"Manhunter" is the first “Hannibal the Cannibal” movie ever made. It covers the same material as "Red Dragon" and takes place prior to the events in "Silence of the Lambs." Many say it’s the best of all of the Thomas Harris novel-to-movie adaptations. While I disagree on that I do think that it’s worth checking out.

The premise of the story is exactly the same as the more widely released "Red Dragon." Someone is killing families in their homes. Will Graham is an FBI agent renowned for getting into the heads of killers and who gained notoriety by bringing down one of the most brilliant killers of the modern era, Hannibal “the cannibal.” (“Lektor” in "Manhunter," “Lecter” in the others). Jack Crawford wants Will’s help with this new case, and Will wants Lektor’s help. It’s a race against time to save the next family with Lektor diabolically hatching a revenge plot.

One reason I like this story is because the evil, sadistic killer, Dolarhyde, would not be given a love story in many other tales. A large part of the story deals with him falling for a woman and winning her over. Hey, psychotics need love, too, you know. Seriously, though the profound effect love has on this twisted mind speaks to basic needs in the worst and the best of us.

Where "Manhunter" really excels is exactly where "Red Dragon" falls the most short, scope of the story. This earlier movie is more focused. "Red Dragon," on the other hand, tries to tell three stories which in some ways is fine but in others feels too broad. It's a give and take, though. I enjoyed seeing the history of Lecter and Will in the other movie whereas "Manhunter" merely hints at their past together.

I like Will’s struggle with touching the minds of killers and feeling the responsibility to do so to save lives while being scared of it at the same time. I get the impression that if Will didn’t have the love of his family to ground him he would walk dangerously close to the edge of psychosis, and he knows it. Will is not scared of Hannibal, he’s scared of himself, and Hannibal knows that. I think "Manhunter" drives this home far better than "Red Dragon." Come to think of it, I think that was actually completely omitted from latter movie.

The purpose of all that Dolarhyde does in his acts of violence is another such point. "Red Dragon" does a decent job of explaining why he does what he does but doesn’t get across the big picture very well. Why is he doing any of it at all? I don’t mean that his grandmother threatened to cut off his manhood when he wet the bed, that may have birthed his psychosis ("Manhunter" doesn’t touch on that kind of thing, by the way), but I’m talking about his justifications, what he hopes to achieve by taking life. He's “becoming;” okay, we got that. What does that mean? I don't know that Ratner (director of "Red Dragon") ever understood the significance of that. It certainly doesn’t show through in his movie. Meanwhile, "Manhunter" really nails this point and makes it one of the most gripping moments of any of the Hannibal movies. 

Unfortunately, "Manhunter" falls short in other areas. The sound design is less than impressive, and the synthesized score sometimes makes it feel painfully dated and low budget. The editing, particularly in the action finale, is really jumpy. The song selections aren’t bad but further date the movie in a way that I would say is a negative. Better sound and an orchestral score might well have taken the movie to the next level.

Acting is good. I’m so used to seeing William Peterson as Grissom in "CSI" that it was a little weird seeing this younger, leaner version. I guess the big question is whether or not Brian Cox is a better Hannibal than Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins will always be Hannibal to me, but Cox does a fantastic job. I’m not one of those that thinks because one of them did a good job it invalidates the performance of the other. What’s important is that "Manhunter’s" plot is strengthen by the performances given. Generally the performances here are a strength.

Even so, the pace is too slow at times, and the ending could stand to hit home more with its emotion. It's not as pretty as a larger budget production though it makes up for it by handling the story well in most ways.

How does "Manhunter" stack up against the other movies? I still think "Silence of the Lambs" is the best of the lot and "Hannibal Rising" is the worst. That leaves the others in the middle. "Manhunter" doesn’t have the production quality of "Red Dragon," but it has stronger plot elements so if you are trying to choose one version of the story that should be a decision consideration.

While I enjoy this movie I don’t know that it deserves to be called the best serial killer movie ever made as some like to label it. It certainly has its strong points, but also weaknesses. If you liked any of the Thomas Harris Hannibal movies you should check out "Manhunter" if the dated aspects aren't likely to bother you.