I was really looking forward to this film. I love the Sopranos. It was such a well written show with great characters. So I was excited by the prequel plan. We'd get younger Tony and his family at the time.

First off the casting job was great, aside from the actor playing Paulie; he felt like a different person. Corey Stoll was perfect as the younger version of Junior Soprano. And watching Michael Gandolfini take up the role his father played worked incredibly well. It felt like we were seeing Tony in his early years. He even gave some of the same expressions and looks etc.

The character though who carried the film was Dickie Moltisanti, Christopher's father, who we never saw in the Sopranos. He was intriguing in a way that Tony was in the original. He had different layers and you find yourself pulling for the guy, despite what he does.

But there was one huge problem with all of it, it does not work well in a 2 hour film format. There were compelling plots that would have played out better if they had slowly been unveiled over a few seasons of a prequel series. What made the Sopranos so strong is it takes time to build up the characters and slowly work to the conflict. Everything here happened too quickly. I think the story would've best been told in 2 or maybe three seasons.

It's still enjoyable, and I'd recommend it to any fan of the Sopranos, but the biggest takeaway for me was the disappointment of what it could've been.