The Many Saints Of Newark - Theatrical Review

The big question is, will this be accessible and understandable for those who have not seen the original Sopranos series? The answer is, yes. This movie can stand alone and introduce characters to newcomers, although the fans who have seen the show multiple times will get more laughs and subtle inside jokes with character mannerisms and dialogue. Not only that, The Many Saints Of Newark feels like two excellent episodes of the HBO series, perfectly capturing the essence and flow of the original show, but in a more cinematic way with outstanding visuals.

The film does not follow a young Tony Soprano one-hundred percent of the time. In fact, this is Richard "Dickie" Moltisanti's (Chris Moltisanti's father) story. Set against the 1967 New Jersey riots, a young Anthony Soprano idolizes his fun uncle Dickie (Alessandro Nivola from The Art of Self Defense), always listening and laughing at what he says. Anthony's father Johnny Boy (Jon Bernthal) and his mother Liv (Vera Farmiga) show the early signs of not really being there for Tony or Janice in their early years. Meanwhile Dickie and Corrado Jr (Corey Stoll) are running the New Jersey family. Dickie has an employee named Harold (Leslie Odom Jr.) who does the family's nasty business. But when the police violently attack an African American man for nothing, the city starts to burn and Harold gets the idea to start an organized crime family of his own - igniting a war between the Italians and African Americans.

This is the backdrop of the film, which is talked about amongst the members of the HBO show from time to time, but the real guts of the story lie within Dickie and the young Tony. By now, Tony is in high school, pursuing his football career and after a big talk from his favorite uncle, he vows to stay clean and not get in trouble. There are small, excellent details and elements that are shown throughout Dickie and young Tony's life in this film that are discussed inside Dr. Melfi's office. Additionally, it's seen how Tony's explosive temper and love for family come to fruition, such as his turbulent relationship of love and anger for Chris starts, or even his relationship with his manic mother started many years prior. These little tidbits are essential to this film and the furthering of this incredible story of this fictional family that was only mentioned in passing in the series.

Other wonderful elements include some of the character traits that were evident in the series pop up in this prequel including Paulie's germaphobia and exquisite experience, Sil's hair, and Coraddo's insults. These younger actors perfectly portray the mannerisms, dialects, and physical presence of the original cast.  Alessandro and Leslie's performances are top-notch. Alessandro's Dickie falling in line with the best and worst traits of the older Tony Soprano himself who could be the sweetest most vulnerable man in the world, but also a ruthless and violent killer, of even those he loves. It's wonderful to watch unfold on screen.

Then there is Michael Gandolfini, James Gandolfini's real-life son who takes on the role of his father at a young age and the attention to detail is uncanny. Michael's Anthony Soprano is just like watching James Gandolfini again with the smallest details of his mannerisms coming to life once again, whether it be his stare-downs, smile, or even how he wipes his mouth when eating. It's all there and every character element is on display as if no time has passed. The Many Saints Of Newark is not just a prequel of Greatest Hits or winks at locales and characters, but rather tells an amazing story and its truth from the stories of the original series. A lot of them are surprising and will leave everyone wanting more time with this crime family and a growing Tony Soprano. The Many Saints of Newark is the perfect welcome back movie into this Soprano world.

Coming to theaters and HBO Max Friday, October 1 - Order Your Tickets On Fandango!