Oct 091986
 
two reels

FBI agent Will Graham (William Petersen) tracks a serial killer with the help of the insights from the dangerous psychopath, Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox).

Quick Review: Novelist Thomas Harris wrote essentially the same story twice. In both Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs, a brilliant but flawed FBI agent must find an insane killer. The crimes are so extreme that all methods must be used, no matter how bizarre, so the FBI agent goes to the brilliant Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecktor who is locked away for life (my spelling of “Lecktor” is correct; it was changed to Lecter for the later films). In order to get his help, the agent must share part of his life with Lecktor, who is manipulating everyone around him. Manhunter, a version of Red Dragon, does an adequate job of putting the story on the screen. Petersen, now best know for the TV series CSI, appears properly troubled, and Cox is acceptable as a brilliant nut-job. But how many times do you need to see this story? Once really is enough. Twice if you’re obsessive. But not three times, and the other two (The Silence of the Lambs—1991, Red Dragon—2002) are better.

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