Condor: Season One

As a big fan of the film THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, I was skeptical about this TV series being created. Rehash? Homage? But I felt the same way when I pondered "why would they make FARGO a television show?", and like with that gem, was very pleasantly rewarded with a well-scripted show that was "must see TV" every week. Smart, detailed, suspenseful and sometimes even funny, when each episode ended, I couldn't wait for the next week to go by. (With this DVD that won't be a problem.) Like FARGO, CONDOR uses the essence of the source material as inspiration - a man working for a clandestine group finds himself as the sole survivor of an attack for which he is set up as the patsy; now he must not only find out what happened, but also survive as those who were behind the attack can't afford to risk leaving him alive. I will not spoil anything else for you - this is *not* a remake of the movie, although certain plot elements are broadly parallel and many of the character names (Joe Turner, Sam Barber, Joubert) are identical. But as good as the writing and production are, the producers nailed it in casting. Max Irons is the perfect combination of skilled, confused and terrified as the lead, and wily veterans Bob Balaban, William Hurt and Jamie McShane lead a stellar cast, including an against-type Brendan Fraser. But the breakout surprise was Leem Lubany, whose haunting, riveting performance truly took this show to another level. Don't be surprised if you binge-watch this in one afternoon. But *pay attention*...this is not a show you want to glance away from for even a single moment. Like most DVD releases these days, special features appear to be very minimal. A missed opportunity, but in an age of streaming, I guess I should be glad this was released at all. Enjoy - they really did this one right.

Great

I received this DVD on time and it was well packaged. The only thing I can really say about the series is WOW!!! The plot, the cinematography, and the acting were all superb. All the actors were perfectly matched for their rolls but I will say Max Irons and William Hurt were both outstanding! I was on the edge of my seat for most of the episodes which were all full of action and plot twists...it will definitely keep you guessing. The only thing that I did not like was that I could only purchase it in the DVD format and was unable to stream it. I highly recommend it and I cannot wait for Season 2!!

Interesting plots, most of which kept me on the edge of my seat. The actors matched their roles perfectly.

Very good entertaining series. I have Season 2 also.

Thank You very much!

There is a lot to like about this first season of "Condor." William Hurt's portrayal of a veteran CIA official, for example; Mia Sorvino's turn as an intelligence officer with a hidden agenda; Brendan Fraser's wonderful performance as a fanatic anti-Muslim analyst: These and other performances by the supporting cast are real high points. Unfortunately, the writers chose to make the main character - played by Max Irons - a woefully naive, fairly inept CIA analyst who tries to claim the moral high ground at every opportunity and yet constantly puts friends and family in danger through what I can only describe as glorified self interest. If this show was set in the Fifties or Sixties, the writers might be forgiven for creating a character so naive that he cannot seem to grasp the events unfolding around him. This, however, is not a point in history in which young men and women are that naive. They've lived through terrorist attacks, collapsed economies, and the unprecedented rise of social media. They literally have the world at their fingertips and yet Joe Turner - the central character - seems unaware of almost everything around him. He's also a whiner... constantly complaining about everything and anything while steadfastly refusing to take responsibility for his actions.. Add to that the fact that, while claiming to be opposed to much of what the CIA does, he kidnaps an innocent woman because he needs a place to hide out. I'm an old man so, perhaps, the writers have faithfully portrayed the mindset of this generation but I don't think they have. I know too many people in their mid-20s and early 30s who are smart, capable, and willing to "do the right thing" to find Joe Turner believable as a CIA employee. That said, as I mentioned before, the writers have done a very good job of creating really interesting supporting characters and the producers made all the right choices when it came to hiring actors to portray them. I was especially impressed with Fraser's portrayal. Once an actor who played dashing action heroes, his portrayal of an overweight fanatic determined to bring an end to Islamic culture is really excellent. The cinematography is also well done as is the direction, which is very smooth. But... well, the writers fell down on the job when they created Joe Turner and that, in my opinion, is really too bad.

Adapted from the movie 3 days of the Condor. That movie starred Robert Redford. This series is better than that movie..Fast paced, gets you involved in the first two minutes of the series. Good acting, good plot. Just a good watch

Not sure how much it follows the book, but it is relatively entertaining. 1st disk does not allow skipping the trailers before watching the episodes.

nil

Saw this when it was on TV. Thought it was a good series but didn't catch the end. Brought this to finally see the episodes I had missed. Be advised that it is a Region 1 DVD and requires a multi region player.

Was very disappointed that it wont work on my dvd player. Is only for european players or us.