Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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75 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally, the whole series in its entirety, July 13, 2008
This 33 disc 10 pound set will contain all 86 original episodes as well as an interview with series creator David Chase conducted by Alec Baldwin and two "Supper With the Sopranos" featurettes that will show cast members sitting down for dinner to discuss their favorite episodes. Other features include:
Sopranos Spoofs
2 CD soundtracks on 3 discs
16 page episode guide
56-page collector's album
As the Godfather saga was the view of the mafia from the executive suite, this series is a complex tale of the mafia from the working man's point of view. If you've never watched this show, you're in for an extended treat. Yes, there is violence and nudity, but it is never gratuitous and is needed to contrast Tony Soprano, the thinking man's gangster, with the reality of the life he has been born to and, quite frankly, would not ever have left even knowing how so many of his associates have ended up. Tony Soprano can discuss Sun Tzu with his therapist, then beat a man to death with a frying pan in a fit of rage, and while dismembering and disposing of the body with his nephew, take a break, sit down and watch TV while eating peanut butter out of the jar, and give that nephew advice on his upcoming marriage like they had just finished a Sunday afternoon of viewing NFL football. Even Carmella, his wife, when given a chance for a way out, finds that she really prefers life with Tony and the perks that go with it and looking the other way at his indiscretions versus life on her own. If you followed the whole thing, you know how it ends. If you didn't, trust me you've never seen a TV show end like this.
I'm looking forward to seeing all 86 episodes together over a short time period versus the very annoying long time periods between seasons that we had after the first three seasons. Remember, it took eight years (1999-2007) for the show to go from season one to season six.
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63 of 71 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
great show, disappointing packaging, November 16, 2008
I purchased this after selling my boxed sets. I wish I had just kept them. The packaging consists of a cardboard box with a cardboard "book" that has cheap cardboard sleeve inserts for the dvds so I had to buy a new case to put the dvds in to prevent scratching (if you own the Sex and the City dvd collection its almost the same concept), the ribbon that lifts the "book" out of the box became detached right away and I notice creasing that developed in the cardboard pages which makes me think they will eventually wear out and tear the pages apart. Bonus features were very disappointing, I have the Sex and the City dvd collection and they had better bonus features. There could have been montages, farewell colllections, video clips, award show scenes or something. No interviews with James Gandolfini at all! I just think HBO went cheap considering the status and impact that this show had. Whaddya gonna do about it though right?
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80 of 95 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Generation's Greatest Contribution to Pop Culture, July 14, 2008
Meet Tony Soprano. He sleeps until noon, has a boyish sense of humor, and enjoys old war movies on The History Channel. He has two high maintenance children, a more high maintenance wife, and he grew up with a controlling mother so manipulative he has to see a psychiatrist to deal with his depression and panic attacks.
And in his spare time, he runs a middling outfit of La Cosa Nostra and controls most of the organized crime in North New Jersey.
This is the set-up for the show that superseded all its predecessors and took its place at the pinnacle of television artistry. Creator David Chase's masterpiece follows Tony is his travels through his three worlds: family, work and therapy. The plot arcs are simultaneously short and long-ranging, as resolution is found in each episode and also builds toward season climaxes and long-reaching series payoffs. The end result is a television show with the grand scope of a novel, but one that doesn't forget to keep viewers interested with weekly rewards.
Probably the only series in history with more Emmy nominations (112) than episodes (86), The Sopranos has been called the greatest show ever to appear on television, the pioneer for all current successful pay cable programs and the most influential piece of pop culture over the last quarter century. In this day where novels have lost their broad appeal and 90 minute films paint on a limited canvas, Tony Soprano is destined to be the most studied and analyzed literary figure over the next few decades.
Such critical focus is not unjustified. As much as the series hinges on the many supporting characters, the show IS Tony. Women love him, men fear him and viewers are captivated by all his complexities. James Gandolfini dazzles in his performance as one of the greatest characters ever seen on stage, television or film, a man without faith in god or country, and a man whose own allegiance to both his literal and figurative families is at best tepid. Often, his inconsistent and unpredictable behavior leaves audiences confused until he lays himself open in his therapist's office, scenes that are sometimes uncomfortable to watch because of the degree of vulnerability Gandolfini allows Tony to reach.
The notoriously naughty drama contains the sex and violence consistent with an examination of the mafia, but also provides its share of tenderness. Although a habitual philanderer, Tony aspires to be a great husband, father, brother, and son, but too often he lacks the strength or skills to care about anyone but himself. His longing for a modest normal life leaks into his dreams and therapy and illuminates a man who hates what he sees in the mirror but can't do anything about it.
With a few hundred words, this review does not do justice to the monumental achievement. An entire piece could be written about the show's black comedy, culinary artistry, or exploration of familial roles. The Sopranos routinely tackled difficult subjects like caring for the elderly, Italian-American defamation, religion, homosexuality, terrorism and the many flaws in the federal government. Wrapped together with a soundtrack that's one part classic rock and one part 1960s Las Vegas, the Sopranos achieved the nearly impossible feat of being both the most entertaining/watchable show from its era and also the one that provided the most insight into the human condition and experience. Yes, seeing the loves, hates, desires and deaths of these characters made for great television and very exciting Sunday nights, but the discussions sparked from these 86 works of art will be continued on message boards and in classrooms long after we are all gone.
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