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  read more... )nor Shaw, becomes a candidate for Vice President.

Flixster Users

61% liked it

57,449 ratings

Critics

82% liked it

195 critics

R, 2 hrs. 10 min.

Directed by: Jonathan Demme

Release Date: July 30, 2004

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: December 21, 2004

Get It:

Stats: 2,622 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating

Flixster Reviews (2,622)


  • September 24, 2009
    It's ok but it's not as good as the original!
  • December 17, 2008
    Somewhat 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.
  • November 16, 2008
    Intriguing
  • July 11, 2008
    I think that this film is one of the most devastating political films I've ever seen. And Washington gives a five-star performance.
  • July 3, 2008
    I just didn't get into this that much and there weren't any really good parts at all.
  • November 20, 2009
    Muy buen refrito de esta clasica historia. No andan muy lejos de la verdad...
  • November 9, 2009
    I 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.
  • October 24, 2009
    not as good or as interesting as its predecessor. an average film for Demme's abilities.
  • October 9, 2009
    As 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) short of breath taking and brilliant.



    This 2004 reboot staring Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep and Jon Voight is much more chilling and paranoiac than the '62 version, it pulls absolutely no punches in giving the meaning paranoid suspicions a whole new out look. This film plays on your emotion' s and your thoughts sort of like someone sticking a wire into your ear and poking your brain over and over again. It's like a monkey you've got on your back that you just can't shake. It's diabolical as it is malicious and it moves along like a evil little spider across the screen. Trying to draw you in and take you to a realm of chaos, paranoia, madness and depravity.



    Denzel Washington turns in a fine performance as Major Ben Marco and Liev Schreiber does just as well If not better as Raymond Prentiss Shaw, Meryl Streep is a little lacking in the conviction and emotion department and her performance was sort of annoying as the overly patriotic and narcissistic mother of Ray Shaw. Jon Voight does relatively well in the few scenes he's in, but it's nothing oscar worthy or amazing, but he is good none the less. All in all the cast holds up very well and makes this a very watchable and exceedingly good movie.



    The Manchurian Candidate is something of a revelation in movies, It's like your conscious warning you that not everything in life is what it seems. And that people, people you trust with your life or people you know can be manipulated into mind puppets and use for a corrupt and evil system. The moral undertones of this movie were astounding and eye opening, It brings to light whether or not who can be trusted? Or for that matter if where you are right now is even safe? It's a very good political thriller that moves along at a relatively good pace , it's story flows off the screen and embeds itself into your mind like a micro processor that keeps feeding you your worst nightmares over and over and over again until it drives you mad. The Manchurian Candidate is that film, and though it is not the original it does live up to it's reputation well. And on some levels even surpasses it. All in all The Manchurian Candidate is one wild and thought provoking ride you don't want to miss.
  • September 26, 2009
    I 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) close to the original as you'd think.
    Demme as created a masterpiec of Suspense-and Drama. "Four out of Four" Stars.Highly and Strongly Reccomended.

Critic Reviews


May 4, 2005
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

An exhilarating, if politically wishy-washy, modern-day reimagining of Frankenheimer's gem. full review

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

View more The Manchurian Candidate reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • EbertsLittleApprentice
    September 25, 2009
    Hey you tell them dude! I'm adding your crazy ass!
  • itbegins2005
    April 7, 2008
    I 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.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • The Bourne Identity
    The Bourne Identity (62%)
  • Deja Vu
    Deja Vu (67%)
  • The Men Who Stare at Goats
    The Men Who Stare at Goats (100%)
  • The Jackal
    The Jackal (50%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

The Manchurian Ca... : Watch Free on TV


The Manchurian Candidate Trivia


  • At the beginning of the movie Domino, what '62 Sinatra flick is Domino watching?  Answer »
  • What movie does this quote come from: "There are two kinds of people in this world: Those that enter a room and turn the television set on, and those that enter a room and turn the television set off."   Answer »
  • The tagline: "Everything is under control."  Answer »
  • "Raymond, why don't you pass the time by playing a little solitaire?" is a quote from...  Answer »

Video Clips


No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin


No skins yet. Interested in creating one?