The 1962 version of The Manchurian Candidate, a novel by Richard Condon, is one of the most exciting, creepy movies ever made. It also has a strong Anti-Communist message. The new version, however, is one of the most boring political thrillers in recent years. It also updates the plot to fit in with Hollywood??¢â???¬â???¢s perplexing attacks on big business and capitalism.
In the new story, Denzel Washington plays Major Ben Marco, who is bothered by strange, horrific dreams of a mission that went awry during the 1991 Gulf War in Kuwait and Iraq. Liev Schreiber plays Capt. Raymond Shaw, the alleged hero of the mission and a two-term Congressman, who??¢â???¬â???¢s being groomed as a Vice Presidential candidate by his politically conservative, power-hungry mother, a U.S. Senator played by Meryl Streep. Marco??¢â???¬â???¢s dreams suggest that he and Shaw have been brainwashed by a nefarious defense contractor called Manchurian Global, which gives lots of money to Shaw??¢â???¬â???¢s mother??¢â???¬â???¢s campaigns. As Marco tries to investigate the truth, an assassination plot emerges.
In the 1962 version of Condon??¢â???¬â???¢s book, Frank Sinatra plays Marco, who uncovers a Communist plot behind the activities of Capt. Shaw??¢â???¬â???¢s creepy mother. Thus, the mother is only posing as a conservative to gain power for her husband. In the new movie, however, the evil mother is a power-hungry conservative, supported by a big, evil corporation.
The liberal politics of The Manchurian Candidate, the new version, will anger many of our conservative friends. The real crime of this new version is not its goofy politics, however - it??¢â???¬â???¢s the fact that this new version is soooo boring! In the first movie, there was an exciting, realistic martial arts fight between Marco and a Communist agent, some exciting twists, and a tremendously suspenseful ending. The first movie also had several humorous, satirical bits that helped to enhance the story??¢â???¬â???¢s creepy mystery. There??¢â???¬â???¢s nothing like these things in the new movie, which even mishandles the suspenseful ending even though it keeps the basic situation that occurs.
This lackluster filmmaking is a great mystery until one realizes that the same person who directed this movie, Jonathan Demme, also directed the boring remake of Charade, another great mystery thriller from the 1960s. Apparently, Mr. Demme??¢â???¬â???¢s mission in life is to ruin some of the great stories of Hollywood??¢â???¬â???¢s Golden Age.
The changes in the story are also incoherent. For example, Shaw??¢â???¬â???¢s friendship with Marco no longer makes as much sense, because Marco now comes across as too delusional. Also, why would a big corporation risk everything to brainwash a potential presidential candidate, when it can simply buy off politicians? After all, isn??¢â???¬â???¢t that what the liberals in Hollywood think that the big oil companies have done with President Bush?
