The 1962 version is a hard act to follow, but this updated flick does a good job. Performances by the main actors are worthy of Academy Award nominations. The baddie in this story is not the Chinese but Manchurian Global, a corporation with far reaching fingers involved in all kinds of political, Defense Department and scientific pies. The story focuses on Major Ben Marco (Denzel Washington) a Gulf War vet who has had psychological problems over the last 15 years. Devastating nightmares lead Ben to believe something is wrong with his memories of Desert Storm. And especially fuzzy involving an incident in which Cpl. Raymond Shaw (Live Schreiber) heroically saved the entire unit and earned the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Now Shaw is running for Vice president. Meryl Streep plays his scheming mother and the fervor of the political convention is perfectly timed to coincide with our real conventions. As the picture nears the end, excitement of convention going is at a fever pitch and as balloons drop and bands play, we fear an assassination may be close at hand. Check this new film out, but by all means, see the original and enjoy both great films.