All in all there is little to fault in this stylish and well-made biopic.With heavily stylised visuals, anachronistic music, and very modern editing, this film presents its period storyline with a mind to 21st century audiences. But unlike most others that attempt this potentially hazardous balancing act, "Houdini" neatly pulls it off without injury.I watched it on Amazon as one long and very satisfying film, but apparently it was originally presented as a two-part miniseries, which I can't imagine helped the pacing or momentum. I'm glad Amazon joined the two halves together into a complete and uninterrupted telling of Houdini's life, with a beginning, middle, and end.Technically it is excellent. The performances are all top-rate. Adrian Brody shines in the title role, despite looking nothing like the real Harry Houdini.The story unfolds in a mostly linear way, but there are several flashback sequences which interrupt the narrative somewhat, despite giving important and relevant insights. I'd have, perhaps, preferred it to be more linear.Also, while I'm busy nit-picking, having already been aware of the circumstances of Houdini's death before watching, I was at first rather pleased with the early foreshadowing "moments" that this film inserted. But then it inserted them again and again. And then again. And then a few more times. Two or three evenly-spaced foreshadowing moments would have worked well. But by the time of his eventual death, I felt that I'd already seen it a dozen times. But this minor niggle did not mar an otherwise gripping and relentlessly enjoyable rideLiberties may have been taken with a few historical facts, but that is neatly covered by the opening caption, which playfully encourages the viewer to separate fact from fiction.Having thoroughly enjoyed the ride, I'll definitely be returning for more.

Houdini isn't going to pass as fact. Actually it isn't going to pass as a truthful account. Seeing that everyone associated With Harry Houdini is long dead. this is only speculation. Entertainment if you will. Houdini is an immortal larger then life. So if you were to tell the story how would you do it ? Tell the story that might not be nearly as compelling as the Myths around Houdini. Or tell the Myths and legends that made Houdini great and immortal and a legend. Cue John ford in the man who shot Liberty Valence. When the legend becomes fact print the legend.Anyone that argues that this is incorrect or not factually based must understand one thing. Houdini in the end was a showman. This biopic tells us that over and over again. And its true. Adrian Brody is fantastic as Houdini. I am a fan of Adrian Brody's and liked his movies but this one is his best yet. People might bash him or this movie and they have no reason to. If you know anything about Houdini This movie is not going to disappoint. If you're a fan of Houdini you get a new appreciation for the man . And remember this is TV This is a movie. They are not real life. this is entertainment. and like the Great Houdini there are slight of hands tricks that'll trick you. Houdini a spy ? Houdini a womanizer Houdini a pilot Houdini a movie star and writer of pulp novels . Houdini a spiritual investigator busting fake mediums . Houdini a Mama's boy Houdini The Master escape artist and master Showman.He was all of these things and more. And if this movie isn't fact then it's fiction. And if its fiction then its entertainment. And its grand entertainment and fun.What more can you ask ?The direction is good the acting superb. and its watchable. what else are you looking for? Sit back and enjoy the greatest master escape artist that ever lived tell his story.

Oh my! This movie (or series) should disappear forever! What a waste of time, a dreadful attempt to portray the great Harry Houdini (Eric Weiss). This is truly a Hollywood abortion, a hideous distortion of the Houdini story, with problems right, left and centre. On the plus side, it is colourful and a good laugh in parts. Adrian Brody was titanically miscast. Every time he was on screen, all I could see was his enormous crooked nose -- that is a major distraction. In fact, Houdini was a rather handsome man, on the short side (NOT tall like Brody), and Houdini had an average-to-small size nose, for goodness' sake! Such a ridiculous film.

Directed by Uli Edel (Body of Evidence, The Little Vampire), I spotted this two-part miniseries advertised and became most interested both because of the story of the famous man of the title and the leading actor playing him. Basically this television made film tells the life story of legendary and world famous Hungarian-American illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini (Adrien Brody), looking behind all the magic tricks and traps to getaway from that brought him fame and fortune. This includes his childhood living in poverty, his early beginnings doing magic tricks on the street and in the circus, meeting and marrying his beloved Bess Houdini (The Cabin in the Woods' Kristen Connolly), meeting and partnering with Jim Collins (Jarhead's Evan Jones) who became his stage assistant. The legendary escape challenges for Harry featured include from a jail cell, the Chinese water torture cell, the suspended straitjacket escape, chained up and jumping into icy water from a bridge and escaping from a locked bank vault style safe, it also shows Harry using his kills to engage in espionage missions for the government, working for head of MI5 William Melville (Tim Pigott-Smith). Through the years he encounters great names of the era, including Sherlock Holmes creator and spiritualist believer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (The World Is Not Enough's David Calder), Tsar Nicolas II of Russia, mystical adviser Grigori Rasputin and Presidents of the United States. Following the death of his mother, Cecilia Weiss (Eszter Ónodi), he seeks to confront, battle with and expose fraudulent spiritualists, but ultimately he returns to his magic routes until mortal pains occur, most likely caused by many punches in the stomach that he took and blocked out the pain, in the end Harry Houdini died at age 52 of peritonitis, secondary to a ruptured appendix. Also starring Tom Benedict Knight as Dash Houdini, Shaun Williamson as Riley, Linda Marlowe as Lady Doyle and Louis Mertens as Erich Weiss. Brody is a very good choice as the leading man, Connolly is also well cast as his both loving and long concerned wife, the style of editing and use of special effects makes for great trick and escape sequences, you are gripped into finding out whether he will do it or not, and how, and the personal character story throughout is interesting to watch as well, all in all it was a well thought out and interesting drama. Very good!