September 2021

Review – The Many Saints Of Newark

24th September 2021

Review – The Many Saints Of Newark Directed by: Alan Taylor Written by: David Chase & Lawrence Konner Produced by: David Chase & Lawrence Konner Starring: Alessandro Nivola, Jon Bernthal, Leslie Odom Jr. & Michael Gandolfini Release Date: September 22nd 2021 I got the chance to see The Many Saints Of Newark a few nights ago and I thought that it was pretty great. The film serves as a prequel to the classic New Jersey mob show, The Sopranos. One thing I do want to make clear before delving into my review is that this is not a movie about a young Tony Soprano. Whilst the film does star James Gandolfini’s real life son Michael as a younger version of the iconic gangster, he is not the main character. Despite what the movie’s marketing would have you believe, this story more closely follows Dickie Moltisanti, who is Tony’s uncle and mentor. Movies like these; as in ones that follow an iconic, ground-breaking series, first and foremost have to justify their existence. If this thing had been anything less than great, then it would have only tarnished The Sopranos otherwise gleaming reputation as one of the greatest stories ever told onscreen. Thankfully it is great, therefore justifies its existence. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that almost all of the aspects that make up this film are pretty much perfect. The performances, led by a cruelly calm Alessandro Nivola as Dick Moltisanti, are all phenomenal. Jon Bernthal and Vera Farmiga play Tony’s parents and both are fantastic in their roles respectively. Ray Liotta reminds us of his amazing range as a dynamically varied actor playing twins who have vastly different personalities and he sells it in a totally believable way. Additionally, Corey Stoll, John Magaro and Billy Magnussen are all brilliant as the younger versions of characters from the original show. However, Leslie Odom Jr really stood out for me as Dickie’s rival Harold McBrayer. He gives a performance unlike anything I have seen him do before, bringing an unpredictable fierceness to the character that makes for an intense watch. With all of that said, Michael Gandolfini’s portrayal of a young Tony Soprano will most likely be the performance that audiences will be left talking about after the film ends. It is almost surreal to see him effortlessly re-enact his father’s inflections and mannerisms. He is by far the most unpolished actor in the cast, however this actually works to his benefit as he comes across as the most natural and realistic character in the movie. The cinematography in the film by Kramer Morgenthau strikes a nice balance between the more familiar shooting style used in the original Sopranos series and more polished looking shot compositions achieved the more modern equipment being used. The score also complemented the movie’s tone and the soundtrack was made up of some brilliant era-appropriate songs. Although David Chase had to drop out of directing the piece due to personal issues, Alan Taylor did a great job replacing him. For long time Sopranos fans, this film feels like slipping on an old comfortable pair of shoes and I think that feeling of familiarity is owed in large part to Taylor’s direction. Whilst David Chase didn’t sit in the director’s chair for this one, he did write it along with Lawrence Konner. The sharp, witty dialogue has Chase’s fingerprints all over it, which works a treat. The actual plot of the movie is fairly straightforward, which makes it easy to follow, however I did feel that the rivalry established between Dickie and Harold left something to be desired. It just felt a bit shallow and surface-level. The other nit-pick that I have with the film was the ending. The way that Tony’s story ended was clever in the way that it hinted towards him becoming the Tony Soprano that we know from the original series, complete with a hint of the classic musical score from the show. However, I felt that more could have been done with Harold. The way that things were left between Harold, Dickie and Junior just felt like somewhat of an anti-climax. Overall, The Many Saints Of Newark is a must see for any long-time Sopranos fan. In a similar fashion to El Camino, it adds to the original beloved show that it was based on, without taking anything away from the base show’s stellar legacy. Strong performances and a sharp script keep you engaged throughout the two hour runtime. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] If you enjoyed Dan’s review of The Many Saints Of Newark, check out what he thought of Sons Of Anarchy here. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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Shang-Chi Review: The Best MCU Action Since Winter Soldier?

28th January 2026

Review – Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings Directed by: Destin Daniel Cretton Written by: Destin Daniel Cretton & Others Produced by: Kevin Feige Starring: Simu Liu, Michelle Yeoh & Tony Leung Release Date: September 3rd 2021 Introduction Last night, I went to see Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings mostly for review purposes and I came away really enjoying it. I probably enjoyed it more than I expected to. I went in not quite as excited as I usually am for a new entry in the MCU and I feel that is mostly due to the superhero-fatigue I have been feeling from the bombardment of content that we have been getting recently. Though, Shang-Chi feels fresh and manages to avoid feeling weighed-down by the ties of the MCU that I feel somewhat tainted Black Widow and Spider-Man: Far From Home. This really aided in my enjoyment of the film. Normally I feel that if a solo MCU film doesn’t heavily tie into the bigger picture, it isn’t as worth my time, but here it is what lead to me enjoying the movie as much as I did. Fight! First off, let’s address the reason that most people will go to see this movie; the martial arts on display. The combat sequences in this film are incredible. The choreography and stunt work is a joy to witness and is also very well-shot. There were two fight sequences in the film that I thought worked particularly well. The first was the bus sequence, which I thought was a fantastic way to introduce to the audience what Shang-Chi can do. The whole scene was wonderfully dynamic and I thought that everyone in the scene did a great job. The second sequence that stood out to me was the hugely creative fight that took place on scaffolding outside of a skyscraper. Again, it was a breathtakingly exciting sequence and looked astonishing on the big screen. The danger felt present and real throughout this scene and some of the acrobatics on display were truly mind-blowing. Technical Aspects The other technical aspects of the movie were also up to scratch. I mentioned already that I felt that the fight sequences were well-shot, but the cinematography throughout the entire film was pretty great to look at. Bill Pope has a history of capturing dynamic fight sequences in a way that is still easy to follow and comprehend and this is no exception. I also thought that the CGI was well-implemented and never took me out of the movie in any major way. This is pretty impressive when you consider how out-there the movie ends up in the last act. The lighting was also exquisite throughout the entire film and the score did a great job of adding to the spectacle of what was unfolding onscreen. The script was also pretty good for the most part. There was the odd throwaway comedic line that fell slightly flat, but for every one dud line, there were ten other that merited a chuckle. The plot of the film was also pretty straightforward, but this was actually something that I appreciated. Not everything has to follow a convoluted plot full of double crosses and a requirement to have seen the last 20 movies in the series. Summary Overall, I had a great time with Shang-Chi. It is by no means a flawless film and it isn’t even the best MCU movie, but it is still the most fun I have had with a superhero movie in years. The fight sequences are spectacular and worth the price of admission alone and I am very much looking forward to seeing what they do with this character in the future. If you enjoyed Dan’s review of Shang-Chi, you can check out what he thought of Thor: Ragnarok here. If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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Review – Rick And Morty

6th September 2021

Review – Rick And Morty Directed by: Wesley Archer & Others Written by: Dan Harmon & Others Produced by: Dan Harmon & Others Starring: Justin Roiland, Chris Parnell & Sarah Chalke Release Date: 2013 – Present Introduction Going back to review Rick and Morty as a whole is an interesting challenge in 2021. The show has went from being a small, fairly obscure cartoon to a behemoth of pop-culture in recent years. This has brought with it everything from an odd appearance from the title in the recent Space Jam 2 movie, to strange toxic fan-boys harassing fast-food workers over limited edition sachets of sauce. With all of that in mind, I decided to go back and watch the entire series all the way through to the end of Season 5 from the very beginning in preparation for this review and base my thoughts on that experience alone. This should hopefully mean that an unbiased review should follow below, critiquing the show itself and not all of the tertiary stuff surrounding it. The Universe Is A Crazy And Chaotic Place… Back when it first aired in 2013, Rick & Morty totally flew under the radar for me. I only first heard of it months after it was on the air, then all of a sudden almost every podcast and youtuber that I subscribe to were recommending it. Though by the time that I was recommended it, I was aware it was an Adult Swim show, so I assumed each episode would only be around six or seven minutes long and put it on the backburner. Eventually came a day where I had ran out of things to watch and so I decided to give it a shot. Whilst I didn’t fall in love with it immediately, it did hook me right away and I was pleased to learn each episode was 20 minutes long. Because the episodes are so short, I decided to watch a few episodes in a row and by the time I had finished watching Anatomy Park, the third episode of the first season, I realised how great this show was. The Good The combination of totally off the wall writing and dry wit is a tried and tested formula at this point, but it really works in the context of this show. The character dynamics, the on-point comedic timing of the cast and the ad-libbed feel of a lot of the dialogue are all elements that really tie together to make the show as entertaining as it is. Going back and re-watching the earlier seasons was hugely enjoyable, as a lot of my favourite episodes are amongst the earlier seasons. These include; M Night Shamaliens, where Rick, Morty and Gerry are stuck in a simulation of the real world and Gerry thinks he is having the greatest day of his life. Rick Potion No.9, where said potion makes everybody fall in love with Morty, then transforms them into grotesque monsters, leading our protagonists to simply leave that reality behind and move into a fresh one. Raising Gazorpazorp, where Morty goes through fatherhood in the space of a day. And Mortynight Run, where they leave Gerry in a nursing home full of other Gerrys. The animation can seem initially jarring top casual viewers as it employs such an odd style. However, by a few episodes in, it becomes clear that this animation is to a high standard, it just follows a fairly odd art odd style. The voice acting also seems somewhat amateur upon first listen, but as the show goes on and you get to know the characters and the world, the voice acting actually works perfectly in unison with the way show’s writing. The Bad The show’s biggest pitfall is that the whacky novelty and shock value of a lot of the earlier season’s charm wears off by seasons 3-5. The show does try to one-up itself every now and again, but eventually that starts to feel pretty forced too. Seeing the sheer insanity and traumatisation that Rick exposes his grandchildren to, only to then brush it off as if it is totally normal is funny for the first ten times, after that it becomes trite and overdone. Gerry and Beth’s broken marriage is the source of a lot of great humour in the first few seasons, but by season 4-5 it seems played out and tiresome. Even Gerry’s exceptional mediocrity and impressive amount of general naivety is starting to wear thin by the end of season 5. Summary There isn’t too much more to say and the show doesn’t have a great deal of negative qualities, other than being too much of a good thing. That said though, it is hard to deny the statues that Rick and Morty has earned as a phenomenon of pop culture and one of the best animated shows of the last decade. [yasr_multiset setid=4] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=4] If you enjoyed Dan’s review of Rick And Morty, you can check out what he thought of Love Death & Robots right here. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE www.bigglasgowcomicpage.com

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