Tony's Revenge

I enjoyed this but wouldn't rate it as highly as some of the other reviewers here. Some of the scenes were a bit contrived and events were glossed over - how do you adopt a child "just like that"?

I liked the format of flashbacks and the make up department did well to age or rejuvenate some of the major characters when they moved away from events forty and thirty years previously. However, I found it odd that a couple of the actors played their old selves as well as their characters in the distant past.

Kenz was a character. The actor playing him had the council estate lingo off pat as well as the accents. The scenes with the "gangstas" in the Cités" were acutely observed. Also true to life was the way they acted like they were invincible and did so for "respect" which led to the failure of their missions on occasion. It's a complete contrast to the way the old-style gangsters operate. We grew to like Tony le Dingue aka Crazy Tony and could sympathise with his situation despite his amorality in terms of criminality.

I watched in a two-day period. I wasn't completely hooked but had no difficulty in coming back to each new episode. To me, it was a solid series rather than a brilliant one.

While European viewers may be used to this type and style of TV crime drama, there's nothing like it in the US (let's now hope that a US network doesn't decide to re-make it - they will surely fail, as they so often do). French TV has a knack of producing some superior procedurals and crime dramas and this is one of the best, fully deserving of a wider viewing audience. These eight episodes were engaging from the get-go and didn't let up from beginning to end. Gritty, with twists and turns and riveting throughout, helped by some great performances all round. The earlier reviewer outlined the story, suffice to say this could have been a run-of-the-mill escaped prisoners tale but the writing, performances and direction elevates it well above that. It's available with English sub-titles and don't be put off by them either.

Abortive heist, long-term imprisonment, successful escape, consequetive revenge crusade - topics used in several films and series. So, for the sake of novelty and attraction, one should introduce a different angle or approach; it is to my liking that this series (with UK title Tony´s Revenge - not too felicitous) has them. Although the course of events is not always smooth, the most interesting is the depiction of inter-generational differences, how the people in their 20ies and 50ies think and operate, even within crime, and how it is often difficult to arrange things and make plans. So the series has several black humour moments, even under serious and tragic events. Also, the inclusion of flashbacks is well arranged and reasoned, providing different undertones and nuances, creating variable moods and era-specific wholeness. As to the cast, I liked most of performers (although unknown to me), but it made me wonder why some characters had different actors depicting them in different ages, but others not, creating more confusion and reducing plausibilty (e.g. Claire, Janvier), as people´s looks tend to change more within 30 years. Anyhow, a good series to be followed, in line with Braquo or Engrenages, for example.

My no review spoiler is to get you to watch this show. It's really, really good. I give it an 8, which is a high rating, since I rate Breaking Bad at a perfect 10. But don't let this 8 discourage you. This is a really well made show.

There are some flaws here and there, minor things. I wish there were more episodes, some things are a tiny bit contrived, it would've been nice to use a camera stabilizer at times, etc. but this does not detract from how fun this show is to watch.

It's really really entertaining. It's thrilling and mysterious, it's funny and sad, it makes you laugh and it makes you shed a tear, the whole roller-coaster and you know what? It does all this in 8 episodes.

It does more in 8 episodes than many shows can't do over years and seasons.

Don't think this is just regular 90's-style TV. This may not be Breaking Bad quality, but it's post-Golden Era TV, that is, this is not the product of rejects from cinema, but has some of the best acting and production I've seen from France in quite some time.

It's really that good.