Taking a completely different approach to the original, this is a prequel that serves to flesh out the character backgrounds, mainly focusing on Sam's rise to power, and it does a very satisfying job.
The cat and mouse tension of the original is missing, mainly because we all know what the status quo is going to be by the end, but it's still great to see the journey that took the characters there, and it lends a lot more weight to the relationships in the first film.
The performances are again brilliant throughout, especially considering the intricacies of showing these characters develop into the people we recognise from the original, and it's a joy to see recognisable mannerisms coming to the surface as the film goes on.
A proper gangster epic, and a great example of something genuinely worthwhile being done with a sequel.
The cat and mouse tension of the original is missing, mainly because we all know what the status quo is going to be by the end, but it's still great to see the journey that took the characters there, and it lends a lot more weight to the relationships in the first film.
The performances are again brilliant throughout, especially considering the intricacies of showing these characters develop into the people we recognise from the original, and it's a joy to see recognisable mannerisms coming to the surface as the film goes on.
A proper gangster epic, and a great example of something genuinely worthwhile being done with a sequel.