Not since the height of the American Western has there been a film genre where we find ourselves rooting for the bad guys and booing the good guys. Yesterday’s Jesse James and Billy The Kid have become Michael Corleone and Tony Soprano. Add to the mix that The Sopranos have totally revolutionized the face of the television drama. It’s no fluke that this show dominates nearly every Emmy category there is. The cinematography is feature film quality. The cast is high end and the writing is gutsy and tight. Make no mistake about it. Season Four was not the best Sopranos by any measure. Still, even at its weakest, the show delivers what most shows can’t at their best.
Audio
This show is driven primarily by the dialogue. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track offered here delivers each and every unrefusable offer. The music is totally source tunes so there isn’t much more needed from this mix. The occasional ambient sound is usually integrated well enough into the track to avoid distracting you from what’s really important.
Video
The Sopranos is presented in its original broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 which is perfect for 16:9 sets. The transfer is flawless. Colors are rich and detail is sharp. Darks are quite deep. Expect feature film quality here at all times. You will not find better television on any other DVD.
Special Features
You’ll find handy recaps for each of the first three seasons in case you’re foolish enough not to have them in your collection already.
Commentary tracks on four episodes are worth the listen. David Chase is particularly interesting as is Michael Imperioli (Christopher)
Final Thoughts
What are you sitting around reading this for? You should be watching The Sopranos on DVD. Season 5 is expected to begin this spring. Who’s going to get whacked? Watching this set is the perfect way to prepare for the next HBO episode to air. Anyway it sure beats having “A 90 pound mole removed from your ass”.
