Review of The Manchurian Candidate (2004) by R.j. L — 05 Oct 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 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.