❮ Houdini
Season 1
Season Premiere:
Sep 1, 2014
Metascore
Mixed or Average
51
User score
Generally Favorable
7.2
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
51
25% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
63% Mixed
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
13% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Aug 29, 2014
75
Many of his tricks here are explained, and the means of execution may only increase your appreciation for his genius. Less convincing is the miniseries’ speculation that the British intelligence agency MI-5 recruited him to act as a spy in the run-up to World War I.
Sep 2, 2014
67
In itself, Houdini’s script is solid.... However, whether Meyer-penned or network-mandated, the miniseries’ voice-over drains a critical amount of energy from the miniseries.
Sep 17, 2014
50
If only Houdini could have waved a wand and made half of this too-long miniseries disappear.
Aug 28, 2014
42
Brody’s performance is borderline capable within the constraints of an at best mediocre combination of writing and story construction. But Harry Houdini’s incredible story still awaits a master re-telling. And this one doesn’t even come close.
Aug 28, 2014
40
Houdini is so dense with awful dialogue--the kind in which every character says what they’re thinking and feeling in remarkably self-aware terms whenever they’re given the opportunity--that it buries the elements that actually work here, including a playful performance from Adrien Brody and the occasional sense of spectacle.
Aug 28, 2014
30
This is dour, grim and labors to get through a second act that clocks in a half-hour shorter than part one.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.2
61% Positive
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
35% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
3% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Sep 2, 2014
5
Well this is a weird one. The writing is generally awful. Certainly some of the most stilted dialog heard on TV. The acting is strange. Even Adrian Brody, whom we know is a more-than-capable actor, tends to act like he is appearing in a comic strip. I think that that is my overall reaction to the show. It's actually interesting. My wife and I will watch it to the end (first half oily seen so far). BUT, it is essentially a comic strip. Is it planned to be that way. I don't see why it should be so. Is it an **** writing is so bad that maybe the only thing missing is the close-captioning appearing in balloons over the characters' heads.
Sep 1, 2014
5
Oscar winner Adrien Brody does his best with this dreary look at who and what motivated illusionist Harry Houdini, but that isn't enough to propel the mini serie's mediocre writing and overall structure. 'Houdini' feels like a History Channel special on magic tricks rather than a biopic with it's overused fast paced cuts and cheesy sound effects. Although the one thing used effectively to draw our attention throughout the series is the spectacle of Houdini's genius.
