Manchurian Candidate

There are a number of similarities between the original "Manchurian Candidate" starring Frank Sinatra and the modern remake starring Denzel Washington. Overall, while both are solid psychological thrillers, the slow and deliberate pacing pulled at my patience for something to happen.

Washington is Major Ben Marco, a veteran of the first Gulf War whose unit had been ambushed in 1991 but were led to safety by Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber). At least that's the way they all remember it. That is, until the dreams kick in. Marco and the other surviving members of the unit are plagued by horrible dreams that suggest something else happened to them. In reality, they had been kidnapped and brainwashed to believe that Shaw was a hero. Marco tries to convince Shaw that a larger conspiracy is taking place but Shaw, who's also running for Vice President of the United States, doesn't want to accept the story. Plus, Shaw's extremely controlling mother (Meryl Streep) has grander plans for her son.

The story pieces itself together nicely, but I was left with questions as to a few major players. Not everything is explained and you're left to simply accept a few factors. If you don't fall asleep during the first very long hour, you'll be surprised at how quickly the second hour goes by. Don't bother with this one in the theater, but maybe rent it in a few months. I give it a B-.

"The Manchurian Candidate" is rated R with a running time of 130 minutes.