bjoernidler

I watched this movie again in 2025. To cut to the point: It's still good. Here are some things I liked:

The pacing. Compared to other Superhero movies, it's not too long, doesn't feel bloated and flies by quickly. Very refreshing!

Characters and actors. Steve Roger is nicely introduced, also helped by some astonishing vfx that hold up in 2025. The inclusion of agent Peggy Carter is a good idea that influenced the mcu even until Endgame. Hugo Weaving is as much of a comic villain as can be. And Tommy Lee Jones and especially Stanley Tucci shine in their supporting roles. Great casting overall.

Setting: The WW2 setting is well executed. I really liked the mix of historical and fantastical elements that are well designed. Also, the military training sequences looked good and reminded me of old war movies.

Emotion: The people in this movie grew on me. I felt joy and sadness about what happened to them. This is nothing granted in a time of far too many superhero movies. I won't go into details, but let's just say I'm not rooting for all Marvel and DC heroes. Some of them really got on my nerves.

Finally, the movie fulfills its job in so far as it prepares the way to the first Avengers movie well and leaves you with some excitement for what is about to happen. It's not the best superhero movie and not the best MCU movie, but I rank it firmly in the upper third of my list.

I get why the All or nothing crew chose the german national team for this documentary. They failed miserably in Russia in 2018, Jogi Löw quit as headcoach. There was a good chance that under Hansi Flick, who had won the triple with Bayern a short time ago, this could turn into an interesting Rocky-like story. But things turned out differently, as is mentioned in the first minutes of the show. So this shouldn't spoil anyone.

I don't know if the true spirit of the team is shown here. You have to know that editing is everything in these kind of sports documentaries. By choosing the scenes, the way they are cut and the music the makers can make the team seem intact or not. The same goes for the players. Do they seem positive and funny or passive and arrogant?

But I'm going to write about what I saw since I don't know about the other filmed material.

Some positive things: Niklas Füllkrug is the real deal. He's confident, a teamplayer and has the most emotional speech in the locker room as a newcomer! Also, he didn't disappoint in the games.

Thomas Müller is a legend. He always gives everything although he is limited technically and physically. He is important for every team he plays in.

Filming was of high quality.

The episodes went by quickly and didn't bore me for a minute.

The stupid affair of the one love arm patch wasn't left out but didn't take up more time than neccessary.

I got the feeling that something was off in this team. It seems that Flick didn't reach the players completely. I also got the impression that too few of the players were willing to give this their all. Many seemed rather distant. And except for some players, they didn't seem to have too much fun as a group. Again, could be that it just isn't shown but that's my impression. It's also kind of sad that they had the feeling of not being supported from home. The World cup in Katar was a bad idea from my perspective. But the team still deserves support. If they give everything,that is.

This documentary isn't a heroes journey. It's a story of defeat. That makes it probably less fun to watch than other sports documentaries, but interesting none the less.

As I'm writing this, Hansi Flick was fired as coach about a week ago. Watching this documentary made me think that this was for the best. So I'm thankful for this insight.

I don't believe in reviews that are written after only having watched 2 or 3 episodes. So I held back until having completed the series. This review is meant for people who are thinking about watching The Sopranos and want to know a little about what to expect.

What is it?

The Sopranos is a show about Tony Soprano, mobster from New Jersey, and his life, his family and his job. In the course of the show we also get to know the other persons in his life quite well. A huge part of the show is about Tony's attempt to balance his private life and being a Mafia boss, often with the help of his therapist, Dr. Melfi.

What's it like?

Imagine a soap opera. But imagine a soap opera with exceptional writing, great cinematogrophy, good acting, dark humour, lots of nudity and violence, constant swearing and great italian food.

Should you watch it?

Absolutely, if you don't have a problem with a rather slow narration tempo, story arcs over multiple episodes (and seasons) and the things I mentioned above. I'd suggest you watch 3 or 4 episodes. If you're into it by then, you will love the whole show.

I personally love The Sopranos for the grey areas between good and evil. The characters feel like real persons, they are more than just "the funny one", "the smart one" or "the sexy one". They make mistakes, they regret them, they try to make the best of their situation. No one kills just because they are bad guys. They all have their reasons, even if they may be hard to understand for me.

I subtracted one point because I had the feeling that the show dragged a little bit in the mid-seasons. But I stayed with it because I wanted to find out what happens to the people I love watching. And sometimes there are huge pay-offs and some genuine wtf-moments that you can look forward to.

Lastly, The Sopranos is truly groundbreaking for tv as we know it today. It started in 1999 when tv series were mostly episodic, tv actors were considered second rate and tv characters were mostly just good or bad. Its influence on current tv can't be overstated.