Rating: R
Length: 121 minutes

Widescreen 2.35:1 Color (Anamorphic)

ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 2.0

English

This was the very first movie based on the book "Red Dragon". A man has apparently chosen two families to murder out of random in two different cities. Will Graham is asked to come out of retirement to help solve the case. He goes and visits Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (Cox) in prison to see if he can help; Lecktor almost killed the agent in his previous case that led to his quitting the FBI.

This film has a very strong cast and story. Brian Cox plays Hannibal in a much different fashion than Anthony Hopkins; he's definitely more evil. The movie differs from the remake "Red Dragon" in only two significant ways; you are not shown the scene where Hannibal injures the agent and the ending has been altered. The first difference is really insignificant and the ending for this film is better.

If, like me, you saw the remake first there really isn't anything new. Being a large fan of Ed Norton, I preferred his portrayal of Will Graham. But, that is made up when Brian Cox took Hannibal to a whole different place which made the film even eerier than the remake.

• "The Manhunter Look" Featurette, A Conversation with Cinematographer Dante Spinotti
• "Inside Manhunter" Featurette, with Stars William Petersen, Joan Allen, Brian Cox and Tom Noonan
• Talent Bios
• Theatrical Trailer

If I have time to watch just one of the films based on the book "Red Dragon", I'll watch this version. It is a little dated as far as video quality and sound but the story is told better in just about the same amount of running time.

Michael Mann   [Collateral, Heat, The Insider, The Last of the Mohicans, Miami Vice]

Joan Allen - Reba McClane

[The Bourne Supremacy, Face/Off, The Mists of Avalon, Nixon]

Dan Butler - Jimmy Price

[The Silence of the Lambs, Sniper 2]

Patricia Charbonneau - Mrs. Sherman

Brian Cox - Dr. Hannibal Lecktor

[25th Hour, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, Braveheart, Hitler in Colour, Nuremberg, The Ring, Troy, X2: X-Men United, Zodiac]

Dennis Farina - Jack Crawford

[Get Shorty, Saving Private Ryan, Snatch, You Kill Me]

Kim Greist - Molly Graham

[Brazil]

Benjamin Hendrickson - Dr. Frederick Chilton

Stephen Lang - Freddy Lounds

[Gettysburg, Gods and Generals, Tombstone]

Robin Moseley - Sarah

Tom Noonan - Francis Dolarhyde

[The Astronaut's Wife, Heat, RoboCop 2]

Paul Perri - Dr. Sidney Bloom

[Chaos}

William L. Petersen - Will Graham

David Seaman - Kevin Graham

Michele Shay - Beverly Katz

Michael Talbott - Geehan

[Carrie, First Blood]