Not having seen the original, not knowing this is a remake, judging it on its merits alone I found it an extraordinary achievement in cinema. In terms of acting Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber and Meryl Streep knocked it out of the park. They were all superb in their own right. The theme of bioengineering is so present nowadays, as we are pretty much on the verge of brain implants, that it shudders one to think this was in the books even 16 years ago. It makes the movie a cautionary tale of sorts, as it is not so removed from reality now as it might have seemed when it was launched. They deal beautifully with the theme of free will and the capacity humans have for overriding and overcoming their own brain chemistry. If the theme were different maybe it would have been just a good political thriller but seeing how we might soon all have a choice to make on receiving this kind of outside interference into our body, its relevance amplifies the movies quality as a whole making it a touching movie experience.
Review of The Manchurian Candidate
