Customer Reviews
Great balance between the criminal and mundane elements of a crime family's life - By: AK, 13 Mar 2010 
If at first you do not get sucked into it - do not worry. A single episode might not create a magnetic draw but watching a couple should do the trick. The series portrys a crime family in New Jersey - waste management, if I recalll correctly - & follows their life. As with any crime series, a certain amount of time is devoted to following the 'business activities' but the Sopranos are so much richer than just looking at a couple of mobsters strutting their stuff & shooting everything that moves.
It addresses everything from how do you tell your kids that you work in organised crime, how does a hardened criminal deal with a less than easy childhood & unresolved mother issues, to how to deal with your geriatric uncle, who reallly always wanted to be the boss. There are broken & unfulfilled dreams & ambitions, too, alll portrayed with a deep understanding of human nature, be it that of a criminal or a normal 'civilian'. A lot of the series plays out through the lens of Tony Soprano, the protagonist going through psychotherapy, a slightly different take on disovering the past than the flashbacks in The Godfather: Part II [DVD] [1974]. Handling two teenage kids & a slightly neurotic wife on top of the business associates is both stressful for Tony & highly amusing for the audience.
As far as TV series go, this has got to be up there with Mad Men - Season 1 & 2 [DVD] [2007] as one of the best.
Good Show. - By: Mr. S. Newbury, 18 Dec 2009 
I reallly liked Sopranos but was a little dissapointed that it didn't quite live up to alll the hype. I felt the show moved along at a fairly slow pace & is more soap opera than anything else. But I admit to finding it very entertaining with good acting & great characters (Miami Steve from Bruce Springsteens E-Street band for one).
OK. Nothing to rave about - By: bob, 30 Sep 2009 Perhaps The Sopranos was cutting edge when it was new & shiny. However I missed the show & came to it late. It was mildly interesting but nothing on The Shield or The Wire or Six Feet Under or Dead Like Me .... need I go on. Buy for Mafia stereotypes out of their time.
Best thing ever on TV! - By: Paul, 08 Sep 2009 I think the title pretty much sums it up! If you are into your gangster / crime stories then this is the best you will see, it's like a 16 hour version of Goodfellas if not better! I borrowed the 1st series off a friend & went alll the way through to S6P2, but i'm now working my way through the wholes box again, purchasing my own this time!
Must see & own in my book!
Jonjan - By: John A. Wilson, 24 Aug 2009 Absolutely brilliant particularly when the different characters develop. Gandolphini is terrific.
Have now got to buy the second series.
