Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

The Manchurian Candidate 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 21, 2024

Jonathan Demme's "The Manchurian Candidate" (2004) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on it include archival audio commentary by Jonathan Demme and co-screenwriter Daniel Pyne; archival featurettes; deleted scenes and outtakes with optional audio commentaries; vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Remaking an iconic classic like John Frankenheimer’s The Manchurian Candidate is like enlisting to do a couple of rounds in a spiked game of Russian Roulette. In the spiked version of this deadly game, you play with three bullets, not one, so there is a pretty good chance that something pretty bad might happen. It is almost certainly why Jonathan Demme’s film is not a straightforward remake of The Manchurian Candidate. It still utilizes a lot of the original material from Richard Condon’s novel that inspired Frankenheimer to do The Manchurian Candidate, but changes enough to be able to claim that it is a different film.

Demme’s film might be different, but it is not all that different. More importantly, it is primarily the new material that makes it different where it is most vulnerable, which is rather ironic. Also, the drama that is chronicled in Condon’s novel does not become more engrossing when it is placed in a modern context. Why? Because what made it engrossing was once considered groundbreaking, while the contemporary interpretation of it is not. Now everyone casually accepts that the technology to unleash this drama is already here. (Earlier this year, Elon Musk publicly bragged that Neuralink has successfully placed one of its chips in a human, but the government is at least ten years ahead of this company). On top of this, shadow government figures have vastly superior options to manipulate at home, cause global turmoil, and eradicate opponents as well.

This time the drama is initiated in Kuwait, sometime during the Gulf War, where Major Ben Marco (Denzel Washington) and several other soldiers are ambushed by the enemy. Because of a very brave Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber) most of them survive, but after returning home Marco begins battling nightmares that force him to question the authenticity of what his brain is telling him took place during the ambush. Around the same time, Marco learns that Shaw, now a professional politician, has accepted to become a vice presidential candidate, and when shortly after attempts to contact him to find out whether he struggles with similar nightmares, his reality begins bending and making him look like a lunatic. But instead of giving up, Marco doubles his efforts to find out what is the catalyst of his misery and eventually carves out a tiny chip from his body.

Daniel Pyne and Dean Georgaris’ screenplay never replicates the suffocating suspense of Condon’s original material and Frankenheimer’s take on it, which is why Demme enthusiastically emphasizes style over substance. There are some pretty visuals, but the sum of what Demme does routinely looks strikingly unfocused, even chaotic, and Washington’s descent into madness fails to engage the mind.

The deconstruction of Washington’s misery and the big picture that emerges at the end of it is hugely disappointing, too. Indeed, instead of seeing the post-war world as Condon and Frankenheimer do -- both recognize that there are destructive forces too big to contain -- Demme introduces a rosy finale in which the U.S. government emerges victorious. Given the nature of the original material, it is unquestionably the worst resolution that could have been provided.

Washington is the only one who succeeds in making his character appear partially realistic in frequently very unrealistic situations. Schreiber clearly struggles to take control of his character and leaves the impression that he is just acting a part. Meryl Streep’s performance is so over the top it would have been very effective in a parody. John Voight struggles to make something meaningful with a part that is too small for him. Bruno Ganz is instantly forgettable as an intelligent old-timer who is willing to think outside the box. Kimberly Elise undergoes an unbelievable character transformation and then moves too quickly to be able to make rational decisions. There are more than a dozen other famous actors and celebrities that are wasted throughout the film as well.

The Manchurian Candidate 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of The Manchurian Candidate is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray disc is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray disc is Region-A "locked".

The release introduces a new 4K makeover of The Manchurian Candidate which can be viewed in native 4K and 1080p. In native 4K, the 4K makeover can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with HDR.

Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-29 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #32-38 are from the 4K Blu-ray.

I viewed the entire film in native 4K and then spent some time testing the 1080p presentation. I think that the 4K presentation is vastly superior because there is a lot of very bright indoor and outdoor footage that simply looks much, much better balanced in native 4K. While I give the HDR grade a lot of credit for this improvement in quality, there is plenty more that contributes. For example, for some reason in 1080p, plenty of footage reveals light artifacts that I do not think could have been addressed with encoding optimizations. Because of the fast camera movement and stylization, most viewers will probably miss them, but on a big screen trained eyes should easily spot them. In native 4K, I did not see any, and I went back to a couple of different places because I expected to find them there. (The big celebration at the end of the film is where the most obvious artifacts are on the 1080p presentation). Delineation, clarity, and depth are very good. However, there are plenty of fluctuations that are introduced by stylization. Colors look great. In fact, I think that many viewers will find the vastly superior wider color gamut of the native 4K presentation to be the most notable upgrade. Select darker areas could have looked slightly more convincing, but balance is very, very good. Image stability is outstanding. The entire film looks clean as well.

The Manchurian Candidate 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The original Blu-ray release did not have a lossless track, so the upgrade from the lossy track is quite easy to appreciate. However, while revisiting the film, I thought that in some areas dynamic balance was quite uneven. However, I am not entirely sure if this is something that the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track could have managed better, or it is how the original soundtrack of the film was finalized. I just felt that some spikes and drops as well as surround movement were either too abrupt or too fluid. The dialog was always clear, sharp, and easy to follow.

The Manchurian Candidate 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by director Jonathan Demme and co-screenwriter Daniel Pyne. The two commentators discuss various aspects of the conception and production of The Manchurian Candidate and explain why certain choices were made. There are some particularly interesting comments about the changes that were made in the original story and how they come central to Ben Marco's story, as well as visual material that was cut when the final version of the film was prepared. I also liked the comments about the music that ended up in the film.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by director Jonathan Demme and co-screenwriter Daniel Pyne. The two commentators discuss various aspects of the conception and production of The Manchurian Candidate and explain why certain choices were made. There are some particularly interesting comments about the changes that were made in the original story and how they come central to Ben Marco's story, as well as visual material that was cut when the final version of the film was prepared. I also liked the comments about the music that ended up in the film.

• The Enemy Within: Inside The Manchurian Candidate - this archival program takes a closer look at the production of The Manchurian Candidate. Included in it are clips from interviews with Jonathan Demme, producer Tina Sinatra, screenwriter Daniel Pyne, Denzel Washingon, and Liev Schreiber, among others. Raw footage from the shooting of the film is included as well. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• The Cast of The Manchurian Candidate - this archival program examines some of the casting choices that were made for different characters in The Manchurian Candidate. Included in it are clips from interviews with Jonathan Demme, Denzel Washington, Jon Voight, and screenwriter Daniel Pyne, among others. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Liev Schreiber Screen Test - in English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Political Pundits - several 'pundits' -- poet/comedian Beau Sia, author/journalist Roy Blunt, Jr., Fab 5 Freddy, actress Anna Deavere Smith, writer/artist Reno, and Sidney Lumet -- discuss their voting habits and knowledge of U.S. politics. With optional commentary by Jonathan Demme. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Deleted/Extended Scenes - all scenes can be viewed with optional commentary by Jonathan Demme and Daniel Pyne. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).
  
  1. Marco and Raymond Talk on Patrol
  2. Marco's Worried Neighbor
  3. Raymond Meets Executives While Senator Jordan Confronts Ellie at Fundraiser
  4. Campaign Trail Montage
  5. Marco and Raymond Interrupted at Campaign

• Outtakes - all outtakes can be viewed with optional commentary by Jonathan Demme and Daniel Pyne. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).
  
  1. Ellie's Interview with Stacey Newsome Santiago
  2. Ellie's Interview with Al Franken

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for The Manchurian Candidate. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

The Manchurian Candidate 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Frankenheimer's classic film predicted an incoming dark future with such clarity and authority that it was impossible not to be terrified by it. Jonathan Demme's film describes a familiar present and alters plenty from Richard Condon's novel to convince its audience that all is under control because Uncle Sam can be trusted. Needless to say, these films could not be any more different. I am a very big fan of the former. Kino Lorber's combo pack introduces a good new 4K makeover of Demme's film, so if you have been waiting for a quality release of it, now you have one.