Customer Reviews

Boardwalk Empire - Season 3 [Blu-ray] [2013] [Region Free]

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After the epic ending of series two with the demise of one of the key characters the question was where can the series go from there?

The answer is of course into an area of even greater quality. With hindsight there was the argument that Nucky Thompson in series two was so slick that you never thought he was in peril. Series 3 very much puts him in the firing line (at times literally). Saying that while he is the core of the series its the ensemble cast that makes the show so compelling. Margaret, Al, Chalky etc are all here again, scheming and keeping things entertaining in the sumptuous 1920's setting.

Personally my favourite character is Richard the disfigured veteran now grieving over the loss of his best friend and the only woman who had shown him any kindness. His faith in humanity is now symbolised in Tommy the 6 year-old son of Jimmy, can he save this child from the world he inhabits? It's a great story thread leading to moments of sweetness and sheer terror.

Yet more key characters over the series die, sometimes in completely unexpected ways making the storytelling ever more compelling. Like Game of Thrones, just because you like a character or are an interesting character doesn't mean they won't be taken out in an explosion or a hit gone wrong.

And finally step forward "Gip" Rosetti Nucky's new nemesis and amazing character who is so full of fury you have no idea in any secene if it will end with a laugh or someone's murdered corpse on the floor. One scene where he is having a very kinky encounter and is then shot at leads to a scene worthy of an oscar- amazing camera work, direction and screen writing make it the most cinematic scene I have viewed on the TV. He is the villain you love to hate and adds some much needed danger to Nucky's occassional air of invulnerbility.

If you haven't seen the other series go back and start there, if you're wondering if the quality continues, the answer is an emphatic yes.

in a way, this is the bootlegger Sopranos (sprawling, twisted narrative and strong characters, wives brothers lovers and kids included) meets Martin Scorsese's noir imagination and smooth stagecraft.
not for the faint of heart, nor for children for that matter - the sex & violence quota is always met and then some; there's some fairly brutal stuff here, artfully staged though it may be.
the look of it all is beautiful, beautfully shot and art-directed down to the last gritty, or glitzy, detail;
the cast is superb and exhuberant, anchored by Steve Buscemi who at times seems to be in "Stan Laurel as an evil mastermind" mode as the "you can't be half a gangster" prophecy from season one comes definitely true.
on the other end of the scale, you have this larger-than-life villain who verges on parody at times but is as scenery-chewing as they come (alla salute, Bobby Cannavale!). the same can be said for the two standout female perfs: Kelly McDonald as the resourceful, strong-hearted woman looking for a way to redemption, and Gretchen Mol as the high-class, manipulative maitresse with a mother's weak spots both deliver top-notch work here.
supporting roles are good throughout; it's so cool to find the Omar guy from The Wire as Chalky White here; and the Michael Shannon character is especially memorable, although he was way more integrated in previous seasons than he is here. the parable of the special-agent gone rogue has an impressive climax in this series, but he is almost isolated in a story of his own, making no major dent in the main storyline. still it's always interesting when he's around and somehow you feel they're having him bide his time for some later development in this Hbo epic.
altogetherm it's engrossing, high-quality, hardboiled Prohibition-era brew, but with a well thought-out human side.
you'll find it especially satisfying if you have a strong taste to begin with.

The greatest series in my opinion if not the best ever series every episode is like a great movie its keeps fresh with different characters,you go from the very start on a journey with all the characters.I would recommend all the series you need time to watch them but once you start watching you will get so engaged in it you wont want to miss it,it doesn't hold back violence sex you get it all absolutely brilliant,every actor is outstanding if you could give out Oscars for a series you wouldn't have enough to give out.

I have watched this from the beginning after my daughter bought me the first dvd as a present. It is compulsive and totally gripping with the plot having so many twists and the characters are really deep. It is well written and the whole setting, costumes and period feel is spot on. I love Nucky as he is so wicked and then can be so moral at the same time. This is real quality drama and great to watch with a glass of wine in the evening.

This is one of the finest shows i have ever seen and unfortunately only show on sky atlantic which i do not have so i have to wait for the blu ray release,but at least i can then watch it in all its glory as and when i want.

This series goes from strength to strength. Nucky Thompson is no longer 'half' a gangster, if indeed he was in the previous shows, and gets a whole lot nastier this time around. Great character developments with Nelson Van Alden, Margaret Schroeder and Richard Harrow too. A chilling bath scene with Gillian Darmody and a new 'unbalanced' bad guy in Gyp Rossetti add to the enjoyment. You can't beat gangster movies or tv series and this is one of the best.

This superb series continues to broaden its outlook whilst at the same time it deepens our understanding of characters and the impact of their actions. Nucky's life is one of increasing isolation from his adopted family. The meaning of "you can't be half a gangster anymore" is made explicit by showing that the harder Nucky becomes the more distant he gets from Margaret and the children. When Nucky's away, the children miss a father figure, when he's there the influences of his gangster world poison the family. The impact this has on young Teddy is portrayed in his fire-setting and blaming the fires on a scary gypsy.
Speaking of which, Gyp Rossetti is pretty scary, and possibly the last word in psycho-gangster. So the lesson is clear - if you want to play at gangsters you will lose an important part of your humanity as well as damaging your family.
Margaret occupies herself with being a modern woman and fighting to change the world into a better place. At the beginning we see an aviatrix reminiscent of Amelia Earhart. The male responses are typically dismissive and allude to the fact that she should spread her legs and leave the spreading of wings to her husband. Margaret has intelligence combined with grit and she starts setting up a pre-natal care unit steam-rolling over any opposition. She also finds that maybe she doesn't need Nucky.
Richard Harrow finds time away from polishing his guns and doting on Tommy Darmody to find romance also.
Van Alden is on the lam in Chicago with his former nanny turned formidable wife Sigrid, and he gets mixed up in the gang wars there. The stand-out scene of the entire three series for me is when he cracks and discovers just exactly what he is good at. And it is not selling irons.
I couldn't say if this series is better than the other two but it is cleverly written and slowly builds tension to a fabulous twisting ending with several characters lives hanging in the balance (poor Eddie). This season is also full of clues as to what might be coming in the fourth series but all I can tell you is Cicero look out.

Brilliant series the age of prohibition has never been better displayed the two sides to nucky Thompson are fascinating. The best

great dvd! the best part is hearing it from the directors and actors point of view! Quick delivery. One of the best shows out

One of my favourites. I became hooked on series 1 and it just gets better as time goes on. Where is series 4?