The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

The Manchurian Candidate
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Medium level violence

Director: Jonathan Demme
Actors: Jon Voight, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Ted Levine, Liev Schreiber, Jeffrey Wright, Miguel Ferrer, Kimberly Elise, Anthony Mackie, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Bruno Ganz, Teddy Dunn, Dorian Missick, Pablo Schreiber, Tom Stechschulte

Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep, along with Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Liev Schreiber, mesmerise a whole new generation of audiences in Academy Award winner Jonathan Demme’s «The Manchurian Candidate.»

As the entire nation watches the presidential campaign hurtle towards Election Day, one soldier races to uncover the conspiracy behind it a conspiracy that seeks to destroy democracy itself.

U.S. Army Major Bennett Marco (Denzel Washington) can’t sleep at night ... and he doesn’t want to. Marco spends his days giving inspiring speeches about his platoon’s ambush in the Kuwaiti desert and the heroics of Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Live Schreiber), who won the Medal of Honor for saving Marco’s crew. But at night, Marco’s dreamlike memories of the desert turn sinister and terrifying. And Marco privately wonders whether the two soldiers who died in the firefight might have met darker fates than officially recorded and whether Shaw might not be the glorious hero that everyone thinks he is.

When Shaw takes the national stage as a surefire candidate for vice president under the thumb of his controversial mother, Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw (Meryl Streep) Marco is forced to act on his growing suspicions. With military officials questioning his sanity, and the net of security tightening around Shaw, Marco races to probe deeper into the unimaginable, shocking truth before the White House is won.

DVD
Status: Normal
Run time: 125mins
Origin: UNITED STATES
Aspect Ratio:

Member Reviews (55)

55 Member Reviews
Ben
says
A political conspiracy theory. Some confusing bits, with a few highly improbable bits here and there. Ending was a bit weird too. I thought Denzel Washington did a good job, but definitely not worth 129 minutes.
Posted Saturday, 12 November 2011 See my other reviews
Danuta
says
Thoroughly engrossing film. Great performances from Liev Schrieber, Denzel Washington and naturally Meryl Streep. She's amazing, they way she can become a character and make it so thoroughly believable is unbelievable! Adore her in any role. A great conspiracy movie, well crafted with interesting twists and turns. After seeing "Charlie Wilsons War" recently and noting what goes on in the background of American politics and elections and their funding; the script premise of the "Manchurian Candidate" is plausible even if it does seem far fetched. Power is King when it comes to world dominance.
Posted Thursday, 26 August 2010 See my other reviews
Steve L.
says
A reasonably good remake, which loses a bit of its edge in this more politically correct world by not off ending the conspirators in the original movie. Same premise though and an entertaining movie. Gets you thinking.
Posted Tuesday, 23 September 2008 See my other reviews
Ian R.
says
totally believable performances from stellar cast - makes me wonder about current President and his cerebral integrity
Posted Thursday, 29 November 2007 See my other reviews
Maria C.
says
Posted Sunday, 25 November 2007 See my other reviews
Nigel W.
says
A remake of a 'cult classic' that is successfully brought up to date. Unlike the original which was arguably a black comedy, the remake is more serious about its politics. Though the story is a trifle silly, it nevertheless holds your attention as a suspense drama.
Posted Wednesday, 21 November 2007 See my other reviews
Clive M.
says
Posted Tuesday, 20 November 2007 See my other reviews
Margaret H.
says
Good piece of entertainment
Posted Tuesday, 6 November 2007 See my other reviews
Jody S.
says
Posted Monday, 6 August 2007 See my other reviews
Matthew H.
says
Posted Tuesday, 10 April 2007 See my other reviews
Michael D.
says
Posted Saturday, 31 March 2007 See my other reviews
Jennifer B.
says
Posted Thursday, 8 February 2007 See my other reviews
Margaret H.
says
Chilling conspiracy drama - had me at the edge of my seat all the way!
Posted Thursday, 8 February 2007 See my other reviews
Judy H.
says
This movie didn't quite reach top gear but it was still interesting enough to watch until the end.
Posted Friday, 22 December 2006 See my other reviews
Peter S.
says
Far-fteched plot carried off by exceptional performances from Washington, Streep and Schreiber. More bad press for corporate America. Couldn't happen to a more deserving pack of psychopaths.
Posted Monday, 20 November 2006 See my other reviews
Ivan J.
says
Not as good as the first one with Frank Sinatra in it. Could be more dramatic.
Posted Wednesday, 25 October 2006 See my other reviews
Liz E.
says
Posted Monday, 9 October 2006 See my other reviews
Herbert R.
says
At first I thought this version wouldn't match the original, but boy was I wrong - it was much better!
Posted Wednesday, 23 August 2006 See my other reviews
Christopher W.
says
The main hesitation I would have about recommending this film is that it can be disturbing for sufferers of PTSD - flashbacks can trigger emotional distress
Posted Friday, 4 August 2006 See my other reviews
Patricia O.
says
Solid performances and a great plot
Posted Tuesday, 1 August 2006 See my other reviews
Jan R.
says
Posted Tuesday, 18 July 2006 See my other reviews
Mark T.
says
Great paranoid thriller - exciting entertainment for those who love a good conspiracy. Not in the league of Bourne Identity, not as fast paced or as stressfull, but still keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Posted Wednesday, 5 July 2006 See my other reviews
Bev M.
says
Posted Monday, 15 May 2006 See my other reviews
Anthony B.
says
Posted Tuesday, 9 May 2006 See my other reviews
Wayne F.
says
It had great potential but got a little too improbable and over the top(as many movies in this genre tend to be). But worth watching.
Posted Tuesday, 18 April 2006 See my other reviews
Wendy L.
says
Great cast with intrigue and suspense, keeps you enthralled.
Posted Wednesday, 15 March 2006 See my other reviews
Sarah R.
says
Posted Wednesday, 25 January 2006 See my other reviews
Alex V.
says
Posted Thursday, 5 January 2006 See my other reviews
Mary-Julia D.
says
Well acted and entertaining - more plausible if you're a conspiracy-theory enthusiast, but intriguing even if you're not.
Posted Friday, 2 December 2005 See my other reviews
Benjamin W.
says
great thriller, haven't seen the original but meryl streep is fabulous
Posted Wednesday, 16 November 2005 See my other reviews
Zoe R.
says
Well acted, interesting story. Not as much action as I thought it would be, much more of an intellectual film. Definitely worth a look.
Posted Tuesday, 8 November 2005 See my other reviews
Cathy B.
says
Posted Wednesday, 2 November 2005 See my other reviews
Roderick W.
says
Posted Thursday, 22 September 2005 See my other reviews
Jan M.
says
A brilliant movie that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.
Posted Monday, 29 August 2005 See my other reviews
Audrey C.
says
Posted Monday, 22 August 2005 See my other reviews
Verity Daly
says
Excellent
Posted Sunday, 3 July 2005 See my other reviews
Cynthia Palmer
says
Posted Wednesday, 29 June 2005 See my other reviews
Kelvin Aw-Yang
says
Not a bad remake of the original movie this one, with some clever twists included in the plot to keep it fresh and relevant to the current day. Great dramatic performances from Meryl and Denzel certainly helped to move the story along at a good pace and keep up excitement levels. It was good escapism - and an enjoyable watch.
Posted Wednesday, 15 June 2005 See my other reviews
Lee Edmundson
says
Excellent!! Good thriller, edge of the seat stuff! Great acting, story.
Posted Thursday, 9 June 2005 See my other reviews
Melissa
says
Posted Wednesday, 8 June 2005 See my other reviews
Christine Champion
says
Posted Tuesday, 7 June 2005 See my other reviews
Trevor Harrison
says
Posted Thursday, 2 June 2005 See my other reviews
Elaine Burgess
says
Posted Tuesday, 31 May 2005 See my other reviews
Dianne Ashton
says
I loved it!!!!
Posted Wednesday, 18 May 2005 See my other reviews
Carol Grigson
says
Posted Friday, 13 May 2005 See my other reviews
Chairman Reg
says
Hitchcock it ain't! Not even Denzil Washington's fine performance can save this paranoid Hollywood tosh from descending into caricature more befitting 'Miss Congeniality' or 'Rocky and Bullwinkle'. Meryl Streep is tediously over the top as the controlling mother and the bad guys are cartoon characters. The climax is at least a partial reward for sticking around. Melodramatic acting does not go unpunished - yay!. Bring a sense of humour and don't be afraid to go off and make a cuppa in the second half.
Posted Tuesday, 10 May 2005 See my other reviews
4th
says
After a while you start thinking you are watching a Michael Moore film when it the story starts spiralling in on itself but the web is quickly set to trap you.
Posted Wednesday, 4 May 2005 See my other reviews
Peter Lanzetti
says
Posted Monday, 2 May 2005 See my other reviews
Ben Adolph
says
This movie was fantastic
Posted Friday, 29 April 2005 See my other reviews
Paul Morgan
says
Hypnotic.
Posted Wednesday, 27 April 2005 See my other reviews
Grant Gray
says
Posted Wednesday, 20 April 2005 See my other reviews
Paul Daley
says
Posted Tuesday, 19 April 2005 See my other reviews
Peter Bedo
says
Lending to conspiracy theories and somewhat contrived in its trendily derived story line but entertaining nonetheless. Just a bit irritating at times with its attempts to visually represent the brainwashing endured by the soldiers.
Posted Tuesday, 19 April 2005 See my other reviews
Mussy
says
Posted Wednesday, 23 March 2005 See my other reviews
Katie Mcpherson
says
Posted Tuesday, 22 March 2005 See my other reviews