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The Tom's Guide verdict: 'The Manchurian Candidate' (2004)Rating: 3.5/5 starsVerdict: Whether or not this is superior to the 1962 original is a matter of debate. But what is inarguable is that this Gulf War-era thriller proves it's worthy of its existence. Some plot holes require suspension of disbelief, but you won't need any such mental gymnastics to enjoy Denzel's performance as Major Bennett Marco. It's excellent, and I found Meryl Streep's performance as Senator Shaw to be even more impressive. This is a must-watch for them alone.Where to watch: Buy or rent "The Manchurian Candidate" (2004) from Amazon nowWith "The Manchurian Candidate" (2004), we're arguably approaching the end of an era in the Denzel Watchathon. While most of the movies from here on out are some level of quality — we've left movies like "Carbon Copy" and "Heart Condition" far behind at this point — this psychological thriller is the end of a pretty incredible run.Sure, "Inside Man" is coming next week, and "American Gangster" two weeks after that. But we just went on a run that included "Remember the Titans," "Training Day" and "Man on Fire." 2000-2004 might be the best four-year stretch of Denzel's career, and "The Manchurian Candidate" is the final movie of that stretch before he takes 2005 off from the box office for the first time since 1997.Thankfully, this is a pretty good movie to close a chapter on. It's not a masterpiece; there are flaws in the plot, and arguably this movie ends about a third of the way through it in the real world. Denzel's Major Bennett Marco almost certainly would have been institutionalized by the Army once he started going after Vice Presidential candidate Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber). The Army tries to institutionalize him later in the movie for just that reason, proving that point.If you set aside issues like that, though, you're left with a handful of noteworthy performances. Jeffrey Wright, Scheiber and (of course) Denzel all impress. But the clear star of the movie is Meryl Streep as Raymond's mother, Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw.If you want to watch this movie before you read on, I have some good news and some bad news. "Man on Fire" isn't currently streaming on any of the best streaming services or the best live TV streaming services. Instead, you'll need to buy or rent it from digital storefronts like Amazon.
