But when it comes to David Chase and the Sopranos Saga...well, I can run faster than anybody else.
This prequel to the great HBO show has been discussed for years. Indeed, fans of the program like me who were saddened by the untimely passing of James Gandolfini never thought they would see any more Sopranos stories either on TV or the big screen. But creator David Chase figured out how to go there. And did so with a flourish.
So, yes, this opened on October 1 and I was there October 2. Despite the fact that the film is available on HBO Max, I took myself to a real movie theater to enjoy it in the grandest fashion possible.
If you are one of those lemmings who never watched the series (I literally have viewed all 60 plus episodes three times each), you might be lost watching "The Many Saints of Newark." Heck, it took a while for me to figure out who was who at a younger stage in their lives. But, once I got my bearings, the ride was glorious.
The story is told by latter day character Chris Moltisanti from the grave. It takes us back to when his dad Dickie was a Newark crime boss back in the 1960s. As a matter of fact, for a good deal of the film's first hour, the Soprano family is secondary to what is going on. But eventually we meet young Tony, played by James Gandolfini's own son, and everything starts to come into place.
Besides meeting a young Tony, we see a younger version of virtually every character we met in the HBO show from his nasty Mom to his uncle Junior to his sister Janice to his mob henchmen to even...briefly...a young Carmella. All of the casting is so spot on that you will nod with approval at each of their appearances.
Now, making a movie in 2021 requires a diversity aspect. But Chase does it so seamlessly by introducing some Black characters against the backdrop of the 1967 Newark riots. Indeed, they become integral players to the story.
If there is one quibble, it's that you don't see enough of the grizzly relationship between Tony and his mother. But, again, the quibble is a small one and it certainly doesn't detract your enjoyment of the film...especially for Sopranos fans.
The HBO series is set up perfectly in the closing scene and that slides right to the wonderful TV theme music. That prompted me the next day to rewatch the pilot for a fourth time. My biggest fear is that I will now start binging the show all over again.
If you're a fan, please check out "The Many Saints of Newark."
LEN'S RATING: Four stars.
Dinner last night: Flew all day so nothing really but airplane snacks.
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