...it’s not merely that the new Candidate compares unfavorably with the old....It’s that Demme has kept...material that is made inconsistent or pointless by his changes.
Comment
07/29/04
Rate this Movie 
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
82
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work
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.
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... [More]
Starring: Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Jon Voight
Director: Jonathan Demme
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Reviews for The Manchurian Candidate
If Demme's version lacks the wallop of its predecessor, it is more likely to be popular with contemporary audiences, who will enjoy not only its labyrinthine twists but its stars' burnished professionalism.
07/28/04
(Subjects its) A-list cast to B-movie machinations such as credibility-stretching sci-fi brain implants and villainous mad scientists with vague accents and Nazi comb-overs.
07/28/04
It's a mesmerizing mind-teaser that finds its own way into the material, adapted from Richard Condon's 1959 novel.
07/28/04
Top CriticDemme’s visuals are as captivating as Frankenheimer’s were in the 1960s… yet the plot of this “Manchurian Candidate” lost quite a bit in the translation.
07/28/04
A frightening update to John Frankenheimer’s war-as-game scenario—except the battle now is for our very souls.
07/28/04
The Manchurian Candidate is meant to creep us out by building on a foundation of paranoia just this side of solid. Demme builds his model on stilts of fancy that let too much hot air blow through.
07/28/04
Top CriticIt's a well-written and directed thriller that allows the audience to play along
07/28/04
The new Manchurian Candidate isn’t just a great remake – it may just be the greatest remake ever remade.
07/28/04
Demme creates a compelling claustrophobic, paranoia-inducing world that makes this slick flick a gripping two hours
07/28/04
Although I doubt that it'll have the longevity of Frankenheimer's piece, at least in terms of time-capsules of wounded nations, it's--shockingly--almost as fascinating.
07/28/04
A dense and thorough reimagining of the material -- it's got the same mordant cynicism running through its veins, only updated for an even darker, more jittery era.
07/28/04
When it’s good, it’s very good, keeping its twists close to the vest and unfolding its mysteries in marvelous movie time.
07/27/04
This political thriller about a brainwashed soldier being positioned for the White House provides a delectable network of dramatic tripwires that teases the mind and quickens the pulse.
07/20/04
Top CriticSimultaneously brings the original Cold War scenario bracingly up to date with a story line that pulses with a topical resonance while paying respectful homage to the late Frankenheimer's artistic vision.
07/20/04
Top Critic... kudos to Jonathan Demme for doing something different and not just trying to duplicate that original classic.
07/19/04
Top CriticAbsolutely riveting entertainment, a chilling portrait of human paranoia also posing as an engrossing and visually vibrant political thriller. This is one arresting film.
07/17/04
A haunting, serviceable thriller.
07/16/04
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...
What’s Hot On RT
Fresh Links
Featured
History of Disney Animation 
MSN Movies offers a little background on the success of Disney Animation.
90 Years of Screen Vampires
TIME takes a look back at the history of vampires on film.
Virtuoso Vistas of Lovely Bones
Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.
Recent Headlines as TV Movies
AOL put together a list of 10 recent news items that would be perfect as TV Movies.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!
IGN RSS Feeds