Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Manhunter Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 1, 2011

Michael Mann's "Manhunter" (1986) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The disc contains the Theatrical Version and Director's Cut of the film; original theatrical trailer; audio commentary by director Michael Mann; featurette; and video interview with cinematographer Dante Spinotti. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Help us, Will...

Retired FBI profiler Will Graham (William Petersen, Fear, To Live and Die in L.A.) is asked by his former boss Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina, The Mod Squad, Snatch) to assist with a case that has everyone puzzled and frustrated. His task would be to study and profile the elusive Tooth Fairy (Tom Noonan, Heat, Synecdoche, New York), a brutal serial killer who kills only during full moon nights.

Ignoring his wife’s (Kim Greist) protests, Graham begins researching the case. Soon, however, he concludes that the Tooth Fairy will be impossible to profile without external help - which is why he decides to approach an old foe, Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox, Hidden Agenda, Rob Roy), who is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison thanks to him. Like Graham, Dr. Lecktor is a brilliant profiler who understands how a man can become a monster, and how the mind of a monster functions.

Dr. Lecktor immediately shows interest in the case but also begins manipulating Graham, who is running out of time as the next full moon night is just around the corner. Eventually he gives Graham a helpful tip about the Tooth Fairy's modus operandi, but also secretly informs him that the FBI’s best profiler is after him.

Meanwhile, the Tooth Fairy befriends a lonely blind woman (Joan Allen, In Country, Searching for Bobby Fischer) and then slowly becomes emotionally attached to her. However, he views their relationship as a serious and ultimately unneeded distraction affecting the quality of his work.

Based on the bestselling novel by Thomas Harris, Michael Mann’s Manhunter is a stylish thriller with distinctive 80s flavor. It was produced by the legendary Dino De Laurentis, who also produced such important classic films as Giuseppe De Santis’ Riso Amaro, Federico Fellini’s La Strada, and Sergei Bondarchuk’s Waterloo.

Though the narrative features a number of genuinely surprising twists, the film’s greatest strength is the characterization. Despite their unusual abilities and obsessions, the three key characters - Graham, Dr. Lecktor, and the Tooth Fairy - are incredibly believable and multidimensional figures. Naturally, the string of dramatic events they become a part of never look far-fetched or kitschy.

The tension in the film is built primarily through verbal descriptions of the killings (and particularly through Graham’s monologues). Even when the identity of the killer is eventually revealed, the focus of attention is on his relationship with the blind woman, not on his horrific actions. The worst is left to the viewer’s imagination.

Clever visual imagery - colors and shadows are carefully selected and used to enhance the dramatic events - gives the film a chic retro style that effectively puts to shame a lot of similarly themed contemporary films using the latest CGI effects. The film is also complimented by an excellent psychedelic soundtrack featuring tunes by such legendary underground acts as Shriekback (responsible for two of the best tunes in the film, the superb "Coelocanth" and "Evaporation"), The Prime Movers, Mike Rutherford’s (Genesis, Mike & The Mechanics) Red 7, and The Reds.

Note: The Blu-ray disc contains the Theatrical Version and Director’s Cut of Manhunter, the former running at approximately 121 minutes, the latter running at approximately 120 minutes (PAL). Only the Theatrical Version of the film is in 1080p.

Manhunter Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, Michael Mann's Manhunter arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.

Careful noise corrections have been applied but fine detail and textures remain strong. In fact, the noise corrections have removed primarily the majority of the pulsating noise that is visible on the Region-A release, while grain remains visible throughout the entire film. In motion, the two releases look very similar, conveying comparable depth and fluidity. I have tried to match two screencaptures so that you could see that massive amounts of detail are not eliminated and that the image does not look soft - take a look at screencaptures #1 and 6 and compare them with screencaptures #4 and 8 from our review of The Hannibal Lecter Collection. Contrast levels are also convincing and comparable to those of the Region-A release. I also did not see any major discrepancies in the color-scheme - as intended, the colors are never lush and saturated, with blacks in particular looking quite soft. There are traces of mild sharpening as well (see the various briefing scenes), but none of them are overly distracting. Large artifacts and serious aliasing patterns do not plague the presentation. Finally, there are no serious stability issues to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Manhunter Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I prefer to watch Manhunter with the English LPCM 2.0 track as I believe that it is more appropriate for its stylish psychedelic soundtrack. I like better the front-heavy sound and the rapidly shifting dynamics, which are somewhat lost with the better balanced DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. In other words, I like the slightly more uneven sound of the English LPCM 2.0 because I feel that it blends better with the chic retro imagery. For the record, the dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and very easy to follow. I also did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, hissings, or audio dropouts to report in this review.

Manhunter Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Manhunter. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, PAL).

• Inside Manhunter - an excellent featurette in which various cast members recall their contribution to Michael Mann's Manhunter. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, PAL).

• The Manhunter's Look - cinematographer Dante Spinotti discusses the unique framing, lighting and use of color seen in Manhunter. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, PAL).

• Director's Cut - the director's cut of Manhunter. In English, not subtitled. (120 min, PAL).

• Director's Cut With Audio Commentary - the director's cut of Manhunter with an audio commentary by director Michael Mann.

Manhunter Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Optimum Home Entertainment have put together a good package for Michael Mann's cult thriller Manhunter. I personally prefer the look of the Region-A release, but having compared both, I can assure you that they look more or less identical. Pick whichever release you like better and more importantly are equipped to play. RECOMMENDED.