robertmaybeth

When I first heard of this "Sopranos" prequel I wasn't expecting much. Even though it was said that many of the original actors were being worked into the story somehow, I thought it would be an impossible task to approach the brilliance of the series.

For once, I'm glad to say my low expectations were exceeded with plenty of room to spare. This may be because the original creator, David Chase, was involved in the production. But whatever the reason for it, "Saints" is a masterful prequel to the original "Sopranos" that captivated millions of viewers. And if anything, it is certain proof that it deserves a spin-off series.

The usual issue with prequels, even those as great as "Saints", is we already know the fates of many characters in advance. We know who has air-tight plot armor and who's expendable - and this can serve to water down the plot, because it removes much of the tension from the narrative. But in "Saints" the skillful blending of a new mix of important characters, causes this particular plot annoyance to affect the story-telling not at all.

For some reason "Saints" only has slightly over a 6 rating and that's a bit of a "crime". The acting, the story, and the masterful job the writers did with mixing old and new storylines is at times stunning. There isn't a misstep, bad character, or wasted scene in the entire production. "Saints" captures the look and feel of the original with room to spare. It seamlessly adds in new players and storylines in a way that somehow, seems to actually exceed the original series.

"The many saints of Newark" is a fine addition to the "Sopranos" mythos. And one hopes that a series, for which this film was obviously intended to pave the way for, might actually be in the works.

This documentary is what "Vietnam the 10,000 Day war" from 1983 aimed to be, but never quite attained. The visual style, narration, (by actor Peter Coyote) writing, soundtrack and editing, although sometimes shocking and always graphic, are nothing less than masterful. The series earns its IMDB rating of 9 with room to spare... flawlessly done in a way that few other TV documentary series of its kind have ever achieved. While sometimes painful to watch, it manages to encapsulate much of the Vietnam experience for future generations who's only question might be, "what was the Vietnam war all about?"

If you only watch one documentary about the Vietnam war, it should be this one.