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The Manchurian Candidate (2004): 7/10

Poster (c) Paramount Pictures

Unlike what most people say, remakes are not always unwelcome. Although some of them are completely uncalled for (like Jonathan Demme's remake of Charade called The Truth About Charlie), some are unnecessary but worthy (like Demme's The Manchurian Candidate). The 1962 version of The Manchurian Candidate starred Frank Sinatra as a veteran of the Korean war who believes that he and his squadron have been brainwashed for political purposes. This 2004 update stars Denzel Washington as Sinatra's character, but inserting the Gulf War in instead of the Korean. Instead of communists brainwashing them, it's a corporation (cinema's favorite whipping boy) set out to control the USA. Playing Angela Lansbury's chilling role is Meryl Streep, who (despite many people believing it to be a parody of Hilary Clinton) doesn't have as much screen time as Lansbury did, and ends up not having enough time to make the impact that the character had in the first.

I'm going to try to keep comparisions to the original to a bare minimum here. I'll just this one solely on itself. Although it doesn't have the dramatic impact of the first (can't even get through a sentence without a comparision!), the new one still was entertaining, although it wasn't chilling at all. The classic scene (which most people know about) in the first (there I go again!) is nowhere represented here. Instead, it's just briefly shown in flashbacks, and with nowhere near the impact and the awe. But that doesn't mean that the movie wasn't entertaining. It's a bit slow, but I wanted to see how much it would change. It's changed all right, but to fit in with the modern times of today. It's not a travesty like most other remakes. It's pretty faithful (and even keeps in the throwaway character of Rosie) and works throughout.

It wasn't a heartpounding movie like the ads would have you say (or the original would have you believe), but it's an interesting movie to watch nonetheless. Demme redeems himself with an interesting directing style and not ruining a classic movie, like he did previously. Washington also redeems himself from Man on Fire with a different role, one that an actor of such caliber can do. He does his role subtlely yet brilliantly. Liev Schreiber, as the title character, does a great job, although I think Lawrence Harvey did a better job in the first. Same with Streep and Lansbury. Although Streep said she didn't watch the other film until she was done shooting, it's evident that she's basing her role off of Lansbury's.

So what did i just say in three long, incomprehensible paragraphs? Basically, I said that the original was better. I would recommend this remake of The Manchurian Candidate if you wish. It certainly is no classic, but it's entertaining and engaging, and what's wrong with that?

Rated R for violence and some language.

Review Date: July 31, 2004