The Manchurian Candidate
Cast
N/A
Rater #1
Has Not Seen Movie.
Rater #2
7/10. 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.
Running time: ? minutes
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