Rating: 
Summary: The Astonishing First Chapter of a Great Series
Review: Quite simply put, the first season of "The Sopranos" is one of the masterpieces of modern filmmaking. Period. Few other artistic endeavors in recent years have been so indelible, so deep, so rich and haunting. From the brilliant first episode to the miraculous season finale, few other television can even come close to matching it.
Funny, because the idea sounds like a bad bar joke. Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) seems to have everything a man could want: beautiful wife Carmela (Edie Falco) and kids Meadow and A.J. (Jamie Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler), big house, and loyal friends, and a well-paying job.....as a major capo in the North Jersey mafia.
However, it's clear that life has begun to eat at Tony, and not just because of his wave-making Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianse) and cantankerous mother Livia (Nancy Marchand). In general, he feels that he's, "...come in at the end; the best is over." Such feelings of doubt eventually climax with a panic attack, brought on by the departue of a family of ducks that took up roost in the Soprano family's pool. So, Tony begins therapy with Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco).
The idea of a mafioso on the shrink's coach could have been facile at best, ludicrious at worst. Instead, Tony and Melfi's sessions become the backbone of season 1. More than any other season, creator David Chase uses these scenes not only to illuminate the profoundly complicated psyche of his chief protagonist, but to show us a whole new world that look startling like our own.
Indeed, one of "The Sopranos" chief traits is the naturalism of the settings, and the artful banality of the surroundings further underscores the show's often brutal content (physical, emotional, or otherwise).
In another audacious and off-kilter move, Chase constantly messes with what the cliches we have come to associate with the Mob. Sure, Carmela seems like a gum-snapping cliche at first glance. But she turns out to be a deeply conflicted woman desperately trying to find peace with her conscience. Yes, Livia seems like a dottering old crank, but there's cool calculation under every move. And of course, there's Tony....a seeming model of italiano machismo who begins to find peace by talking about his feeligns with a female psychiatrist.
While "The Sopranos" often takes on an epic feel (particularly in the brilliant Season 1 plotlines of Junior and Livia's scheming against Tony that finally becomes an attempt on his life), it's this down-to-earth honesty and eye for detail (Livia's favorite newspaper section? the obituaries) that raises it to greatness.
And every cast member is perfect. Bracco nails every line with the correct balance of professional fear and honest concern. Falco is a marvel as she details a strong but morally compromised woman trying to find peace with God and common ground with her husband. Marchand gives one of the great TV performances; her every move is hilarious, terrifying, and sad (one of my favorite lines; Livia on a depressed Tony: "You should see the way he comes down to the dinna table....in his beathrobe at seven a clock in the evening!"). And standing in the center is Gandolfini, who is extraordinary.
In the end, words don't do justice to the subtlety, grace, eloquence, and rough-hewn profoundity of Season 1. So....buy it already!! All the hype doesn't give this magnificent achievement its proper due.Final Note- Although every episode is wonderful, "College", "Boca", "Isabella", and "I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano" stand out as instant classics.
Rating:
Summary: I love the full season in one package
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: not mario puzo material
Review: i thought that the sopranos was good at first, but too much of a good thing can be bad. I am half italian, and some of this stuff is a real insult. i paid £30 for the siries idividualy, and the're brilliant to have. 4 stars max
Rating: 
Summary: I would buy it if it were cheaper!
Review: I have to say that this series is brilliant. The first season grabs you. However, not being rich denies me certain priveleges, such as owning this series on dvd. I mean, come on! The first season is going for $40-50, used!! I just can't afford it, and you're lucky if you can! This would get a much better review if HBO made it more affordable. No matter how good it is, it doesn't make me want to go bankrupt buying it! Just because it's critically acclaimed shouldn't make it instantly expensive.
Rating:
Summary: Larger than life and full of humor, irreverence and humanity
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The Sopranos Season 1 - An incredible series!
Review: "Family Redefined" is what it says on the cover of the boxed DVD set and has been one of the predominant themes behind "The Sopranos" and that theme couldn't be more accurate. Over the years there has been so many mob movies and television series, but few, if any, have taken a look at the mob life as such as "The Sopranos" has. From the very beginning of this outstanding series, you the viewer know that something very special in the world of television is playing out before your eyes. Very few shows on television today draw my interest, but this series has quite easily drawn me into the fold. The entire atmosphere is completely and thoroughly intriguing as you see Tony Soprano, New Jersey crime family Capo and de-facto boss go through all of the troubles he's having between trying to balance his home life with his wife and kids, his Russian girlfriend and "the" family and all of its idiosyncrasies and the daily predicaments that come about in that life. All of which brings him to his mother who has been driving him nuts all of his life. Between all of the other things in his life and his mother, you now have the very basic core of what makes this show so interesting, a crime boss who finds that he must see a therapist to try and cope with it all. All of the actors and actresses in this series deserve all of the accolades they've received and continue to receive for bringing to life this exceptional story. Show creator, writer and director David Chase, has proven with "The Sopranos" what a pure genius he is. One of the main things I like about the writing and directing for this incredible series is the way they can drop tidbits of information here and there and the payoff for that information may come during that episode or it may not come until the next show or several shows down the road, all showing what serious and genius thought is going into the show. Could there have been another main title song for the series, yes, but it wouldn't have been nearly as appropriate. DVD Features: Another of my favorite features is the way the DVD's are set up with episode index and the "previously" and "next on" features. Of course, given that this series is on HBO, these features were sure to be added. Episodes: The Sopranos - This is the premier episode that serves beautifully to in establishing some of the premises to this outstanding series that has won so many awards! Tony Soprano, a Capo in a New Jersey crime family is having panic attacks and starts seeing a therapist. Along with the scenes with him and the therapist there are some great "mob" scenes. 46 Long - After some serious incidents, Tony is finally able to get his mother in a "retirement community" and Christopher and friend Brendan are getting into Uncle Junior's business. Anger, Denial, Acceptance - Issues between Tony and Junior are coming to a head and Meadow seeks out Christopher to "help" her and her friend study for the SAT's. Meadowlands - Tony now finds himself dreaming about Dr. Melfi and goes so far as to have her followed by a degenerate cop who is on his payroll. Junior teaches Christopher a hard lesson. With the tension rising between Tony and his Uncle Junior he has to come up with a solution to the crisis before all out war breaks out in the family. College - This is a brilliantly written episode that touches on the poignant and at the same time furthers the series by showing both sides of Tony's personality. Tony is taking Meadow on a trip to visit several prospective colleges and he happens to notice someone who had ratted out several years earlier. Pax Soprana - To smooth things out in the family, Tony supports Junior becoming Boss, although everybody but Junior and his crew knows that it's Tony running things. Of course, given Junior's homicidal tendencies, he's not making it easy for Tony. We start to see signs here that the FBI is taking a closer look at the family as well. Down Neck - Anthony Jr. is having problems at school and is suspended. As part of his "punishment" he is made to visit his grandmother at the nursing home and he reveals a family secret to Livia that will have serious ramifications. The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti - The word is out that the FBI is moving in and it's time to clean house and Livia lets slip to Junior Tony's secret. Boca - The tension between Tony and Junior builds up even higher as Tony now has a secret about him as well. A Hit is a Hit - Christopher and Adriana makes an attempt to get into the music business and Tony is encouraged to socialize with "regular" people. Nobody Knows Anything - Tony finds out there's a rat in the mist and it's supposed to be one of his best friends, who he hopes it's not. Livia continues to stir the pot with Junior and he makes his ultimate decision. Isabella - Tony is severely depressed and he "meets" an extraordinarily beautiful exchange student. Junior takes his shot at Tony! I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano - In this incredible season closer the whole season comes to a head as it becomes clear who the rat is and the Feds play a tape for Tony, making it perfectly clear who made an attempt on his life. {ssintrepid} Episode list: The Sopranos
46 Long
Denial, Anger, Acceptance
Meadowlands
College
Pax Soprana
Down Neck
The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti
Boca
A Hit is a Hit
Nobody Knows Anything
Isabella I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano Special Features: - Interview with Sopranos creator David Chase by Peter Bogdanovich
- 2 Behind the Scenes Featurettes
Rating:
Summary: THE SOPRANOS HIT A HIGH NOTE...
Review: My son is a big Sopranos fan, so I bought him the set for Christmas. I myself had seen maybe two or three episodes on cable and had enjoyed them. So, when he began watching, I was right there watching with him. What a terrific show. It is absolutely gripping. It is a marvelously creative series with a stellar cast. For those of you who have been visiting relatives in Antarctica for the past several years, the story revolves around the mob in New Jersey. It centers on one family specifically, the Sopranos, headed by Anthony Soprano (James Gandolfini), who is married to his loyal childhood sweetheart, Carmela (Edie DeFalco). Together they have two children, Meadow and Anthony, Jr. Tony's dangerously manipulative mother, Livia (Nancy Marchand), is bound for a retirement home, if Tony has any say. Tony, however, has another family, comprised of a bunch of murderous henchmen, who occasionally march to the tune of a different drummer, and a Russian mistress. Trying to balance all this has given Tony panic attacks, so he goes to a psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), whose relationship with her client alternates between fear and fascination. The writing for this series is splendid and the interweaving of comedic and familial moments with the darker, more violent ones provides the viewer with an intelligently woven plot. James Gandolfini is outstanding as Tony Soprano, a powerful mob boss, who can also be a teddy bear of a guy and a good friend, unless you are perceived to have been disloyal. Then, you may kiss your buns goodbye. Tony is mercurial, sexy, fearful, cautious, and, given the right circumstances, deadly. He is a fascinating and beguiling character. Edie DeFalco is warm, funny, loyal, and the glue that binds their immediate family together. Yet, she too has her own sting, and she knows the power that her husband has. She is not above using it herself, if necessary. The late Nancy Marchand was terrific as Livia, the manipulative, scheming mother. She will be missed, as she was quite a character. All in all, this is a great show and a great set to own. I have already seen the first, second, and third seasons. I now can't wait for the fourth season to be released.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond what I ever expected
Review: I must say that watching the first season of the Sopranos (having never even seen an episode before)... I am completely and utterly addicted and nothing can pull me away. I bought the box set on dvd because I knew about all the awards the show had won and people often commented on the series. Within the first ten minutes of watching the first episode I knew I was hooked. So many little mini-stories all revolving around one person, this is an unpredictable moving and emotional series filled with humor that just makes you spit your coke out. My favorite scenes are ones involving Tony Soprano and his psychiatrist. Dr. Melfi: "What is your most loving warm thing you can remember about your mother?" Tony (laughing hysterically): "Well this one time my dad fell down the stairs and me and my mom just laughed and laughed and laughed..." and then the shrink just crinkles her forehead. It's the little moments like that - that REALLY tie this movie together. Then the unbelievable scenes with his senile mother who wants her own son killed because he put her in a nursing home even though it really is a "retirement community" which I thought was a little funny. With the old mother running over her friend with the Buick, lots of betrayal, lust, hallucinations (aka Isabella), unbelievable dreams, and an obsession with ducks.... this entire season is a must have for any fan of Mobster movies. This whole season had many wonderful episodes, explosive storylines, and gripping scenes that are unforgettable and will be memorable for a long long time.
Rating:
Summary: The Sopranos Season 1 - An incredible series!
Review: "Family Redefined" is what it says on the cover of the boxed DVD set and has been one of the predominant themes behind "The Sopranos" and that theme couldn't be more accurate. Over the years there has been so many mob movies and television series, but few, if any, have taken a look at the mob life as such as "The Sopranos" has. From the very beginning of this outstanding series, you the viewer know that something very special in the world of television is playing out before your eyes. Very few shows on television today draw my interest, but this series has quite easily drawn me into the fold. The entire atmosphere is completely and thoroughly intriguing as you see Tony Soprano, New Jersey crime family Capo and de-facto boss go through all of the troubles he's having between trying to balance his home life with his wife and kids, his Russian girlfriend and "the" family and all of its idiosyncrasies and the daily predicaments that come about in that life. All of which brings him to his mother who has been driving him nuts all of his life. Between all of the other things in his life and his mother, you now have the very basic core of what makes this show so interesting, a crime boss who finds that he must see a therapist to try and cope with it all. All of the actors and actresses in this series deserve all of the accolades they've received and continue to receive for bringing to life this exceptional story. Show creator, writer and director David Chase, has proven with "The Sopranos" what a pure genius he is. One of the main things I like about the writing and directing for this incredible series is the way they can drop tidbits of information here and there and the payoff for that information may come during that episode or it may not come until the next show or several shows down the road, all showing what serious and genius thought is going into the show. Could there have been another main title song for the series, yes, but it wouldn't have been nearly as appropriate. DVD Features: Another of my favorite features is the way the DVD's are set up with episode index and the "previously" and "next on" features. Of course, given that this series is on HBO, these features were sure to be added. Episodes: The Sopranos - This is the premier episode that serves beautifully to in establishing some of the premises to this outstanding series that has won so many awards! Tony Soprano, a Capo in a New Jersey crime family is having panic attacks and starts seeing a therapist. Along with the scenes with him and the therapist there are some great "mob" scenes. 46 Long - After some serious incidents, Tony is finally able to get his mother in a "retirement community" and Christopher and friend Brendan are getting into Uncle Junior's business. Anger, Denial, Acceptance - Issues between Tony and Junior are coming to a head and Meadow seeks out Christopher to "help" her and her friend study for the SAT's. Meadowlands - Tony now finds himself dreaming about Dr. Melfi and goes so far as to have her followed by a degenerate cop who is on his payroll. Junior teaches Christopher a hard lesson. With the tension rising between Tony and his Uncle Junior he has to come up with a solution to the crisis before all out war breaks out in the family. College - This is a brilliantly written episode that touches on the poignant and at the same time furthers the series by showing both sides of Tony's personality. Tony is taking Meadow on a trip to visit several prospective colleges and he happens to notice someone who had ratted out several years earlier. Pax Soprana - To smooth things out in the family, Tony supports Junior becoming Boss, although everybody but Junior and his crew knows that it's Tony running things. Of course, given Junior's homicidal tendencies, he's not making it easy for Tony. We start to see signs here that the FBI is taking a closer look at the family as well. Down Neck - Anthony Jr. is having problems at school and is suspended. As part of his "punishment" he is made to visit his grandmother at the nursing home and he reveals a family secret to Livia that will have serious ramifications. The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti - The word is out that the FBI is moving in and it's time to clean house and Livia lets slip to Junior Tony's secret. Boca - The tension between Tony and Junior builds up even higher as Tony now has a secret about him as well. A Hit is a Hit - Christopher and Adriana makes an attempt to get into the music business and Tony is encouraged to socialize with "regular" people. Nobody Knows Anything - Tony finds out there's a rat in the mist and it's supposed to be one of his best friends, who he hopes it's not. Livia continues to stir the pot with Junior and he makes his ultimate decision. Isabella - Tony is severely depressed and he "meets" an extraordinarily beautiful exchange student. Junior takes his shot at Tony! I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano - In this incredible season closer the whole season comes to a head as it becomes clear who the rat is and the Feds play a tape for Tony, making it perfectly clear who made an attempt on his life. {ssintrepid} Episode list: The Sopranos
46 Long
Denial, Anger, Acceptance
Meadowlands
College
Pax Soprana
Down Neck
The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti
Boca
A Hit is a Hit
Nobody Knows Anything
Isabella I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano Special Features: - Interview with Sopranos creator David Chase by Peter Bogdanovich
- 2 Behind the Scenes Featurettes
Rating:
Summary: Television's Best Ever
Review: Meet Tony Soprano. He lives in the New Jersey suburbs of New York City, has two teenage children, a demanding wife and a mother whose years of controlling manipulation have caused him to see a psychiatrist. He likes to sleep until noon, feed the ducks that nested in his pool and watch old screw-ball comedies. And in his spare time, he is an under boss in the New Jersey Mafia. This is the set-up for the television show that has superceded all its predecessors and taken 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 the series being one giant entity. Each episode leaks into the other, but amazingly can stand alone as an autonomous work of art. The end result is a television show with the grand scope of a novel, while not forgetting to lead viewers along with weekly payoffs. Season One deals with three main issues. The first is the power struggle between Tony and his Uncle Junior, as they battle over control of their Mafia family. Second is Tony's mother's deteriorating physical and mental capacities and his decision to place her in a nursing home (or as he calls it "a retirement community"). Lastly, the season's spine is Tony's relationship with his therapist. Much of what the viewer knows about his work and his family comes from therapy sessions with Dr Melfi, as he opens up about the turmoil all around him. 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 him and all his complexities. James Gandolfini dazzles in his performance as one of the greatest characters ever seen on stage, television or film. Shakespeare would have been proud of such a creation. Many love the show for the sex and violence, but there is so much more to this series. Yes, it entertains, but it also provokes thought. The show comments on the merits of the therapy, addresses both sides of Italian defamation, and constantly deals with the difficulties of raising children in modern times. Nothing produced by the entertainment industry in the past thirty years is more thoroughly satisfying than The Sopranos, and Season One may be the height of its creative appeal. It is a show not to be missed by anyone.
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