Plot: What’s it about?
The Tooth Fairy has started a trail of brutal murders, which doesn’t seem to have an end in sight. But not The Tooth Fairy of legend by any means, this is a vicious serial killer who earned that nickname, thanks to his tradition of leaving bites taken out of his victims. The agents working the case have no real leads, but they do know the killer works on a lunar cycle and unless they solve it soon, time may run out on their chances. So Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina) turns to former agent Will Graham (William Petersen), who tracked down the most elusive serial killer of all time, Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox). But his experiences with Lecktor have left him in poor mental health, which makes the return to duty even harder. But in order to stop this madman, Graham agrees to handle the case and as his first matter of business, he visits Lecktor to ask for his assistance. As usual, Lecktor tries to enter into Graham’s mind and in his current state, Graham will have to hold strong to make it out without even more damage. Can Graham attain the needed information from Lecktor in time to end the killer’s rampage, or will Lecktor have his revenge on Graham after all?
I love The Silence of The Lambs and think it is the superior of these two films, but I think that is due to the performances, which overshadow the ones found here. Manhunter has the edge on most counts, but with Hopkins and Foster in such fine form, the final nod goes to The Silence of The Lambs. But this is still a powerful and effective motion picture, with solid performances and a very eerie atmosphere. Some aspects seem a little dated, but on the whole, Manhunter holds up well and still packs a lot of punch. From the excellent musical soundtrack to the offbeat photography to Mann’s stylish direction, all the pieces together very well here. I’ve always been a fan of serial killer movies and with so many bad ones out there, it is terrific to have one of the finest genre examples around. This new version from MGM offers us a pan & scan transfer with almost no extras, so fans can pass on this one.
I like Anthony Hopkins and his turn as Hannibal Lecter, but I also have an appreciation for Brian Cox and his work here. Hopkins takes a much more powerful stance with the role, while Cox plays it with an overly calm and rational angle, both of which work out well. I won’t choose a better from the two, as both men approach the role from different sides, so to compare them would be like comparing apples and oranges. Cox is very good here though, even with limited screen time he is able to make a lasting impression on the viewers. He might not be a high profile performer, but once again, Cox proves he is a formidable actor. Other films with Cox include For Love of The Game, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Minus Man, Chain Reaction, and Rushmore. The rest of the cast is also impressive and includes Joan Allen (Pleasantville, The Contender), Dennis Farina (Saving Private Ryan, Snatch), Kim Greist (Houseguest, Brazil), Tom Noonan (Last Action Hero, Easy Money), and William L. Petersen (The Skulls, Fear). At the helm of Manhunter is Michael Mann, who also directed such pictures as The Last of The Mohicans, Heat, The Insider, Thief, and The Keep.
Video: How does it look?
Manhunter is presented in full frame, which means we have a pan & scan version of a 2.35:1 image. Of course, this will mean fans will bypass this release, since great looking widescreen versions are available. I have no idea why MGM would issue a full frame transfer at this point, but whatever the cause, it renders this disc dead on arrival.
Audio: How does it sound?
The sound is better than the video, thanks to a Dolby Digital 5.1 track that is used here, which provides a rich and effective atmosphere for the picture. As you can imagine, this film relies more on subtle audio, for suspense reasons and not powerful audio, so I am pleased this mix is full, but never forced. The surrounds are used more than I expected, but it all seems very natural and in the end, I found this to be a very immersive mix, as you feel drawn into the picture. The musical score is fantastic here and in this mix, it comes off as very rich and expansive, much better than I expected. As far as dialogue, the vocals sound clean and crisp here, even though the volume levels do get low at times, but this is intentional and not a flaw in this track. I am impressed here, as this mix is much more active than I figured and enhances the mood a lot. This disc also includes French and Spanish language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
