RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
RT's Blu-ray HQ
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / The Manchurian Candidate
The Manchurian Candidate

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
82 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:195

Fresh:159

Rotten:36

Average Rating:7.2/10

Consensus: While not the classic its predecessor is, this update is well-acted and conjures a chilling resonance.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for violence and some language

Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Jul 30, 2004 Wide

Box Office: $65,898,487

Synopsis: Jonathan Demme updates the original 1962 John Frankenheimer classic with plenty of new paranoid twists: This time a sinister Halliburton-style corporation is behind the brainwashing of a Gulf War... Jonathan Demme updates the original 1962 John Frankenheimer classic with plenty of new paranoid twists: This time a sinister Halliburton-style corporation is behind the brainwashing of a Gulf War hero turned vice presidential nominee, Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber). Shaw's old unit commander Ben Marco (Denzel Washington) recommended him for the National Medal of Honor, though he can't remember exactly why, and his recurring nightmares drive him to uncover a massive conspiracy. Sinister forces at work include shifty-eyed bodyguards, a love interest with questionable motives (Kimberly Elise), and Raymond's domineering senator mother (Meryl Streep). Demme infuses the proceedings with enough paranoia and uncomfortable close-ups to rival his 1991 Oscar-winner, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Layered sound, overlapping dialogue, and creepy cinematography by Tak Fujimoto (who also worked on LAMBS) further heighten the uneasiness. Demme regulars Roger Corman, Charles Napier, Paul Lazar, and Tracey Walter show up in bit parts as usual. Comedian Al Franken is a welcome face as a TV correspondent, and quirky indie rocker Robyn Hitchcock plays one of the brainwashing specialists. Needless to say, Denzel is superb. Streep is terrifying and hilarious as the maniacal Mrs. Shaw. As with the original (which focused on communist instead of terrorist fear-mongering), the events depicted here are doubly unsettling considering their uncanny resemblance to real-life politics at the time of this film's theatrical release. [More]

Starring: Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Jon Voight

Starring: Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Jon Voight, Kimberly Elise, Jeffrey Wright, Ted Levine

Director: Jonathan Demme

Director: Jonathan Demme
Screenwriter: George Axelrod, Daniel Pyne, Dean Georgaris
Producer: Scott Rudin, Jonathan Demme, Ilona Herzberg, Tina Sinatra
Composer: Rachel Portman, Wyclef Jean
Studio: Paramount Pictures

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • The Manchurian Candidate Trailer
    >
1 of 1

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Jul 21, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

Blu-ray Disc Features:

  • NTSC
  • Keep Case
  • Package Note: Blue BD Case
  • Full Frame - 1.33
  • Widescreen - 1.85

Audio:

  • Closed Captioned - English - Optional
  • Dolby Digital Surround Sound 5.1 - French, Spanish
  • Dolby Digital Surround Sound Plus - English
  • DTS 5.1 Surround Sound - English
  • Subtitles - English, French, Spanish - Optional

Additional Release Material:

  • Audio Commentary: Jonathan Demme - Director, Daniel Pyne - Screenwriter

Featurette:

  • 1. Behind the Scenes
  • 2. Deleted/Extended Scenes
  • 3. Outtakes
  • 4. "Liev Schreiber Screen Test: A Political Pundits Feature, with Director Commentary"
 
 
 
 

Reviews for The Manchurian Candidate

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
11/20/08
Gregory Freitas
Gregory Freitas
Hollywood.com

Demme's direction is as punctilious as it was in Silence of the Lambs, careful with details and craftsmanlike with storytelling -- although we do have to work a bit to stay on top of things.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

The original film worked also as delicious satire, where this wannabe cousin to Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 ignites unintentional laughs.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Mark Halverson
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review

...an above-average contemporary remake...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
04/26/08
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
12/27/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

Demme's filmmaking has lost none of its jazz.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
09/27/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

With an inchoate admonition implanted in its aggrieved, post-modern heart, Demme's Manchurian Candidate is blippy and fractured and smeared with color.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
09/09/07
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The movie is playing with ideas, and they're important enough to bear thinking about now. What it's playing on are our fears. And they're real enough, and worth addressing.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
09/27/06
Ron Reed
Ron Reed
Christianity Today

This humorless and nonsensical so-called thriller--a total misread of Frankenheimer's classic original--never quite engages...

Full Review Source: Perihelion Journal | comment Comment
08/27/06
Jay Antani
Jay Antani
Perihelion Journal

Happily, this extremely timely entertainment matches, even perhaps surpasses its predecessor.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

Impressively accomplished and highly entertaining, with sufficiently smart new twists to keep you guessing all the way to the nerve-wracking climax.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Angie Errigo
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine

A superb piece of filmmaking by directing icon Jonathan Demme that surpasses the John Frankenheimer original in ways I didn't think possible.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
01/11/06
Oz
Oz
eFilmCritic.com

What is surprising is how fresh Demme’s version is and how close it approaches the original in terms of quality.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Pete Vonder Haar
Pete Vonder Haar
Film Threat

the ending is mother of all disappointments

Full Review Source: Draxblog Movie Reviews | comment Comment
08/12/05
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
Draxblog Movie Reviews

This is a good old-fashioned thriller, nothing less, and nothing more.

Full Review Source: FromTheBalcony | comment Comment
06/21/05
Bill Clark
Bill Clark
FromTheBalcony

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

Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | comment Comment
05/04/05
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness

No review available.

comment Comment
04/02/05
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons

Jonathan Demme's inventive update of The Manchurian Candidate proves that you can remake classic movies -- provided you've got a strong captain at the helm.

Full Review Source: NYC Film Critic | comment Comment
03/05/05
Ethan Alter
Ethan Alter
NYC Film Critic

Inégal, mais efficace.

Full Review Source: Panorama | comment Comment
02/25/05
Louis-Jérôme Cloutier
Louis-Jérôme Cloutier
Panorama
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
all

Latest News for The Manchurian Candidate

November 21, 2006: Critical Consensus: "Halls" Spreads Little Cheer; "Déjà Vu" Intrigues; "The Fountain" Overflows; "Pick" Is Mixed
This week at the movies, we've got holiday mischief ("Deck the Halls," starring Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito), a phenomenon known as déjà vu ("Déjà... More...

June 29, 2006: Critical Consensus: "Superman" And "Devil" Are Certified Fresh
This week's wide releases both involve publishing. In "The Devil Wears Prada," the setting is a fashion magazine, and in "Superman Returns," it's The Daily... More...

March 23, 2006: Critical Consensus: "Inside Man" is Certified Fresh, Second Best-Reviewed Wide Release Of
Tension: it's the key to many a film, and this week's wide releases bring three variants on that theme. We've got a hostage situation ("Inside Man"), class conflict... More...

August 15, 2005: Splinter Cell to Operate at a New Studio
Back in December 2004 it was announced that Peter Berg would be helming the videogame adaptation "Splinter Cell" for Paramount Pictures, but since that time we haven't... More...

See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
86% 86% A Christmas Tale
60% 60% Paper Heart

More New Releases…

RT On Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196

What’s Hot On RT

Disney Countdown

Disney Countdown

Look back on Disney's best animated movies!

RT's Gift Guide

RT's Gift Guide

Give the best movies, gear, and more!

Jason Reitman

Jason Reitman

The Up in the Air director's Five Faves

Friday Harvest

Friday Harvest

This week's best pics, vids, and posters!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Spielberg Hops Away from Harvey Source: Variety
21
  • Tarantino Could Have Directed Green Lantern Source: MTV
24
  • Will Duvall be Gilliam's Don Quixote? Source: Collider.com
26
  • No Hobbit Until 2012? Source: The Wrap
22
  • Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 Source: HitFix
42
  • Peter Berg Talks Battleship Source: CHUD
2
  • Summit Ponders Twilight Finale Source: Variety
159
  • First Look at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Source: USA Today
56
  • Jeremy Renner Talks Hawkeye Possibilities Source: Superhero Hype
14
  • Todd Phillips Talks The Hangover 2 Source: Entertainment Weekly
18
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
71
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
49
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
49
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
45
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
42
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
40
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
38
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
30
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
26
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Terminator Salvation and a Smithsonian Battle
22
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
22
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • The Manchurian Candidate at Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Manchurian Candidate at IGN
  • The Manchurian Candidate at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
History of Disney Animation
History of Disney Animation External Link

MSN Movies offers a little background on the success of Disney Animation.

90 Years of Screen Vampires
90 Years of Screen Vampires External Link

TIME takes a look back at the history of vampires on film.

Virtuoso Vistas of Lovely Bones
Virtuoso Vistas of Lovely Bones External Link

Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

Recent Headlines as TV Movies
Recent Headlines as TV Movies External Link

AOL put together a list of 10 recent news items that would be perfect as TV Movies.

The Death of Original Thought
The Death of Original Thought External Link

Hollywood.com's C. Robert Cargill explores how remakes and reboots have warped our thinking.

Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Follow RT on Twitter External Link

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.