J_Th4ng
09-09-2010, 09:47 AM
I know that this isn't a movie, it's a TV series, and that I didn't actually write this review (it's copied from the High Def Digest - http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/reviews.html), but I saw this show a couple of months back, and IMO it's one of the best shows on television. Incidentally, HD Digest is a very good place to find reviews of BluRay movies.
Now, with the first epidose of Season 3 having aired on Tuesday in the US, I thought it worthwhile linking in reviews for the first two seasons - both of which I have, in case anyone wants copies.
Season 1 Review - http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/2376/sonsanarchy_s1.html
It's no secret that HBO and Showtime have set the bar sky high and dominate TV Land with an iron fist thanks to their arsenal of critically-acclaimed original programming, but since the bombastic debut of 'The Shield,' followed by a steady stream of intense and edgy shows like 'Nip/Tuck,' 'Rescue Me,' and 'Damages,' it's fair to say cable television's FX has clearly established a secure foothold in the same sandbox as the big boys.
In late 2008, just as crooked cop Vic Mackey wound down to retire his shield forever, FX had some pretty big shoes to fill on its own network (and no, I'm not poking fun at Michael Chiklis' feet). Enter the 'Sons of Anarchy' -- who much like the heroes of the old west poetically rode their steel horses into town to save the day. Except unlike Vic and his strike team, this crew has no need for stinking badges.
The series focuses on the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original (SAMCRO or Sam Crow for short) -- the charter chapter of a nationwide biker gang based in the fictional town of Charming, California. Club President Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) and his wife Gemma (Katey Sagal) -- the widow of the founding father of the association, run a legitimate automotive shop and are passionate about keeping their quaint little town just like its namesake -- charming. Since big businesses and rival gangs are the last things Sam Crow wants treading all over their beloved territory, they've set up an illegal gun-running ring to fuel their organization and feed the pockets of greedy officials in order to maintain their position of dominance.
The tides begin to change, however, when the club's second-in-command, Jackson "Jax" Teller (Charlie Hunnam) who is Gemma's son, starts having second thoughts about the dark path his brotherhood has taken. Right around the same time as the premature birth of his own son, Jax discovers an old manuscript written by his father and learns the club was never intended to be the epicenter of organized crime in Charming. Determined to fulfill his father's dreams, Jax gently makes an attempt to steer his outlaw brethren in the right direction, but with the feelers of his very perceptive mother picking up on his plans, it seems the deadly gangbangers, relentless deputy chief, and swarm of ATF agents circling around the club may be the least of Jax's concerns.
On the back of the 'Sons of Anarchy' Blu-ray case there's a quote from The New York Post calling the series "'The Sopranos' for the new century" and I have to say that's a dead-on summary right there. Series creator Kurt Sutter (writer/producer of 'The Shield') uses the same proven formula -- centering on a fraternity of powerful men embroiled in nefarious deeds, but beneath Sam Crow's leather and tattoos they're still human in their hearts. Family is of the utmost importance, which misguidedly turns out to be the club itself for most of them, and the intricate storylines expose the great lengths they will go to in order to protect and take care of their own.
'Sons of Anarchy' also benefits from a strong, uniformed cast that has outstanding synergy together. The anchor of the series is the Teller-Morrow nuclear trinity -- and they slide into their roles exceptionally well. As the young rebel on the road to righteousness, Hunnam is highly charismatic yet at the same time still manages to display his character's naivete perfectly. I also had no idea that he's British until I finished the season and started in on the supplements. I may have been a bit rough on Perlman in my review for 'Mutant Chronicles' where I said I thought he was miscast in that film, but man what a difference it makes when the right actor is chosen for the right job. When casting the role of Clay, Perlman was Sutter's number one choice -- and with his look, presence, and comedic timing he totally owns it. Last and certainly not least is Katey Sagal, and according to the bonus materials Sutter tailor-made the part specifically for her alone. Sagal's metamorphosis from Peggy Bundy into the vicious Gemma is bewitching. Equal parts loving mother and master manipulator -- she's the puppet master pulling the strings of the entire organization and the most unpredictable persona on the show.
Just as important is the wide-range of supporting players, and each and every one of them helps reinforce the backbone of the show. While the cops look like cops and the bikers look like bikers, they're far from cookie-cutter clichés. Everyone is flawed in some way which makes them interesting, and there's much more to them all than what we see on the surface. Even truly despicable characters like SAMCRO's sergeant-at-arms/sociopath extraordinaire Alex 'Tig' Trager (Kim Coates -- who has to be one of my favorite recognize-the-face-but-not-the-name actors by the way) and the seething white supremacist leader of the Nordics Ernest Darby (Mitch Pileggi of 'The X-Files') have likable qualities and tie everything together nicely.
Hailed by many as the best new show of 2008, 'Sons of Anarchy' is an electric series with an intriguing premise, stellar cast, and slick writing bursting at the seams with chills, thrills, and plenty of kills. Each episode is more engaging than the last, ramping up steadily towards the season's compelling climax. As soon as it concluded I immediately programmed my DVR for the upcoming season -- so here's hoping the next batch of episodes can keep up this unrelenting pace.
'Sons of Anarchy: Season One' contains all thirteen rip-roaring episodes of its debut year: 'Pilot,' 'Seeds,' 'Fun Town,' 'Patch Over,' 'Giving Back,' 'AK-51,' 'Old Bones,' 'The Pull,' 'Hell Followed,' 'Better Half,' 'Capybara,' 'The Sleep of Babies,' and 'The Revelator.'
Season 2 Review - http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/3521/sonsofanarchy_s2.html
'Hamlet' with motorcycles? Oh hell yes!
At least that should have been my immediate response when 'Sons of Anarchy' first premiered in 2008, but sometimes personal biases get in the way, and this part-time reviewer made a mistake. At the time, I was burnt out on motorcycle gangs. Over the years working for production companies in Los Angeles, my bosses and I had been pitched countless, cliché-ridden biker shows. Given this, I didn't care about this world, didn't think there was anything even close to resembling classical drama about a land filled with thugs.
So I ignored 'Sons of Anarchy', pre-judging material and not giving it the respect to see if the show worked on its own merits. I think we've all done this in various arenas of pop culture, and here I am to say, whoops.
Thankfully the show's creator/showrunner, Kurt Sutter, has a blog. There, I learned about Mr. Sutter, a take-no-prisoners, hard working, trash-talking philosopher who battles his demons with a pen, and openly admits to mistakes as much as he defends his personal convictions. I admired him for his talent as much as I did his personality, and thought if watching his show was anything like reading his blog, I was going to love it. Thank God I went back. I almost missed an epic, high octane, bullets-blazing TV series. Season One was riveting, and on Blu-ray, the series shines. In fact, it's odd to ponder for a moment about what an unusual era it is for the Television Series. On Blu-ray, audiences experience shows in a higher quality than they ever saw during the original broadcast. In fact, the saddest part about finally jumping onto the SOA bandwagon is that one not only have to wait a week between episodes, but the only way to watch is on FX's highly compressed, often murky 720p presentation. But TV shows this awesome are worth some sacrifice.
In a world without 'Lost' or '24,' and with 'Rescue Me' heading into its final season next year, 'Sons of Anarchy' is there to hold up my fall television schedule, thanks to its complexity, nuance, high-drama…and guns. Lots and lots of guns. For the uninitiated, I suggest renting or buying Season One to catch up on what you missed, but in the broadest strokes, this show is about the internal politics and family dynamics of SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Originals), as well as the external forces they must battle thanks to a life lived outside the law. In Season One, club leader and co-founder, Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman), butts heads with his second-in-command / step-son -- Jax (Charlie Hunnam), who believes the club is heading down a darker path than Jax's father (also a co-founder) intended -- as the club tries to outsmart an ATF agent hell bent on destroying the club.
Season Two picks up where the tragic decisions of Season One smolder as embers ready to ignite at any moment. Jax is even more convinced that Clay is taking the club off the tracks. And coming in this season as the main outside antagonist is Ethan Zobelle (the quietly terrifying Adam Arkin), the non-criminal face of the League of American Nationalists, a white-hate group along the lines of the KKK (except smarter, highly organized and well funded). The League wants SAMCRO out of the gun-dealing business -- as the Sons distribute weapons for minority gangs -- and threatens to destroy the club from the inside or the outside if they don't comply. Only if SAMCRO can mend its internal emotional-cancers does this band of brothers have a chance to take down this seemingly unstoppable villain.
What follows are thirteen episodes of character, vigilante justice, drama, comedy, romance, redemption, and action. The only way to describe it is as a literal ride, one best experienced in large chunks, because the character arcs become crystal clear -- if for no other reason than Life doesn't have a chance to get in the way.
Again, it's all about character, which can only happen when the writers, producers, directors, and actors mesh so tightly. In addition to Arkin's menacing work, Perlman and Hunnam are at the top of their respective games. Henry Rollins shows some serious chops as a neo-nazi who loves his sons. Katey Sagal is also amazing, playing the SAMCRO matriarch (Gemma Teller Morrow) who is at once tough-as-nails, but also vulnerable. Gemma has an strong season coaching Jax's doctor girlfriend Tara about being a part of the club; it's a striking change to see Tara change from an average civilian into someone as strong as Gemma, to see someone become a potential future matriarch. In fact, there are too many good performances to list, so just go watch the show.
While one must admit that a series splashing around in grey areas like drugs, guns, porn, and violence isn't necessarily for everyone, if you can, give it a chance and don't be like me, missing something so good simply because you didn't try.
Now, with the first epidose of Season 3 having aired on Tuesday in the US, I thought it worthwhile linking in reviews for the first two seasons - both of which I have, in case anyone wants copies.
Season 1 Review - http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/2376/sonsanarchy_s1.html
It's no secret that HBO and Showtime have set the bar sky high and dominate TV Land with an iron fist thanks to their arsenal of critically-acclaimed original programming, but since the bombastic debut of 'The Shield,' followed by a steady stream of intense and edgy shows like 'Nip/Tuck,' 'Rescue Me,' and 'Damages,' it's fair to say cable television's FX has clearly established a secure foothold in the same sandbox as the big boys.
In late 2008, just as crooked cop Vic Mackey wound down to retire his shield forever, FX had some pretty big shoes to fill on its own network (and no, I'm not poking fun at Michael Chiklis' feet). Enter the 'Sons of Anarchy' -- who much like the heroes of the old west poetically rode their steel horses into town to save the day. Except unlike Vic and his strike team, this crew has no need for stinking badges.
The series focuses on the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original (SAMCRO or Sam Crow for short) -- the charter chapter of a nationwide biker gang based in the fictional town of Charming, California. Club President Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) and his wife Gemma (Katey Sagal) -- the widow of the founding father of the association, run a legitimate automotive shop and are passionate about keeping their quaint little town just like its namesake -- charming. Since big businesses and rival gangs are the last things Sam Crow wants treading all over their beloved territory, they've set up an illegal gun-running ring to fuel their organization and feed the pockets of greedy officials in order to maintain their position of dominance.
The tides begin to change, however, when the club's second-in-command, Jackson "Jax" Teller (Charlie Hunnam) who is Gemma's son, starts having second thoughts about the dark path his brotherhood has taken. Right around the same time as the premature birth of his own son, Jax discovers an old manuscript written by his father and learns the club was never intended to be the epicenter of organized crime in Charming. Determined to fulfill his father's dreams, Jax gently makes an attempt to steer his outlaw brethren in the right direction, but with the feelers of his very perceptive mother picking up on his plans, it seems the deadly gangbangers, relentless deputy chief, and swarm of ATF agents circling around the club may be the least of Jax's concerns.
On the back of the 'Sons of Anarchy' Blu-ray case there's a quote from The New York Post calling the series "'The Sopranos' for the new century" and I have to say that's a dead-on summary right there. Series creator Kurt Sutter (writer/producer of 'The Shield') uses the same proven formula -- centering on a fraternity of powerful men embroiled in nefarious deeds, but beneath Sam Crow's leather and tattoos they're still human in their hearts. Family is of the utmost importance, which misguidedly turns out to be the club itself for most of them, and the intricate storylines expose the great lengths they will go to in order to protect and take care of their own.
'Sons of Anarchy' also benefits from a strong, uniformed cast that has outstanding synergy together. The anchor of the series is the Teller-Morrow nuclear trinity -- and they slide into their roles exceptionally well. As the young rebel on the road to righteousness, Hunnam is highly charismatic yet at the same time still manages to display his character's naivete perfectly. I also had no idea that he's British until I finished the season and started in on the supplements. I may have been a bit rough on Perlman in my review for 'Mutant Chronicles' where I said I thought he was miscast in that film, but man what a difference it makes when the right actor is chosen for the right job. When casting the role of Clay, Perlman was Sutter's number one choice -- and with his look, presence, and comedic timing he totally owns it. Last and certainly not least is Katey Sagal, and according to the bonus materials Sutter tailor-made the part specifically for her alone. Sagal's metamorphosis from Peggy Bundy into the vicious Gemma is bewitching. Equal parts loving mother and master manipulator -- she's the puppet master pulling the strings of the entire organization and the most unpredictable persona on the show.
Just as important is the wide-range of supporting players, and each and every one of them helps reinforce the backbone of the show. While the cops look like cops and the bikers look like bikers, they're far from cookie-cutter clichés. Everyone is flawed in some way which makes them interesting, and there's much more to them all than what we see on the surface. Even truly despicable characters like SAMCRO's sergeant-at-arms/sociopath extraordinaire Alex 'Tig' Trager (Kim Coates -- who has to be one of my favorite recognize-the-face-but-not-the-name actors by the way) and the seething white supremacist leader of the Nordics Ernest Darby (Mitch Pileggi of 'The X-Files') have likable qualities and tie everything together nicely.
Hailed by many as the best new show of 2008, 'Sons of Anarchy' is an electric series with an intriguing premise, stellar cast, and slick writing bursting at the seams with chills, thrills, and plenty of kills. Each episode is more engaging than the last, ramping up steadily towards the season's compelling climax. As soon as it concluded I immediately programmed my DVR for the upcoming season -- so here's hoping the next batch of episodes can keep up this unrelenting pace.
'Sons of Anarchy: Season One' contains all thirteen rip-roaring episodes of its debut year: 'Pilot,' 'Seeds,' 'Fun Town,' 'Patch Over,' 'Giving Back,' 'AK-51,' 'Old Bones,' 'The Pull,' 'Hell Followed,' 'Better Half,' 'Capybara,' 'The Sleep of Babies,' and 'The Revelator.'
Season 2 Review - http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/3521/sonsofanarchy_s2.html
'Hamlet' with motorcycles? Oh hell yes!
At least that should have been my immediate response when 'Sons of Anarchy' first premiered in 2008, but sometimes personal biases get in the way, and this part-time reviewer made a mistake. At the time, I was burnt out on motorcycle gangs. Over the years working for production companies in Los Angeles, my bosses and I had been pitched countless, cliché-ridden biker shows. Given this, I didn't care about this world, didn't think there was anything even close to resembling classical drama about a land filled with thugs.
So I ignored 'Sons of Anarchy', pre-judging material and not giving it the respect to see if the show worked on its own merits. I think we've all done this in various arenas of pop culture, and here I am to say, whoops.
Thankfully the show's creator/showrunner, Kurt Sutter, has a blog. There, I learned about Mr. Sutter, a take-no-prisoners, hard working, trash-talking philosopher who battles his demons with a pen, and openly admits to mistakes as much as he defends his personal convictions. I admired him for his talent as much as I did his personality, and thought if watching his show was anything like reading his blog, I was going to love it. Thank God I went back. I almost missed an epic, high octane, bullets-blazing TV series. Season One was riveting, and on Blu-ray, the series shines. In fact, it's odd to ponder for a moment about what an unusual era it is for the Television Series. On Blu-ray, audiences experience shows in a higher quality than they ever saw during the original broadcast. In fact, the saddest part about finally jumping onto the SOA bandwagon is that one not only have to wait a week between episodes, but the only way to watch is on FX's highly compressed, often murky 720p presentation. But TV shows this awesome are worth some sacrifice.
In a world without 'Lost' or '24,' and with 'Rescue Me' heading into its final season next year, 'Sons of Anarchy' is there to hold up my fall television schedule, thanks to its complexity, nuance, high-drama…and guns. Lots and lots of guns. For the uninitiated, I suggest renting or buying Season One to catch up on what you missed, but in the broadest strokes, this show is about the internal politics and family dynamics of SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Originals), as well as the external forces they must battle thanks to a life lived outside the law. In Season One, club leader and co-founder, Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman), butts heads with his second-in-command / step-son -- Jax (Charlie Hunnam), who believes the club is heading down a darker path than Jax's father (also a co-founder) intended -- as the club tries to outsmart an ATF agent hell bent on destroying the club.
Season Two picks up where the tragic decisions of Season One smolder as embers ready to ignite at any moment. Jax is even more convinced that Clay is taking the club off the tracks. And coming in this season as the main outside antagonist is Ethan Zobelle (the quietly terrifying Adam Arkin), the non-criminal face of the League of American Nationalists, a white-hate group along the lines of the KKK (except smarter, highly organized and well funded). The League wants SAMCRO out of the gun-dealing business -- as the Sons distribute weapons for minority gangs -- and threatens to destroy the club from the inside or the outside if they don't comply. Only if SAMCRO can mend its internal emotional-cancers does this band of brothers have a chance to take down this seemingly unstoppable villain.
What follows are thirteen episodes of character, vigilante justice, drama, comedy, romance, redemption, and action. The only way to describe it is as a literal ride, one best experienced in large chunks, because the character arcs become crystal clear -- if for no other reason than Life doesn't have a chance to get in the way.
Again, it's all about character, which can only happen when the writers, producers, directors, and actors mesh so tightly. In addition to Arkin's menacing work, Perlman and Hunnam are at the top of their respective games. Henry Rollins shows some serious chops as a neo-nazi who loves his sons. Katey Sagal is also amazing, playing the SAMCRO matriarch (Gemma Teller Morrow) who is at once tough-as-nails, but also vulnerable. Gemma has an strong season coaching Jax's doctor girlfriend Tara about being a part of the club; it's a striking change to see Tara change from an average civilian into someone as strong as Gemma, to see someone become a potential future matriarch. In fact, there are too many good performances to list, so just go watch the show.
While one must admit that a series splashing around in grey areas like drugs, guns, porn, and violence isn't necessarily for everyone, if you can, give it a chance and don't be like me, missing something so good simply because you didn't try.