This is off topic, but I can’t resist. I went to see The Manuchurian Candidate this afternoon. The original was magnificent; this one is good but not great.

The film wants to make a strong political statement about bad old big business and is filled with other obviously left-leaning political perspectives. This is all fine and good, but what the hell is Al Franken doing in the film? He is so obviously out-of-place as a news reporter that I was reminded of Rush Limbaugh on ESPN. Franken is so well-known as a liberal author, speaker, and talk show host that his presence in the movie shatters the illusion of the story. It’s not that he can’t act. There really wasn’t much acting for him anyway. It’s just that he can’t help but play Al Franken, regardless of what fiction the producers were trying to create.

This was a very bad move by the people behind the film. They could’ve made their point without Franken in the movie. With him there, however, the ulterior motive of the producers in an election year is evident, and I don’t think I’ll be the only person to see that.

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