You woke up this morning and…okay, I’m sure you’re seeing a lot of play on words in regards to HBO’s Sopranos’ theme song. I couldn’t help myself. Today is the day – the prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark; is finally out. Hitting both theaters and HBO Max, this movie is for Sopranos fans – or even for those who have never seen the hit show. While you’ll probably get a kick out of seeing your favorite Sopranos characters in the past, the story almost serves as a standalone, rather than a set-up for what we saw on the show.
Does The Movie Live Up to the Show?
The Sopranos ran on HBO from 1999 to 2007. While the series finale has been debated, the show still is regarded as one of the best shows on television. It starred the late James Gandolfini as the mob boss Tony Soprano. While Gandolfini, unfortunately, passed away in 2013, his son Michael takes over for him in The Many Saints of Newark. While the movie is described as a prequel to how Tony became Tony, I would say this movie is more so centered around Dickie Molitisanti. The father of one of The Sopranos’ main character, Christopher Moltisanti. Michael Gandolfini does a good job as Tony, but he’s more of a side character – strange, considering the show was all about Tony. Now, the film is about Dickie – a character never seen in the show. I do wonder, why was the decision made to have a prequel centered around him and not Tony Soprano?
The Movie is Full of Great Actors
Now, I don’t want this review coming off as negative. I really enjoyed The Many Saints of Newark – in fact, I want more. I want a sequel. There’s just so many great actors and characters; I don’t want to leave this world so soon. If I have to give any complaints, it’s that the characters I enjoyed so much were barely in the movie. Of course, if you know me, you know I love Jon Bernthal. And while Johnny Boy (Tony’s father) was only in the show in small flashbacks, I had hoped we’d see more of him in the movie. Granted, I’m thankful for any scene we got of his, but I really wanted more.
Vera Farmiga was fantastic as Livia Soprano. She nailed the mannerisms and attitude of Nancy Marchand, who played the character in the original show. Speaking of nailing the mannerisms of the original actor, John Magaro is a spitting image of Silvio – who was played by Steven Van Zandt in the show. I really enjoyed him. And I really liked the way Ray Liotta played his duel roles in the movie. I liked Alessandro Nivola as Dickie. And I really loved Michela De Rossi as Giuseppina.
I Need More Corey Stoll
Let’s get into who I really loved in this movie – who I wanted to see more of (especially, I wanted to see him share the screen more with Bernthal). Now, Junior Soprano was a pivotal character in the show and I think Corey Stoll did an absolutely fantastic job as the character in The Many Saints of Newark. Let me repeat that – Junior and Johnny Boy were perfectly cast. Stoll and Bernthal were great in scenes together and Stoll nailed the role of Junior. Junior was completely captivating in the show and Stoll absolutely understood the assignment. More Stoll as Junior, please!
The Many Saints of Newark was not afraid to really delve into the tensions amongst the communities in the 1960s/1970s. I had always thought Leslie Odom Jr. played more light-hearted roles, but he did a phenomenal job as Harold McBrayer. Someone who was equally as clear and ruthless as the five families, but who decided to not simply live in the shadows of the men who looked to demean him. I really enjoyed his role in this film and the part he played in the story.
Rating: 4/5
This movie really was about the characters. Which, were fantastic. Again, I would only really complain that there wasn’t enough Michael Gandolfini and the film felt more like an episode of the show than a movie. It was almost disappointing when the movie ended – I felt like I could have binged a whole show of this. I think it’s because Sopranos works better as a show. I’m used to simply going to the next episode and felt saddened I couldn’t do that here. While I’m sure that there are no plans for a sequel, I hope that the studios change their minds. I’m not done with this story yet.
Keep a look out for our video review on our YouTube channel – Geek Vibes Podcast. Have you seen The Many Saints of Newark?
A girl with too many fandoms to count.
