James-Gandolfini Movie Reviews

This film is based on a true story, where a blue-collar working man finds a bag of money that literally fell off an armored truck. The pandemonium and hilarity that follows is beautifully presented by John Cusack, definitely one of the best actors of our time. I've been following Cusack's films from Class in the 1980s through today, and I have not once been disappointed by his performance. He is in top form here, making the viewer wish that they both were and weren't in his shoes. Benicio del Toro is hilarious as a swindler, and Debi Mazar is pretty good as Cusack's on-again, off-again love interest. Gandolfini of HBO's The Sopranos also costars, and is fantastic as usual. If you like any of the actors mentioned, or just want to see a good film about a real event that seems unbelievable, get your hands on this one!

Don't let this film pass you by. Often stashed in the 'comedy' section of the video shelves this film is often more tense drama due to the fact it is based on actual events. In 1981 unemployed laborer Joey Coyle and his pal drive through the back streets of rotting industrial Philadelphia after another unsuccessful day of looking for work. In the middle of the street they find what Coyle thinks might make a good tool box. It in fact has fallen from an armored truck and contains over a million dollars. There is humor, but more anxiety along the way as John Cusak, who portrays Coyle stuggles with what to do next. Michael Madsen gives an excellent performance as a detective from the same neighborhood who urges a reward that will be enough for the impoverished locals to buy a house. Maury Chaykin has a memorable scene as a mob boss trying to swindle Cusak and explains why Ben Franklin is his favorite currency portrait. A heartbreaking and tragic look at 1980's recession America.

I just seen Money For Nothing and I think it was a great movie that kept me entertaining. The true story of Joey Coyle was very interesting because some people who find 1.2 million dollars out of a Armored car are shelfish enough to keep it and do goofy things to try to get away with it . This film was shot in locations I was filmilar with including the Old Airport and near monoghela river in my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. John Cusack was just great.

This movie is incredible! Christopher Walken's role is one of his best. Val Kilmer as Elvis - how cool is that! Well written and wonderfully portrayed - it is one of the best movies of the decade!

Do I really have to say it? This is the best tv show ever made. Forget that, this is the best thing ever recorded on film. I bought the first and second seasons without ever seeing an episode, and I ended up watching all 26 episodes (about 26 hours, mind you) in less than a week. And I have a life! It's that good. I must admit - I enjoyed the Godfather series and Goodfellas was a classic...but still none of them compare to a season of the Sopranos. The show has intelligence, humor, and a perfect amount of violence and sex that makes it realistic without making those things the focus. My mother hates violence and mafia movies. She watched five episodes in a row. I have skipped classes in college and showed up late for work because I didn't want to turn off the tv. From the opening theme song and camera shots of north jersey to the final credits, you CAN NOT stop watching. Every single episode is exciting and I guarantee you can't just watch one. The only thing I would warn about is that, even though it shows the downside, this show WILL make you consider a life of crime.

When I bought the collected first season, I watched it non-stop one weekend. This came out on a Tuesday and I was up late watching the second season and it was so good that I did the unthinkable: I called in sick on Wednesday and stayed home and finished watching the second season! I'd only seen an occasional episode of The Sopranos (the first one I saw was the kind of weak episode where they go to Naples -- where I happened to have served in the Navy...). The first season collection made a fan of me and my family got HBO just so we could watch the series. I got caught up with the second season and am now waiting week to week as the third season unfolds. Even though I'll have seen all of the third season's repeats, when that collection comes out I am going to buy it, too! These well-written, well-acted shows are great and prove that there is intelligent life out there in TV-land. This is just great through and through. Highly recommended (though I'd suggest trying to get a used copy to save some bucks). FIVE STARS and it earns every one of 'em!

Here we're all feeling sympathetic toward poor Carmella and she pops off and uses that mob connection, baby. Her mama didn't raise no fool! NICE season here, folks. A bad night of Sopranos beats the best night of just about everything else. So, whaddya waiting for, eh? bada Bing! Get the tapes!
This is the season in which Tony and his mother split irrevocably. The show explodes as Tony faces the truth about his mother--both in therapy and in real life. We think, o.k. now he'll have some peace. Oh, no, along came Janice, the sister, and grew a head in his mother's place. She is a piece of work and Aida Turturro delivers here.

To be able to sit and watch the entire season at once is indescribable joy! Get the tapes!

Yes. I will admit it. I have never seen The Sopranos, until now. But what a great idea to release the series on DVD for all to see. The first 13 episodes of the first season (and as of this writing Season One, Two,Three and Four are available)are all on DVD and the series still continues and can be seen on HBO--Home Box Office. This night time soap opera is about a family who has a gangster as a father, Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini, who gained thirty pounds for the role). He tries to talk his mother into going into a retirement community building after she has had some dangerous incidents of her own. Tony's male friends and family are also in the organized crime business. Tony's daughter and 13-year old son do not know what their father does on the side, but are getting suspicious. By the way, Tony owns a bar with strip-girls (and one in-joke strip guy) and he is seeing a female psychiatrist every week to sort out his feelings. Adults Only! Includes violence, nudity and foul language. Disc #4 includes in "Special features", a 77-minute interview with David Chase. Featurette #1, "Family Life" is four minutes long. Featurette #2, "Meet Tony Soprano" runs 3 and a half minutes, Awards and Nominations and Cast Biographies. Note: If you cannot find episode 13 on Disc 4, try this. Go to "Language Selection" and click "resume episode".

My son is a big Sopranos fan, so I bought him the set for Christmas. I myself had seen maybe two or three episodes on cable and had enjoyed them. So, when he began watching, I was right there watching with him. What a terrific show. It is absolutely gripping.

It is a marvelously creative series with a stellar cast. For those of you who have been visiting relatives in Antarctica for the past several years, the story revolves around the mob in New Jersey. It centers on one family specifically, the Sopranos, headed by Anthony Soprano (James Gandolfini), who is married to his loyal childhood sweetheart, Carmela (Edie DeFalco). Together they have two children, Meadow and Anthony, Jr. Tony's dangerously manipulative mother, Livia (Nancy Marchand), is bound for a retirement home, if Tony has any say.

Tony, however, has another family, comprised of a bunch of murderous henchmen, who occasionally march to the tune of a different drummer, and a Russian mistress. Trying to balance all this has given Tony panic attacks, so he goes to a psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), whose relationship with her client alternates between fear and fascination.

The writing for this series is splendid and the interweaving of comedic and familial moments with the darker, more violent ones provides the viewer with an intelligently woven plot. James Gandolfini is outstanding as Tony Soprano, a powerful mob boss, who can also be a teddy bear of a guy and a good friend, unless you are perceived to have been disloyal. Then, you may kiss your buns goodbye. Tony is mercurial, sexy, fearful, cautious, and, given the right circumstances, deadly. He is a fascinating and beguiling character. Edie DeFalco is warm, funny, loyal, and the glue that binds their immediate family together. Yet, she too has her own sting, and she knows the power that her husband has. She is not above using it herself, if necessary. The late Nancy Marchand was terrific as Livia, the manipulative, scheming mother. She will be missed, as she was quite a character.

All in all, this is a great show and a great set to own. I have already seen the first, second, and third seasons. I now can't wait for the fourth season to be released.

Once again--see Sex and the City--HBO has had the good sense to release a show with an entire season in one package, as compared to the horrible dribbling of, say, 3 Twilight Zone episodes at a time. Why don't they put out the whole of "Dobie Gillis" or "I'm Dickens, He's Fenster" in one nice, juicy package. I'd buy.

But quite aside from that. The Sopranos is at the absolute highest level of visual art. No movie and certainly no TV is at a higher level. I am amazed at how much I've seen in an episode on first viewing and then how much more on second and third viewing. There are lots of little things, connections, that emerge on repeated, highly pleasurable viewings. There are so many surprising details, little throwaway lines, cues that lead to something later on, that really show the filmmakers respected the intelligence of the viewer.

The richness of the interwoven comedy and drama, the inventive ways found to tell the multiple stories--I love it. I love all the actors, but would just take a minute to single out Nancy Marchand, who plays one of the most marvelous mother characters ever recorded. The merging of comedy and drama in her performance is sublime. Every little line matters. The way she walks. Everything she does is beyond wonderful.

The greatness of The Sopranos you've heard about is really true. You will not regret having this set on your shelf to watch over and over again.

Yes. I will admit it. I have never seen The Sopranos, until now. But what a great idea to release the series on DVD for all to see. The first 13 episodes of the first season (and as of this writing Season One, Two,Three and Four are available)are all on DVD and the series still continues and can be seen on HBO--Home Box Office. This night time soap opera is about a family who has a gangster as a father, Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini, who gained thirty pounds for the role). He tries to talk his mother into going into a retirement community building after she has had some dangerous incidents of her own. Tony's male friends and family are also in the organized crime business. Tony's daughter and 13-year old son do not know what their father does on the side, but are getting suspicious. By the way, Tony owns a bar with strip-girls (and one in-joke strip guy) and he is seeing a female psychiatrist every week to sort out his feelings. Adults Only! Includes violence, nudity and foul language. Disc #4 includes in "Special features", a 77-minute interview with David Chase. Featurette #1, "Family Life" is four minutes long. Featurette #2, "Meet Tony Soprano" runs 3 and a half minutes, Awards and Nominations and Cast Biographies. Note: If you cannot find episode 13 on Disc 4, try this. Go to "Language Selection" and click "resume episode".

My son is a big Sopranos fan, so I bought him the set for Christmas. I myself had seen maybe two or three episodes on cable and had enjoyed them. So, when he began watching, I was right there watching with him. What a terrific show. It is absolutely gripping.

It is a marvelously creative series with a stellar cast. For those of you who have been visiting relatives in Antarctica for the past several years, the story revolves around the mob in New Jersey. It centers on one family specifically, the Sopranos, headed by Anthony Soprano (James Gandolfini), who is married to his loyal childhood sweetheart, Carmela (Edie DeFalco). Together they have two children, Meadow and Anthony, Jr. Tony's dangerously manipulative mother, Livia (Nancy Marchand), is bound for a retirement home, if Tony has any say.

Tony, however, has another family, comprised of a bunch of murderous henchmen, who occasionally march to the tune of a different drummer, and a Russian mistress. Trying to balance all this has given Tony panic attacks, so he goes to a psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), whose relationship with her client alternates between fear and fascination.

The writing for this series is splendid and the interweaving of comedic and familial moments with the darker, more violent ones provides the viewer with an intelligently woven plot. James Gandolfini is outstanding as Tony Soprano, a powerful mob boss, who can also be a teddy bear of a guy and a good friend, unless you are perceived to have been disloyal. Then, you may kiss your buns goodbye. Tony is mercurial, sexy, fearful, cautious, and, given the right circumstances, deadly. He is a fascinating and beguiling character. Edie DeFalco is warm, funny, loyal, and the glue that binds their immediate family together. Yet, she too has her own sting, and she knows the power that her husband has. She is not above using it herself, if necessary. The late Nancy Marchand was terrific as Livia, the manipulative, scheming mother. She will be missed, as she was quite a character.

All in all, this is a great show and a great set to own. I have already seen the first, second, and third seasons. I now can't wait for the fourth season to be released.

Once again--see Sex and the City--HBO has had the good sense to release a show with an entire season in one package, as compared to the horrible dribbling of, say, 3 Twilight Zone episodes at a time. Why don't they put out the whole of "Dobie Gillis" or "I'm Dickens, He's Fenster" in one nice, juicy package. I'd buy.

But quite aside from that. The Sopranos is at the absolute highest level of visual art. No movie and certainly no TV is at a higher level. I am amazed at how much I've seen in an episode on first viewing and then how much more on second and third viewing. There are lots of little things, connections, that emerge on repeated, highly pleasurable viewings. There are so many surprising details, little throwaway lines, cues that lead to something later on, that really show the filmmakers respected the intelligence of the viewer.

The richness of the interwoven comedy and drama, the inventive ways found to tell the multiple stories--I love it. I love all the actors, but would just take a minute to single out Nancy Marchand, who plays one of the most marvelous mother characters ever recorded. The merging of comedy and drama in her performance is sublime. Every little line matters. The way she walks. Everything she does is beyond wonderful.

The greatness of The Sopranos you've heard about is really true. You will not regret having this set on your shelf to watch over and over again.

Another masterpiece from screenwriter Quentin Tarrantino ( Reservoir Dogs & Pulp Fiction) direcyed by Tony Scott ( The Last Boy Scout) True Rommance is a high-thrilled rommantic tale with a auwsome cast ever to be put together.

Clarence Worley (Christain Slater) a commic book clerk obsessed with Kung-Fu and John Woo films, meets a call girl Alabama (Patricia Arquete) at a movie theater, they fall in love and get married and confronts her pimp Drexl ( Gary Oldman)kills him and stills a suitecase full of cocain that belongs to the Italian mob lead by ( Christopher Walken) who shares a auwsome sceen with ( Dennis Hooper) who plays clarence's dad.

Clarence and Alabama go on a road trip to Los Angles and are relentlessly being followed by the mafia trying to reclaim their property and the cops who all get caught in the middle of a thousand smoking barrels of bullets.

There's plenty of fammiliar faces of actors in short roles, Samuel L. Jackson as a big time pimp, Bradd Pitt as a big time stoner James Gandolfini (before is stardom on the The Sopranos) as a sadistic hitman who gets into a fight with Alabama.

This has to be one of the most Tarrantino production ever made even thogh It came out a year before Pulp Fiction and a year after Resevoir Dogs.True Romance has more Hype to it and is enjoyable for beginging to end we will never see anything like this anymore.

1# Reservoir Dogs

2# True Romance

3# Pulp Fiction

What can you say about a guy who has the King as a Guardian Angel? Either he is as star-crossed as the King was, or he is very lucky. Lots of action and hilarious dialogue. With all the cameos, you may even find your favorite actor in here.

Before Pulp Fiction made him a household name, Quentin Tarantino wrote this ultra violent crime fantasy which was directed by Tony Scott. Here we meet Clarence (Christian Slater) and Alabama (Patricia Arquette); two star crossed lovers who embark on a cross country road trip with a very large amount of stolen mafia cocaine. What results is the two running and gunning their way culminating in a Mexican standoff with cops, crooks, and the mob. Did I mention that Clarence also talks to the ghost of Elvis (Val Kilmer) whenever he goes to the bathroom? Tarantino's penchant for witty, pulpy dialog seems a bit underused here in comparison with his other projects (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown), but Scott's frantic bloody direction makes True Romance stand on it's own. The rest of the great cast includes Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, Michael Rapaport, Bronson Pinchot (who steals many a scene), Samuel L. Jackson, James Gandolfini, Chris Penn, and Tom Sizemore in supporting roles; most of which give memorable performances. Warner Bros. really put together a great DVD package here, and while the other special features are standard, the commentaries by Scott, Slater and Arquette, and especially Tarantino, are worth owning the film for alone.

Another masterpiece from screenwriter Quentin Tarrantino ( Reservoir Dogs & Pulp Fiction) direcyed by Tony Scott ( The Last Boy Scout) True Rommance is a high-thrilled rommantic tale with a auwsome cast ever to be put together.

Clarence Worley (Christain Slater) a commic book clerk obsessed with Kung-Fu and John Woo films, meets a call girl Alabama (Patricia Arquete) at a movie theater, they fall in love and get married and confronts her pimp Drexl ( Gary Oldman)kills him and stills a suitecase full of cocain that belongs to the Italian mob lead by ( Christopher Walken) who shares a auwsome sceen with ( Dennis Hooper) who plays clarence's dad.

Clarence and Alabama go on a road trip to Los Angles and are relentlessly being followed by the mafia trying to reclaim their property and the cops who all get caught in the middle of a thousand smoking barrels of bullets.

There's plenty of fammiliar faces of actors in short roles, Samuel L. Jackson as a big time pimp, Bradd Pitt as a big time stoner James Gandolfini (before is stardom on the The Sopranos) as a sadistic hitman who gets into a fight with Alabama.

This has to be one of the most Tarrantino production ever made even thogh It came out a year before Pulp Fiction and a year after Resevoir Dogs.True Romance has more Hype to it and is enjoyable for beginging to end we will never see anything like this anymore.

1# Reservoir Dogs

2# True Romance

3# Pulp Fiction

What can you say about a guy who has the King as a Guardian Angel? Either he is as star-crossed as the King was, or he is very lucky. Lots of action and hilarious dialogue. With all the cameos, you may even find your favorite actor in here.

Before Pulp Fiction made him a household name, Quentin Tarantino wrote this ultra violent crime fantasy which was directed by Tony Scott. Here we meet Clarence (Christian Slater) and Alabama (Patricia Arquette); two star crossed lovers who embark on a cross country road trip with a very large amount of stolen mafia cocaine. What results is the two running and gunning their way culminating in a Mexican standoff with cops, crooks, and the mob. Did I mention that Clarence also talks to the ghost of Elvis (Val Kilmer) whenever he goes to the bathroom? Tarantino's penchant for witty, pulpy dialog seems a bit underused here in comparison with his other projects (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown), but Scott's frantic bloody direction makes True Romance stand on it's own. The rest of the great cast includes Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, Michael Rapaport, Bronson Pinchot (who steals many a scene), Samuel L. Jackson, James Gandolfini, Chris Penn, and Tom Sizemore in supporting roles; most of which give memorable performances. Warner Bros. really put together a great DVD package here, and while the other special features are standard, the commentaries by Scott, Slater and Arquette, and especially Tarantino, are worth owning the film for alone.

Another masterpiece from screenwriter Quentin Tarrantino ( Reservoir Dogs & Pulp Fiction) direcyed by Tony Scott ( The Last Boy Scout) True Rommance is a high-thrilled rommantic tale with a auwsome cast ever to be put together.

Clarence Worley (Christain Slater) a commic book clerk obsessed with Kung-Fu and John Woo films, meets a call girl Alabama (Patricia Arquete) at a movie theater, they fall in love and get married and confronts her pimp Drexl ( Gary Oldman)kills him and stills a suitecase full of cocain that belongs to the Italian mob lead by ( Christopher Walken) who shares a auwsome sceen with ( Dennis Hooper) who plays clarence's dad.

Clarence and Alabama go on a road trip to Los Angles and are relentlessly being followed by the mafia trying to reclaim their property and the cops who all get caught in the middle of a thousand smoking barrels of bullets.

There's plenty of fammiliar faces of actors in short roles, Samuel L. Jackson as a big time pimp, Bradd Pitt as a big time stoner James Gandolfini (before is stardom on the The Sopranos) as a sadistic hitman who gets into a fight with Alabama.

This has to be one of the most Tarrantino production ever made even thogh It came out a year before Pulp Fiction and a year after Resevoir Dogs.True Romance has more Hype to it and is enjoyable for beginging to end we will never see anything like this anymore.

1# Reservoir Dogs

2# True Romance

3# Pulp Fiction

What can you say about a guy who has the King as a Guardian Angel? Either he is as star-crossed as the King was, or he is very lucky. Lots of action and hilarious dialogue. With all the cameos, you may even find your favorite actor in here.

Before Pulp Fiction made him a household name, Quentin Tarantino wrote this ultra violent crime fantasy which was directed by Tony Scott. Here we meet Clarence (Christian Slater) and Alabama (Patricia Arquette); two star crossed lovers who embark on a cross country road trip with a very large amount of stolen mafia cocaine. What results is the two running and gunning their way culminating in a Mexican standoff with cops, crooks, and the mob. Did I mention that Clarence also talks to the ghost of Elvis (Val Kilmer) whenever he goes to the bathroom? Tarantino's penchant for witty, pulpy dialog seems a bit underused here in comparison with his other projects (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown), but Scott's frantic bloody direction makes True Romance stand on it's own. The rest of the great cast includes Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, Michael Rapaport, Bronson Pinchot (who steals many a scene), Samuel L. Jackson, James Gandolfini, Chris Penn, and Tom Sizemore in supporting roles; most of which give memorable performances. Warner Bros. really put together a great DVD package here, and while the other special features are standard, the commentaries by Scott, Slater and Arquette, and especially Tarantino, are worth owning the film for alone.

The third series of 'The Sopranos' consolidates the brilliance of the first two, rather than taking it in any radically new directions. The characters, their relationships and their environment are so strong; the dramatic irony between our sympathy with and enjoyment of these people, and our knowledge of their brutal and unhypocritically presented crimes, is so complex, that any blatant originality merely for the sake of it would be a betrayal.

But, because the central components are so strong, there is plenty of room for play - in the way narratives are set up to encourage then defy expectations; in the interplay with canonical gangster texts, especially 'The Godfather'; in the consistently creative use of music - for mood and to emphasise character, yes, but also to create ironic distance, to add montages of 'commentary' over the stories, to connect apparently disparate scenes, to add a depth of texture. Because it is in texture that 'The Sopranos' has really developed - the recklessly confident film-making; the layered scripts; the rich dialogue; and the knowing acting combine to create programmes of truly, yes, operatic density.

There are a number of new plot developments in this series - Meadow goes to Columbia University; the FBI (in a supremely funny handful of episodes) attempt to bug the Sopranos; the Russian mafia grow in menacing importance; Janice takes up with a Christian musician; Anthony Jr. becomes increasingly unmanagable at school and at play, but proves an unexpectedly skilful footballer; Ralph (Joe Pantoliano) replaces Richie Aprile as the major made-guy thorn in Tony's side; Carmela feels increasingly guilty about her mob-financed luxury; Tony begins an affair with a beautiful, smart, successful car saleswoman (Anabella Sciorra) who has even more mental problems than he. Most crucial for the series is the role of Jackie Aprile Jr., college-mitching son of Tony's former mob boss and best friend, who wants to see some of the criminal action, and starts dating Meadow as a spectacularly misjudged entree. The major weakness of the second series - the tokenistic continuation of the Dr. Melfi framing scenes long after they've outrun their dramtic usefulness - is corrected by both bringing the psychotherapist (dangerously) closer to Tony's life, and by having Carmela join in the sessions, to comic effect.

There is a brooding, elegiac feel to the series, with Tony thinking not just about his mother, but his dead friends, Pussy's actions in the last series, and the future possibilities open to the younger generation. If nothing else, Series 3 boasts the best-ever episode of 'The Sopranos', directed by one Steve Buscemi, which begins farcically, with Paulie and Christopher accidentally killing an irate Russian, and bungling the disposal of his body in a snow-wasted forest; before turning into a nightmare, as they lose their bearings after the corpse runs off, and they are stranded in the middle of nowhere. Loosened from the secure ties and identity-affirmation of family and Family, the episode brilliantly encapsulates what's at stake in the series, as unforgettably as the immortal 'Seinfeld' episode when the quartet can't find their car in the shopping mall car park.

Through out television history there have been certain shows that have defined a genre: Law and Order, Seinfeld, etc. But none have come close to the defining television show: The Sopranos. Filled with witty and subtle humor, the Sopranos launches the viewer into a world filled the glamourous and the not so glamourous world of the mafia Family the Sopranos and its counterparts.
The show stars James Gandolfini as panic attack ridden Tony Soprano. What most people don't know about Tony is that he runs two families, his blood family, which consists of daughter Meadow, son Anthony Jr and wife Carmela, and his other Family, worker Paulie Walnuts, nephew Christopher Multisanti, consiligere Silvio Dante and Uncle Junior Corrado Soprano.
Season 3 starts right where season 2 left off, with the F.B.I investigating a murder. Although the feds try to tap their house, they get foiled, as with almost all of the goverments attempts to stop the mafia family. A new character that takes the place of fallen Richie Aprile (may God rest his soul) is the volitile Ralphy Ciffareto who is played by the talented actor Joe Pantaliano of Memento fame.
Lorranie Braco (GoodFellas) plays Tony's sexy psychicatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi. Tony first came to her about panic attacks, but soon finds out more about himself than he could ever know. Jason Cebranone plays the tough but very dumb son of the great Jackie Aprile, Jackie Jr. Annabela Sciorra plays the all too familiar Gloria Trillo.
Although this season doesn't get into the mafia aspects as much as the other two, it dwells into the differant characters more. Hilarity comes when Carmela joins Tony at therapy and Paulies does a little sniffing around.
Definatley the best episode of the series so far is Pine Barrens. See this season if you can.

The Sopranos Third Season is a very interesting installment in this magnificent television series. While it's not the best season quality wise, it probably is the most fascinating and disturbing season.

Tony is faced with a multitude of problems, some more dangerous and complex than the ones he faced in the past. First, the actual family. AJ becomes a good high school football player, but he is out of control discipline wise. Carmela begins to see Dr. Melphi with Tony, then seeks out mental help on her own. She begins to struggle with the fact that their wealth relies on the crimes of Tony, something the moral mob wife has an extremely hard time dealing with. Meadow goes to college, where she begins to date a boy of mixed race, which enrages Tony. She also begins to take drugs, and then becomes involved in a relationship with Jackie Aprile Jr.

Jackie Jr. is Tony's biggest problem this season. The son of the late Jackie Aprile, former boss of the family, and Tony's closest friend. Jackie Jr. blames Tony for the death of his uncle, Ritchie. He disrespects Tony constantly. The young Jackie then drops out of college and begins to get involved in organized crime, something Tony is deadset against. Jackie is a fool, and his escapades soon bring a lot of trouble into Tony's life. He also falls under sway of Ralphie, a new captain in the organization.

Ralphie is probably the best character introduced this season. He is a brilliant criminal who is also a borderline masogonist psychopath. The most controversial scene this season has him beating a pregnant stripper to death with his own hands. Ralphie is fiendishly clever, using Jackie Jr. to further his own goals. His resentment towards Tony and his quick rise to the top is a dark sign for the fourth season.

Other challenges include Johnny Saks, an underboss in one of the all powerful New York families. He just happens to move to North Jersey, for the schools. It's obvious he will be one of Tony's major opponents soon in the future. Even more disturbing is his courting of Paulie Walnuts, one of Tony's closest captains, who shows signs of hatred and disrespect towards Tony.

Other plot points include Tony secretly grieving over the death of Big Pussy, Dr. Melphi's brutal rape, the FBI's attempts to bug Tony's house, Tony's mentally deranged new mistress, Uncle Junior's fight with cancer, and the death of Tony's mother, Livia.

The season also has some great humor in it. Janice becomes a Christian singer, with a boyfriend who suffers from narcilepsy. The best episode of the season, and possibly of the shows history is one centering around Chris' and Paulie's search for a Russian mobster in the Jersey pinelands. Very funny stuff.

The Third Season does not end on a high note for Tony, as the first two did. It ends with some disturbing foreshadowing and a foreboding sense of approaching finality. The balance that Tony has between his personal life and his mafia business is cracking, and the problems in his organization are becoming serious. It's becoming clear that powerful forces are beginning to move against Tony's empire. The fourth season should be very interesting.

Crimson Tide is a high adrenaline drama, with a solid cast, and a terrific and engaging plot. Probably the best submarine movie since Hunt for the Red October, Crimson Tide does everything it can to create instant suspense and interest in this movie and it succeeds. The movie stars Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman, who play off each other brilliantly.

Washington plays Hunter, the Executive Officer (Exo) of the submarine U.S.S. Alabama. Hunter is the play it straight, humble but serious, follow the rules kind of officer. Hunter follows his conscience and what he knows is right, and is not easily persuaded. This is the trademark character of almost every character Washington plays, with the exception of his role in Training Day.

Hackman plays Capt. Ramsey, the hard-nosed, bull-headed, confrontational captain of the very same submarine. Ramsey doesn't believe in advice or even his conscience, just his orders and making no exceptions. Hackman, whose personna often comes across as arrogant and head strong, is a the exact kind of actor one would want for this part.

As noticed, Ramsey and Hunter are almost opposites, which leads us to the conflict of characters. It's analogy can be described as hot air and cold air mixing...and one should know what that forms. This is picked up very early in the film, when Ramsey is interviewing Hunter to be his next Exo.
This was the signal that Ramsey is not easily impressed nor does he truly think highly of Hunter. A problem that does not go away throughout the film.

The plot is a little complicated, but it can be summarized. Basically, it's about Russian rebels who seize Russian warheads. These rebels then begin making threats towards America and Japan. Enter the US Navy, deploying it's nuke subs all across the world to be prepared to launch if needed. The U.S.S. Alabama is among them.

I think this is a terrific plot and I think the movie did an admirable job in attempting to make it appear real or quite very possible. They did this by including live footage (obviously from other wars), interviews with the madman or leader of the rebels, and creating a series of events that quite possibly could occur. I was really impressed with how they did all this in the beginning of the movie, so we all got a sense of what the movie was going to be about.

Unfortunately, I'm not all that impressed with some of the criticism given to this film from fellow reviewers. The biggest gripe is that this film does not portray submariners accurately, that the way they acted is not possible and it's a slap in the face to our Navy. Look, I have no doubt that there are inaccuracies in how Navy personel are "supposed" to act or how submarine life persists. But that doesn't mean it's a slap. It just means it isn't portrayed accurately.

Not to mention, this criticism is over-blown and it isn't what the movie is about. I think people who get all upset over this film, as far as the portrayal of submariners, need to get a grip. This film is about two things that not even the US Navy is immune to: human judgment and human error. In order for that concept to be applied in this sense, you can't have all the submariners acting all perfect and do nothing wrong and create no conflicts on board. This is a drama. That stuff must occur otherwise it's a boring movie. So wake up, get off your high horse, and just enjoy the movie. The movie is about a broader scope than the portrayal of our Navy. The movie is about the possible break down of our system, the break down of officers, and the forever curse of human misjudgment.

This film will make you think, and that's what I like about it. You're entertained and you think about this movie during and after you see it. This movie was made to create drama at the ultimate expense in the worst of times. So if you want to see what I consider the best submarine movie out there, go see Crimson Tide.

What do you get when you combine two great masters of understated acting (Hackman and Washington) with a great plot and tight directing? You get Crimson Tide.

Denzel Washington plays a new XO (Executive Officer) to a quirky, battle-tested sub captain, played admirably (ok, bad pun) by Gene Hackman. Captain Ramsey of the USS Alabama is idolized by his crew. His quirks (keeping a Jack Russel terrier on board) are tolerated by the Navy--after all, Ramsey is a real hero. Ramsey is suspicious of Harvard-educated Hunter, (Washington) who like many younger officers, has not been tested in battle. On the surface, Ramsey seems to approve of Hunter, but the skillful Hackman shows suspicion and jealousy gleaming dully beneath the pleasantries.

The plot is a timely one: a renegade former Soviet nation gets the codes to nuclear missiles and threatens to lob them at the US. An authenticated decoded message to the USS Alabama puts the ship on full alert--at a level not seen since the Cuban missile crisis. The follow up command comes in to launch the sub's own missiles to destroy the enemy silos. But then a series of incidents occurs and the sub is isolated from the chain of command. And enemy subs, commandeered by the renegade nation, are lurking in the same waters.

The events that follow are exciting; the premise of following orders and correct command is a deep dilemma. This film is in the best tradition of Das Boot, Run Silent, Run Deep and Red October. Is it the best of the submarine films? Could be. After seeing it, I really wanted to own the DVD, and if you like films of this genre, you will too.

This was the first sub movie I ever saw and I loved it! Gene Hackman was great as always and Denzel was fantastic as the Alabama's XO. The story was quite interesting however it intrigues me to read the book because I know there is stuff that they must have left out of the movie. I saw this in the theatre and that was awesome in itself because Hans Zimmer did such a fine job with the music and the sounds of the ship were all around you. If you want something entertaining without loading down with "naval stuff" see this. You'll enjoy it.