Manhunter (1986)

Great thriller
This is a highly entertaining, suspenseful, intelligent serial-killer movie. As you know, it's based on the Thomas Harris novel "Red Dragon", which was the "prequel" to "Silence of the Lambs".

The plot involves FBI agent Will Graham, excellently portrayed by Will Petersen, who attempts to catch a warped (aren't they all?) serial killer nicknamed "The Tooth Fairy". For help, he consults Hannibal Lecter, portrayed by Englishman Brian Cox, who is institutionalized. Eventually, of course, he figures out the clues left by the killer and meets up with him in a dramatic, thrilling end scene.

The cinematography and the images are beautiful. The music, while disturbing, is perfect for the film. Tom Noonan plays the "Tooth Fairy", and does a great job of portraying a psychotic killer. He even injects some humanity/sympathy into the role, making it all the more fascinating to watch. I did not find Hannibal Lecter "scary" or even creepy, for some reason. Interesting, of course, and a great foil for our hero.

Better than "Silence of the Lambs"? Not sure. But it is undoubtedly a great movie, with top-notch acting, a creepy psycho, a likeable hero, and a thrilling ending. My only complaint is that the "red dragon" symbol and its meaning to the killer was never fully explained (maybe it is in the book).

[3.5]--The forgotten movie that is taken on its own terms
Like many people who have seen "Silence of the Lambs," I didn't know of "Manhunter," the first in the series, and by far one of the best one. This film was not only far ahead of its time but also a fantastic bit film making (Michael Mann once again hits the spot) in every sense of the word. The plot is the now basic serial killer on the loose/ cop must stop him and save his next victim. However, there are some very original and brilliant inventions in this film that separates it from the rest.

William Petersen is the cop, Will Graham and brilliant he is at playing him. He plays his psychological torment smoothly but making it unnerving for us. Tom Nooman is quite brilliant and in that way I mean terrifying at `The Tooth Fairy', the killer of the story. (Be sure to note the "wings" of blood under his arms after he has been shot and killed. This is, apparently, as close as he will get to becoming the "Red Dragon" he believed he was metamorphasizing into.)
He's multi-layered and he makes you both hate and feel sorry for him. Brian Cox is Lector in this tale. I won't bother with comparisons between him and Hopkins, because they both play Lector differently. Full credit must go to Cox though, he doesn't need masks or camp one-liners to try and make him scary. He is scary, his eyes, the deceiving way he talks. This is acting, not prop work but Anthony is still Lector to me.

Sure, "Manhunter" has weaknesses. Graham's acting is sporadic. The scenes where he is getting riled up at the as-yet-unknown killer are a bit weak. ("You son of a b****! You wanted them to watch, didn't you?") Also, as much as I enjoy Mann, it's probably too stylized for its own good. This is properly Mann's first masterpiece. The opening scene pans down from a blue sky to Graham and Crawford sitting on a branch on the sand. Freeze frame that. It is a perfect composition. A Vettriano image. This respect for composition is echoed through the movie. There are so many opportunities here to see the visual, the lighting, the camera all coming together. Yes, it is a 1980's pic. It was made in the 1980's and is a tribute to the look and feel of the time. He directs the film with so much skill and style. If I could get anyone to film night's scenes, it would be Mann. His night scenes (The Insider, Last of the Mohicans, Heat) are fantastic to look at and this is no exception and we get a lot of it as the film is mostly filmed at night. The screenplay is a cracker (again by Mann) and the music is class as well. For those who haven't seen this film should and for those who had see this again please.

The tooth fairy strikes again!
This is the first of the Hannibal Lector series. The second which is a more known film, Silence of the Lambs, came out 5 years later. Manhunter introduces us to Dr. Lector through the FBI agent Will Graham. All we know is that Graham captured Dr. Lector and he is now in jail, but Graham still respects Dr. Lector's knowledge on forensic psychology and helps him to find another serial killer, "The Tooth Fairy". This serial killer prays on "happy families" and remains illusive. Will Graham is determined to capture him at any cost. Lector is played by Brian Cox. I have to admit that I like Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of the diabolical Lector better. "The Tooth Fairy" is played by Tom Noonan and is by far his best acting role and he should have received some award for it. He made the movie. This film is produced by Dino De Laurentiis, the same producer as all of the Lector series except, Silence of the Lambs. The story line was good, but the screen play adaptation could have been better, alot was lost. I still believe this first in the series is an excellent choice and explains Hannibal's character. This should be viewed before seeing Silence of the Lambs.