Alyson Renaldo, Anthony Mackie, David Keeley
A psychological thriller in which a career soldier, Army Major Bennett Marco, grows suspicious about his experiences in Desert Storm after Squad Sergeant Raymond Shaw, son of the powerful Senator Elea...( read more
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DVD Release Date: December 21, 2004
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Stats: 2,622 reviews
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Flixster Reviews (2,622)
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December 17, 2008Somewhat wonky updating of the classic thriller. Expected better of Demme. Script should have strayed further from original if it really wanted to have a leg to stand on.
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July 11, 2008I think that this film is one of the most devastating political films I've ever seen. And Washington gives a five-star performance.
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July 3, 2008I just didn't get into this that much and there weren't any really good parts at all.
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November 20, 2009Muy buen refrito de esta clasica historia. No andan muy lejos de la verdad...
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November 9, 2009I quite enjoyed this really. I like Denzel Washington. I thought Meryl Streep played an excellent character too. An good story line. Especially based on todays current climate.
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October 24, 2009not as good or as interesting as its predecessor. an average film for Demme's abilities.
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October 9, 2009As an avid lover of the original 1962 version of The Manchurian Candidate starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Angela Lansbury I was very, very hesitant to see this But I'm proud to say I was proven wrong, this remake and Adaption of the popular cold war novel is nothing...( read more)
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September 26, 2009I Felt Intigued after the First scene, and Was blown away after that. This film excceled in every category! The acting was pin-point perfect. the direction was superb. the story was thought provoking, and the visuals were mind-bending.
The Originality was so good, it was not as...( read more)
Critic Reviews
May 4, 2005
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness
August 7, 2004
David Edelstein, Slate
Beautifully made and unsurpassingly creepy, it's the rare remake with something contemporary to add. full review
July 30, 2004
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com
A picture that purports to have a galvanizing, liberal-minded theme (big business is taking over our country and our lives) but is really just ploddingly pedestrian. full review
July 30, 2004
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
While Demme's Manchurian Candidate may be unnecessary, it's a worthy homage to the original; lacking the first film's spark but containing smarts of its own. full review
July 30, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Demme has taken a story we thought we knew and, while making its outlines mostly recognizable, rotated it into another dimension of conspiracy. full review
July 30, 2004
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Packed with strong performances and a literate script, it is rich in resonances torn from the headlines. full review
July 29, 2004
A.O. Scott, The New York Times
Jonathan Demme, updating John Frankenheimer's classic exercise in cold war liberal paranoia, has made a witty, anxious thriller for a new age of political uncertainty. full review
July 28, 2004
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
It's a mesmerizing mind-teaser that finds its own way into the material, adapted from Richard Condon's 1959 novel. full review
Comments
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April 7, 2008I liked this one better than the original, for a few reasons: one, Frank Sinatra isn't all that good an actor. Two, I thought the substitution of a corporate giant for communism was an intriguing choice, and it worked very well. Three, it didn't feature any disparaging Asian stereotype characters or mustache-twirling bad guys. Four, I thought it made more sense that Ben Marco wouldn't be taken seriously by the authorities and his superiors, and would be instead regarded as shell-shocked (but hey, maybe that's just the cynical post-Vietnam government mistrust-er in me). Five, Janet Leigh's character served NO PURPOSE in the original movie, save as an expositional tool. NONE. I do not tolerate such sloppy writing. Finally, I just like Liev Schrieber. The guy's unappreciated, but he's a great actor.
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