, and this version is it.
Movie Review: The best film with Hannibal in it
Summary: 5 Stars
MANHUNTER (1986) is one of Michael Mann's best films, which is saying a lot. Unique, stylish, provocative, sly, shocking, and superbly acted, this is the best film which contains the character of Hannibal Lecktor (as it is spelled in this film). It boasts three Oscar caliber performances (William Petersen, Tom Noonan, Brian Cox). Petersen is brilliant as retired FBI profiler Will Graham, brought out of retirement by his former boss Jack Crawford (well played by Dennis Farina) to capture a serial killer that goes by the moniker "Tooth Fairy" targeting families. Graham has the uncanny ability of getting inside the mind of his prey.
Tom Noonan plays the "Tooth Fairy" (real name Francis Dollarhyde) and this is one of the best portrayals of a sociopath ever put to film. Crawford visits imprisoned serial killer Lecktor (played with empty cold-bloodedness by Brian Cox) with hopes of gathering information that will help capture Dollarhyde.
MANHUNTER is as much a police procedural as it is a suspense thriller. There are many nifty details on the research and work that goes into actually catching a killer and bringing him to justice. Mann created the popular 80s TV show "Miami Vice" and you can see a lot the stylish look of that show in MANHUNTER, but MANHUNTER is 1000 times deeper than the deepest story you can come up with from that show! The excellent supporting cast includes Kim Greist (as Graham's wife), Stephen Lang (as sleazy tabloid reporter Freddie Lounds), and Joan Allen (alluring and sensual as Reba, a blind associate of Dollarhyde's and the object of his desire).
I recommend the 1-disc edition of the dvd, which has great quality considering the difficulty in obtaining a good one of this film for years. Probably the best you can do for now until some major re-mastering is done. This film deserves it!
Movie Review: The Original Profiler: Petersen before C.S.I.
Summary: 5 Stars
MANHUNTER was the first movie to feature the now ubiquitous "profiler,"
an agent who uses psychology and empathy with his target to pursue him.
This film, based on the equally original novel RED DRAGON by Thomas
Harris, is stylish and effective. Its luster may have been diminished
by the many subsequent efforts in the same area (I won't say imitators),
but it is still worthwhile for its "Miami Vice" style direction and
music(Michael Mann directs), its taut police procedural scenes, a chilling
"key revelation" scene, and star-making performances by Tom Noonan, Joan
Allen, William Petersen, and especially Brian Cox as the original
Hannibal Lector.
Note: There are two earlier widescreen DVD releases of this film, each
with extra features. One is a "director's cut" special edition, which
has received mixed reviews. I didn't think it was an improvement over
the original. Both editions appear to be out of print, but there are
many "New & Used" sellers on Amazon. I would recommend the "flashlight
cover" version over this one, which appears to have no extra features
at all.
Movie Review: Manhunter
Summary: 5 Stars
I think this is a far more superior movie than the remake "The Red Dragon" Mr. Cox's portrayal of Hannibal Lector is more believable than that of Mr Hopkins'. Mr Cox portrays Lector as someone coldly intellectual, almost inhuman. Remakes with their overdone murderers can get quite boring. I loved the Michael Mann music and William Peterson was perfect. This is a must see... Watch both in the same day and you will agree.