At the very worst an intriguing misfire, and often much better than that.
Manhunter (1986)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:33
Fresh:31
Rotten:2
Average Rating:7.7/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
US Box Office: $0
Synopsis: Retired FBI agent Will Graham (William L. Petersen) returns to action to hunt down a serial killer by using his ability to get inside the psychopath's mind. However, it was this ability that drove... Retired FBI agent Will Graham (William L. Petersen) returns to action to hunt down a serial killer by using his ability to get inside the psychopath's mind. However, it was this ability that drove him into retirement in the first place. The process of tracking and capturing the infamous Hannibal Lecter (Brian Cox) took a tremendous psychic toll on Graham, causing him to spent time in a mental hospital. With another madman on the loose, Graham has no choice but to return to duty, though he knows that it might cost him his family and his sanity. To get the old mind-set back, Graham visits Hannibal Lecter in his high-security jail cell. However, the manipulative Lecter plays both sides and warns the new killer that Graham is on his trail, telling him to destroy Graham's family to protect himself. In order to save his own family, Graham must risk everything to once again enter into the mind of the criminally insane. With MANHUNTER, Mann raises the bar for serial killer films, imbuing his killer with an almost sympathetic quality while keeping him extremely menacing and clearly dangerous. Based on the Thomas Harris novel RED DRAGON, which serves as the prequel to THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, MANHUNTER is a masterpiece of gripping storytelling and psychological horror. [More]
Starring: William L. Petersen, Kim Greist, Brian Cox, Dennis Farina
Starring: William L. Petersen, Kim Greist, Brian Cox, Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang, Joan Allen, Tom Noonan, Brian Kelly, Chris Elliott, Frankie Faison
Director: Michael Mann
Director: Michael Mann
Screenwriter: Michael Mann
Producer: Dino De Laurentiis
Reviews for Manhunter
I'm intrigued by that stylistic envelope: simultaneously hypnotic and enervating, meditative and empty.
While Manhunter is absorbing and sometimes tense, it's unfortunate that Mann dedided to direct the film with the stylistic overkill of his Miami Vice.
The movie drives along with such intensity for much of the time that you can just let it work on your senses without worrying about whether it makes sense.
Unlike Hannibal, [Mann is] able to balance style and substance with a late-night hearse pace.
One of the worst movies ever made. How do people think this is effective? It's so schmaltzy and sloppy and careless. No tension, no terror, and Hannibal does not put his feet up!
Latest News for Manhunter
October 20, 2006:
Early Test Screener Digs the New "Hannibal" Flick
It's time once again for another installment of "Early & Enthusiastic Amateur Film Critic," a regular series of articles over at AICN. This time the test screening... More...
June 05, 2006:
Feel Like Spoiling the New "Lecter" Flick for Yourself?
Frankly I'd rather read a book about Scientology than a "test-screening preview review," but my job is to share the scoopage, so click right here if you'd like to read... More...
March 27, 2006:
Go "Behind the Mask" with a Young Lecter
Everyone's favorite psycopath is back, reports SKNR.net. On November 28th, author Thomas Harris is set to release "Behind the Mask," the next chapter in the life of... More...
February 23, 2006:
Trailer Bulletin: Miami Vice
Michael Mann was one of the creators of the very popular 80s cop series "Miami Vice," so when the inevitable time came to turn the show into a movie, there was only... More...
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