Everyone who knows this was a remake of one of the best spy thrillers ever made ... a movie that was in tune with the reality of the times. Where there were headline real threats almost daily and our nation's citizens felt on the edge of a possible new world war. That was the real deal. Tinseltown has always had a far left bias in its movies so it should not be a complete shock that the villains were completely reversed in this film. Ironically Putin was in power when this 'remake' was made. You can or can not draw your own conclusions if you saw the original. This remake was completely morphed into a right-wing conspiracy movie from its original communist/cold war very real roots. The remake was mediocre at best but the complete betrayal of its context from the original is unforgivable.

why do people think this is a good movie.. the soundtrack alone ruins it.. why the hell did they play so many crappy songs.. where did they even find that many crap songs.. the opening was garbage.. how many songs did they play in the first 5 minutes lol.. plot was undeveloped, characters underdeveloped.. this is not a good movie.. not to mention the doctor they leave it unresolved, and in such a crappy way. sad too there was a lot of good actors in this horrible movie

Tweaked and Tailored for Moderns, this is a Remake/Update from Director Jonathan Demme of the John Frankenheimer Original (1962), that is mostly considered a Masterpiece. Communism is Replaced with Corporatism and Brain and Body Implants are Added to the Mind Control Element.This one has a Great Cast and the Director's Flourishes are Viscerally Creepy. The Original got Inside Your Head and the Remake gets Inside Your Head and Body. Denzel Washington comes almost Unglued but manages to straddle the line between Dream and Reality and keep hold of the Character's Disabilities that keeps the Audience Centered and Attached to the Story.It was a Topical Political Thriller in 2004 and Viewed Today may seem Even More Insightful. It didn't go Deep Enough for some at the Time and went so Deep as to be Lost in the Abyss for others. You Decide, because it is a Divisive Film but Entertaining nonetheless. The Ending is a bit Confusing and Weak, but Overall the Movie is Worth a Watch for its Watchful Eye focusing on a Modern Political Landscape and a Thesis that has become even More Relevant in 2016.

The remake of The Manchurian Candidate is one of the few Denzel Washington films I've never seen. To be honest, the story just didn't interest me that much, but it started streaming this month, so I gave it a shot. As expected, it's a someone complex story, that at times was difficult to understand, however an all-star cast manages to pull it together at the end. The story begins in Iraq during the Gulf War, when a U.S. Army platoon goes missing for three days. Even they were unaware of what happened to them, until one of the men starts having nightmares, and bodies start turning up. Denzel Washington plays the commanding officer, who takes it upon himself to investigate the strange deaths of his men, almost a decade later. As always, Washington is at the top of his game, giving off that infectious intensity, that keeps you on the edge of your seat through every step of the investigation. Washington is paired with Liev Schreiber who is one guy that has always just rubbed me the wrong way. It's not that he's a bad actor, there is just something about him and the characters he plays that is inherently unlikeable. He wasn't bad in this film, but being a similarly intense actor, meant that the chemistry with Washington was almost non-existent. The story is complicated and in the beginning of the film, it's going to be somewhat hard to watch. As the film proceeds and the elements become more clear, the film gets easier to watch, and the ending really pulls everything together. The Manchurian Candidate is one of those films that you think is going to be a bust, some people may even turn it off, but those who stick with it will see that it just gets better and better until a surprise ending brings it all together. If I were the writer of this film, I would have made the beginning of the film more intense and less confusing. The truth is the most important parts of a film are the beginning and the end, and without a strong opening, a lot of people will be turned off to the film and have the wrong attitude throughout. If you manage to stick with it, The Manchurian Candidate is great, but it does take a while to get there.