THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK – A Review by Hollywood Hernandez
The Many Saints of Newark is showing at theaters and streaming on HBO Max. It’s a prequel to the Sopranos series and takes viewers back to the earlier years of the series and gives you a real insight into the Soprano family.
The movie is set in the younger days of Tony Soprano, in the 60s and 70s, and shows a pre-teen and teenaged Tony. Crime and murder are the signatures of the family but more than anything it’s about family. The New Jersey mob is a tight group.
Just like in The Sopranos, the mob bosses suffer from mental issues, and they could use some counseling but hard-drinking and violence against their rivals is how they deal with their emotions.
The younger version of the crew is a real joy. Junior, Livia, and Johnny are featured as the old crew. Christopher’s father Dickie Moltisanti is featured as a mobster that Tony Soprano loves. Tony learns about how to be a criminal with Dickie’s influence.
James Gandolfini’s son Michael plays the teenage Tony and gives a great performance in the crime drama. The only issue I had was that the film is filled with too much content. The movie could have easily been a season-long series. We barely get into the story. I could have used more of the background story.
The movie is rated R for violence and lasts 2 hours. On my “Hollywood Popcorn Scale” I rate The Many Saints of Newark a JUMBO.
