If you're a fan of the original like I am - this is one remake that compares quite well to it's source. The writers have done an excellent job of updating the material to the contemporary political landscape (the Presidential candidate is a man of privilage who's heroic war exploits may or may not be true, and the bad guys this time are basically Halliburton). Demme does a good job with the sense of building tension and paranoia (it's the election of 2008, and terrorism is the theme and the reality) and the writers have done a clean job of eliminating some characters while melding others in a way that serves the story nicely. Meryl Streep (in the Angela Lansbury role) seems to have based her portrayal 50/50 on Hillary Clinton and Anne Coulter (truly horrifying!) and Roger Corman makes his obligatory appearance for Demme as a smiling bureaucrat. This is a cleverly accomplished "re-imagining" and even though I knew the basic plot-line I was still very engaged as the story cleverly moved along. I would recommend this one to fans of the original or to anybody who wants to spend two hours watching an intellegent and well-crafted thriller.

Who plays the lead? The original casting was perfect.

Leiv Schreiber plays the Laurence Harvey role and actually reminds you of Harvey in his sort of stilted effeteness. Denzel Washington plays the Sinatra role. Both versions are fantasy of course - almost sci-fi when you get right down to it - but I think Demme's version is a bit more realistic in the way the characters are portrayed. That's not to say it's superior to the original - it really can't be. But there are a lot of realistic little textures and details in this movie that help you to suspend your disbelief.

I hated the idea of this remake, but had to admit that casting Streep was pretty inspired. My wife and I figured that they would have to follow that up by casting Christian Bale in the Harvey role, but when they chose the other guy, the interest completely waned. I still can't imagine anybody but Bale in this role (lately I've imagined Bale in just about everything, especially as Bond), and even if the movie is very well re-imagined, I just still am not interested.

I hated the idea of this remake, but had to admit that casting Streep was pretty inspired. My wife and I figured that they would have to follow that up by casting Christian Bale in the Harvey role, but when they chose the other guy, the interest completely waned. I still can't imagine anybody but Bale in this role (lately I've imagined Bale in just about everything, especially as Bond), and even if the movie is very well re-imagined, I just still am not interested.
That's cool. May be worth a rental when it comes out. Interestingly, Schreiber made me think of Bale as well as Harvey while I was watching this movie.

Since I've been asked not to see it until I've (finally) seen the original, I'll have to wait. But not for too long, the Frankenheimer I ordered from the library is there now. With luck, I'll make it to the theater for the Demme while it's still there.

Since I've been asked not to see it until I've (finally) seen the original, I'll have to wait. But not for too long, the Frankenheimer I ordered from the library is there now. With luck, I'll make it to the theater for the Demme while it's still there.
Hell, it might even be more fun to see the remake and then the original.

"Atticus Noyle" is a wonderfully memorable name for a Mad Scientist, and Simon McBurney obviously had fun in the role. I kept expecting him to show up again, but Demme wisely resisted this.

In the wake of his dreadful "Charade" remake, and with the announcement that he'd be re-working yet another 60's classic, I thought Jonathan Demme had lost his mind. It's nice to know I was wrong; "The Manchurian Candidate" is the smartest dumb movie I've seen in a long time.

I was really dubious about this, because i love the original. The hardest thing for me to wrap my head around was a color "Manchurian Candidate", the black and white photography in the original was almost a character itsownself.

As for the original's cast, they had better have got Meryl Streep. Some might not remember the original was out of circulation for something like 25 years out of Sinatra's respect for the JFK assasination. When it was re-released, most of us had been lulled into thinking Angela Lansbury was a sweet crime-fighting granny and star of Disney films. She isn't, she is really evil and I bet she still has a world domination plot or two up her sleeve. She's THAT convincing in the original.

Everyone in the original was great, especially Inspector Luger from "Barney Miller" as Lansbury's politician husband who'd feel right at home in the current Republican campaign. And without giving away even a very minor spoiler, I bet some staff member in the White House is kicking themselves for not coming up with evil Angela's Heinz 57 trick!

But if Zorro says it's worth seeing, that's good enough for me. Plus I really like Liev Shrieber, he was amazing as Orson Wells in that "RKO 182" about Citizen Kane, and his Mr Clark was the best thing about "Sum of All Fears" imho. Even grouchy Tom Clancy praised him as believable in the DVD commentary while pointing out BS moments in the film itself!

Everyone in the original was great, especially Inspector Luger from "Barney Miller" as Lansbury's politician husband!

The late James Gregory (a.k.a. "Inspector Lugar") also portrayed the Curtis LeMay-esque General Ursus in the so-bad-it's-great 70's hit "Beneath the Planet of the Apes."

The late James Gregory (a.k.a. "Inspector Lugar") also portrayed the Curtis LeMay-esque General Ursus in the so-bad-it's-great 70's hit "Beneath the Planet of the Apes."

I knew he had been in a million old movies, but I did not know that! I'm surprised I never noticed, his voice is pretty distinctive, I often recognize his voice before his face in older b&w movies. Though to be fair I've only seen "Beneath" once since a 12 hour Ape-A-thon when "Battle" was released.....

He sure was funny on those ol' "Barney Miller" episodes though...

"Star Trek" fans will also remember Gregory from his turn as the evil Dr. Triston Adams in the episode where Kirk gets brain-washed by that little swirling light on the ceiling (funny how I can remember the name of the character Gregory played, but not the episode he guest starred in).