Magic City

After hearing that there was going to be a show about the 1960s Miami this TV Series caught my attention. Myself as a Retro fan was pretty happy that shows like these are getting more common after Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire which were and still are amazing series.

First off its not possible to rate a whole TV Series off the first Episode so this will be about the first episode and how it is in my Opinion.

Magic City looks and feels authentic in many ways. The Quality of the set is really great some improvements could be made here and there but overall it looks fine. The story looks promising with hopefully a lot of future depth in it. I hope what i saw in the first Episode is the tip of the Iceberg. Another plus is that the music of the show is truly great and was picked carefully so it fitted to most of the parts. The important thing is to keep the music as a feature and not to overuse it.

Considering that the actors here are not that well known they are acting in a great manner that makes them look like professionals at times. So a big bravo to the Cast. One of the other points i liked is that the series took good care about the date it was set in showing the affects of real occurrences on the story minorly.

The Effects sometimes did look a bit too weak compared to the rest of the show. These can be improved of course but this doesn't change the fact that it looked a bit off and unrealistic. There were some scenes where the camera angles and the look of a room in a scene wasn't that well done compared to the other great rooms or environments they had showed beforehand.

So Overall. A good watch with a few mistakes here and there on the first episode. Hoping to see the true potential of the storyline and depth out of the following episodes.

If you didn't watch it check it out and see for yourself

8/10

Magic City is as addicting as any TV show can possibly get. If you think it's going to be the same old crime drama, or a Miami Beach version of the Soprano's, you may be right...but only about the latter. And only because this show is just as good.

Magic City's characters are so good and so well acted, you find yourself rooting for everyone in the show. You feel connected to each one. Even the Butcher, Ben Diamond. You may not 'root' for The Butcher, but in his almighty evilness lies an extremely flawed human being. You don't even need to know his back story, you just know the man has issues.

I live in Fort Lauderdale and travel to Miami Beach often. Magic City accurately depicts what Mimai Beach looks like minus 54 years. The shows creative team are true to their 1950's early 60's version of Miami. No anachronisms to bust the mood. This as authentic as they get.

To the un-seen viewers: Take a few hours on the couch and relax. Watch a few episodes in a row, and you will go back in time. If you are having any personal difficulties in life; this is the heroin that will allow you a few hours respite. You will become a fly on the wall at the Miramar Hotel in Miami Beach in 1959. I doubt you will think of anything other than whats happening on the screen. You will however, want more.

This is five star stuff.

Mike I am just a normal no one that loves a good series. You will too.

I have now watched all 7 episodes of this new series. My initial reaction to the first episode was that it was good but not compelling. This proved to be deceptive. By the end of the 2nd episode I was hooked. The shows strength is the juxtaposition of the control that Ike Evans, the shows clever lead character, exerts over himself while trying to "do good" by others, against the always simmering and ready to boil passion of the truly bad guy "Ben Diamond". The shows other characters are properly developed to provide fodder for the main characters' growth, confrontation and destruction. The setting in 1959 Miami is great and all the necessary detail to buildings, cars and props was made. I give the show a solid "9" but not quite a ten because it does for very short periods in most episodes come up a little short in a hard to describe way. Perhaps the clichés are a little to frequent, with all of the characters being a little too easily pigeonholed. But I digress, I enthusiastically recommend the show to and adult audience as very entertaining. Since the 2nd episode I have always made sure that I am in front of the TV at 10 PM Friday nights to see the next installment. Bravo to the show!!!

I cannot believe some of the comments. One star, two star ratings and animal cruelty?! Please be serious, did you watch this for artistic value? It's the time, the cars, the mob and the women. That's it, no more. Sometimes it's is fun to just watch mindless, cool and dumb for just that. Jeez, stop spending so much of your time seeing everything through a modern lens. Or simply don't watch.

This show caught my attention, and held it from start to finish. It moves at a slow, but steady pace, as if mimicking the slightly slower speed people adjust to when in the tropics. The pace is perfect though, as nothing is rushed, and the story seems to move at an appropriate speed without bogging itself down.

The acting is good, the characters quickly defined with a touch of slight touch of cliché personalities, but I think it helps to make the story move along by quickly separating the good from the bad and the mysterious.

Great period shots of cars, fashion, and the era of smoking abound, giving those of us old enough to remember a nostalgic look at a period that was wonderful, tumultuous, and tragic all at once. This show has the right cast, and it's future depends solely on where it's writers take it. Definitely worth a watch.