Customer Reviews

The Sopranos: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(297)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

The Blu-ray version of Season 1 boasts significant video quality improvements over the 2000 DVD release.

Season 1 used a grainier film stock than subsequent seasons. This was problematic for the 2000 DVD release because MPEG II encoding has a difficult time handling grain, HBO squeezed 4 episodes onto each discs (except the last one) resulting in a high level of compression, there was a lot of edge enhancement applied to the video, and that this was a relatively early DVD release -- MPEG II encoding has significantly improved since then. As a result, the video on the DVDs had a lot of artifacts -- and the larger the TV you have, the more obtrusive the artifacts and edge enhancement are.

The Blu-ray release pretty much fixes all of those problems. You can really see the difference in the closeups on the actors' faces. The image is clear with a film texture. You'll also notice a lot more details in the background.

The pilot episode doesn't look as good as the rest of the season. This is no doubt because a cheaper film stock was used and they had less time to light scenes due to it being a pilot. The rest of the episodes look uniformly excellent.

Don't expect the show to look quite as good as good as the HD broadcasts of the later seasons. Starting in Season 2 much more money and effort was put into the cinematography in order to give the show a feature film look. The interiors of Season 1 are typically slightly over lit with a soft white light. I suspect this was done because they had a shorter production schedule then later Seasons when the show was a hit, and they didn't have time to relight sets every time they moved the camera.

The packaging is virtually identical to the DVD box. HBO has wisely decided to spread the season across 5 discs -- no more than 3 episodes per disc. This minimizes compression and helps improve video quality.

Nothing to report about the sound. Like the DVDs, the surround sound channels only come to life during explosions and shoot outs.

Fans of the show will be very happy with the results.

I'd been hearing about The Sopranos all last year but honestly, I just never have time to catch a series every week. I just don't watch TV with any regularity and I'm not crazy about missing episodes or seeing them out of order when I know there's continuity. When I saw that whole first season of The Sopranos was coming out, I figured that would be just right for me.

I wasn't disappointed. Matter of fact, I was blown away. It's a great show, at times hysterical, at times very dark. The characters are sometimes over the top but they stay close to basic story, unlike a lot of shows where, struggling to fill 60 minutes and having run out of any sensible ideas, they'll have doctors from an ER show caught in an improbable plane crash in the Andes or whatever.

The most interesting thing for me is the way they've used Tony Soprano's sessions with his therapist as a way to stitch everything together and let you get inside Tony's head. The actors playing both Tony and the therapist turn in remarkable and very believable performances.

This set is also a heck of a bargain. You get 13 episodes, four per DVD, plus some bonus materials, which is a lot of viewing time for the money.

I recommend this set as easily the best DVD purchase I made all year (this from someone who buys nearly everything that comes out.)

Once again--see Sex and the City--HBO has had the good sense to release a show with an entire season in one package, as compared to the horrible dribbling of, say, 3 Twilight Zone episodes at a time. Why don't they put out the whole of "Dobie Gillis" or "I'm Dickens, He's Fenster" in one nice, juicy package. I'd buy.

But quite aside from that. The Sopranos is at the absolute highest level of visual art. No movie and certainly no TV is at a higher level. I am amazed at how much I've seen in an episode on first viewing and then how much more on second and third viewing. There are lots of little things, connections, that emerge on repeated, highly pleasurable viewings. There are so many surprising details, little throwaway lines, cues that lead to something later on, that really show the filmmakers respected the intelligence of the viewer.

The richness of the interwoven comedy and drama, the inventive ways found to tell the multiple stories--I love it. I love all the actors, but would just take a minute to single out Nancy Marchand, who plays one of the most marvelous mother characters ever recorded. The merging of comedy and drama in her performance is sublime. Every little line matters. The way she walks. Everything she does is beyond wonderful.

The greatness of The Sopranos you've heard about is really true. You will not regret having this set on your shelf to watch over and over again.

I didn't have HBO when The Sopranos came out in 1999, and so I am delighted that it is now on a set of DVD discs. I'm a big fan of books and movies about the Mafia and so I was prepared to love it. I must say that my expectations were all met, and more. There is nothing like being able to watch the series, in its entirety, all at once, at my own pace. And there is nothing like watching several video interviews and behind the scenes featurettes on the discs to enhance the viewing experience with background information. This series has won many awards. I can understand why.

James Gandofini stars as Tony Soprano, a very human individual, who just happens to be a gangster. He's living in modern times though, and so he's plagued with depression and goes to a therapist, played by Lorraine Bracco. Tony's domestic scenes, which include his wife, Edie Falco, his daughter, Jamie-Lyn Sigler, his son, Robert Iler, and - especially his mother, Nancy Marchand, are all unique and slightly off-center examples of brilliant writing and editing. Add to this his criminal activities and his violent temper, and there's a mix that fascinates me completely.

One of the delights of the series is that I can't quite figure what will happen next. I'm constantly on edge as I watch the story unfold, and there are always surprises. I like the humor and the irreverence. And best of all I like the fact that each episode is commercial free and a complete movie in itself. I love it when the scenes move back and forth between the actual crime stuff and his family life. And I love the humanity that Tony exhibits. In a way he is "everyman" as he struggles with decisions and hard choices in his life. And yet, he is larger than life, and a bit of a hero to our culture. Couple this with really fine acting and an excellent script, and a winner emerges.

I'm not into dream sequences and these were the only parts that dragged down the action, but there were only a very few throughout all the episodes. However, now that I look back on it, I'm glad they were there, because even though I was annoyed with them at the time, I can now see how they really helped develop the characters. These on-target characterizations are what drive the series and make it soar above its nearest competitors. The Sopranos on DVD is a winner in every sense of the world. And it is not only recommended for aficionados of the gangster genre. It gets my highest recommended for everyone.

On December 22, 2000, I recived the Sopranos First Season on DVD. It was a Birthday/Holiday gift form my girlfriend of 5 years. Over the course of the next week and a half, if there was any doubt of my whereabouts, it was a safe bet I was watching the next episonde. I am a 23 year old actor. My VHS collection numbers 350. My DVD collection a mere 20, however the Sopranos box set delivered more hours of riveting enjoyment than anything has in a long time. The show is, in my opinion a perfect blend of satire, drama, social comentary and fantastic story telling. Every person I introduce to the Sopranos is throughly impressed with all aspects of the series. On a personal note, I think James Gandolfini has finally given us something that Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino have long strived to achive. Gandolfini brings a familiarity to this roll that is one of the key elements to the show's success. He has created a character that is not out of reach for the veiwing audience. Edie Falco and Nancie Marchand are also invaluable components to the creation of the overall feeling of accesability. While we may not all know what it is to have an AK-47 within arms reach, we do know what it is to have a nagging mother and a confused and judgmental spouse. The icing on the cake of this series is its supporting cast, the boys at the club and kids at home create an atmosphere that is simply tantilizing to the veiwing audience. I recomend this set to mafia fans and house wives alike. Get it for the gangster in you, after all...a hit is a hit.

I always swore I would buy a DVD Player when/if Star Wars came out on DVD. But this collection made me buy one long before George Lucas got around to making DVDs. I caught a few reruns of the first season of The Sopranos before watching every episode of the second season, and I knew that I had to own the first season. I circled 12/12 on my calendar, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Sleep is for the weak. I watched every episode in sequence over the course of a few days, and I can't wait to start over. When anyone says, "Hey, I didn't get a chance to see that episode of The Sopranos," I'll gladly stop anything else and fire up the DVD player and watch with them as they fill in their blanks. Is it too early to ask when the second season will be available?

Oh yeah, an actual review might be nice. This show is addictive for too many reasons to list. All of the mini-plots mean something, all of the main characters are developed and exposed and... interesting! And no matter what you may think of mobs or the mafia or whatever, the show has a certain basic morality that works for just about anyone. Respect your elders, provide for and protect your family, mean things when you say them...

This doesn't feel like fiction. Check it out. You'll love it.

Well, that's not entirely true: I have pretty much stopped watching television and no longer get cable (which has made for a very peaceful election and post-election BTW), but it wasn't entirely due to the "The Sopranos". The show did have something to do with my decision, however, because it made me realize just how good television could potentially be (and, by contrast, just how bad and how distressingly formulaic it usually is).

"The Sopranos" is an almost startlingly original show. By now, those who do not receive HBO have at least read/heard enough about the program to have an inkling as to why it's been hailed as such a breakthrough. It does have something to do with the relatively free rein provided writer/producer David Chase by the cable network. On the other hand, the HBO imprimatur is no guarantee of quality (look at the lurid, sensationalistic, and--I admit--compellingly bad "Oz" by way of contrast). Credit has to go to Chase and co. for having come up with something quite special. It goes beyond the originality of the premise--that a Mafia Don can be as vulnerable and as screwed up as the rest of us. That same conceit was the core of the film "Analyze This" and wasn't nearly as well realized.

I think the show's success had as much to do with its authentic characters and locales (not much glamorization, going on here: Tony Soprano may be successful but he's not really big time) and its acknowledgement of moral ambiguity (personified by wife Carmela's perpetual ambivalence as well as Tony's own occasional misgivings). And of course, there's the witty dialog, the perfect casting and the aura of intelligence that the show radiates. Come to think of it, it was the best thing to hit ANY screen (large or small) in 1999.

I've been surprised by some of the reviews that have trashed this show for being stereotypical and maligning Italians. I would reject that criticism outright. What I see here are Italian Americans wrestling with their own demons. No one can deny that the Mob is alive and well, especially in the NY/NJ area. It is interesting that in the 7th or 8th episode, we are privy to a conversation between Dr. Melfi and her ex-husband about Italian defamation and the Mob. Clearly, the writers have heard the criticism and have woven it into the text of the show. I find this move masterful!

But, let's back up a bit...the whole premise of the show is that Tony Soprano can't handle the life of crime anymore. He and other characters live with regret and nightmares. Their relationships are broken and need fixed. This is a show about a particular group of Americans dealing with the dysfunctionality that life holds for us: good vs. evil, love vs. hate, truth vs. lies, forgiveness vs. vengeance. I think the show is less about Italian Americans or the Mob as it is about crime and guilt and violence and what they do to the human psyche. In that sense it is less like the Godfather than it is Pulp Fiction or Boogie Nights.

Controversy aside, the show is brilliantly written and acted. Gandolfini is superb, as is the supporting cast. What a great showcase for Nancy Marchand in the last days of her life. I am so greatful to have this series available to those of us who don't get HBO.

Certainly, it is not for children or the weak at heart, but it is thrilling to have this much power and intensity on a regular basis. For those of you who hated to see Goodfellas, Reservoir Dogs or other such films end, pick up the Sopranos. The fun, the drama, the real life just won't quit!

I have to be honest, I stayed away from the Sopranos when it first premiered thinking it would be presented in a shoddy, second-hand nature. I was completely wrong. The only word I can use to describe this show is enthralling. Once you start watching it, your hooked. The character development has a lot to do with the success of this show. Each character has his/her own set of dilemmas to deal with on a daily basis. There is no question that Jim Gandolfini is the true "star" of this series, but he is surrounded by stellar talent. Carmella, AJ, Meadow, Paulie, Christopher, Uncle Junior, Olivia, Artie, Pussy, Richie, Janice are all engaging characters that will take this show into a multitude of different directions (except the one's who get whacked). Lorraine Bracco is excellent as Dr. Melfi, and her relationship with Tony continues to thread the series as it now enters it's third season. The Sopranos is simply a well crafted, excellently scripted, and magnificently acted show which will not disappoint every time you watch it.

I'm normally not a gangster-movie watcher, so I was a bit hesitant when we first started watching the Sopranos. I was afraid it'd be a tired, stereotyped show. I was amazed at the quality of acting and screenwriting, and was sucked in immediately. I rarely watch TV, but I found myself setting aside the time when the Sopranos came on, and enjoying it immensely. My boyfriend, a NYC native, loves it as well.

It's not just about a mobster and his criminal life. Tony has a wife who is struggling with what her husband does both on and off the job, his kids are both going through heady doses of teenaged angst while buffeted by the realization that their family is funded by criminal activities. Tony's shrink is both attracted and repelled to him, and finds her professional and personal life mixing.

There's intergenerational conflict, Tony struggling to keep things going, betrayals that are completely believable, people tyring to do the right thing in a large sea of wrongness.

The characters *know* they are of a type. They joke about the Godfather movies and will mimic lines in it while on a job.

It's a show of multiple layers, and one that gives a richer feeling each time you watch it. Quite stunning when compared to a lot of the mind-rot you find on tv. I'd highly recommend the DVD not only to those who love the show, but also to those who haven't seen it yet. Give it a try - you'll find these DVDs get a lot of use.