Few sports figures transcend their corner of fame. However, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were far from the norm. The NFL franchise – once known as a laughingstock in the league – became infamous. Brady and coach Bill Belichick occupy rarified air in modern pop culture. The Dynasty: The New England Patriots shines a light on the moments that defined the NFL for much of the past twenty-five years. Featuring interviews with Belichick, Brady, and owner Robert Kraft, the series far exceeds the many questionable sports documentaries of the past few years. However, without much participation from those outside the organization, we still miss an essential piece of the puzzle.
The Plot
Director Matthew Hamachek dives into the story of the three men who defined the New England Patriots for two decades. Beginning in the early 1990s, Robert Kraft’s purchasing of the Patriots changed the culture of the organization. However, after falling out with Bill Parcells (an iconic coach in his own right), Bill Belichick was brought in to change course. Belichick began shaping the culture, and after a shocking injury to franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe, the unproven Tom Brady stepped into the spotlight. The Kraft-Belichick-Brady combination would make The New England Patriots a household name.
The Dynasty: The New England Patriots Critique
Over the past decade, the sports documentary has gone through a radical transformation. The 30 for 30 era at ESPN revealed the unique stories at the fringes of sports culture could make for incredible entertainment. However, for every O.J. Made in America or The Last Dance, there seem to be twenty or thirty “puff pieces” about various athletes. The rise of player empowerment has further pushed athletes to take control of their own narratives, for better or worse.
Hamachek approaches the documentary with many rooting against its success. After all, many grew angry and frustrated at the Patriots over the last twenty years. Yet – like Brady – The Dynasty succeeds most when it embraces that skepticism. Throughout the series, there will be questions about various on-the-field and off-the-field controversies. For the most part, the series lets players and media members speak their minds about controversial topics. Hamachek gets nearly everyone involved in the Patriots’ success to appear on camera, creating a comprehensive oral history of the evolving culture of the team.
At its best moments, The Dynasty takes a scalpel to the issues that drew the most attention. Nearly an entire episode follows the Aaron Hernandez saga, with upsetting details and stories shared by nearly everyone involved. Even when the time comes to discuss Deflate-gate and Spy-gate, there are candid discussions from all involved. The “Patriot Way” also comes under fire from players, who note that it developed a culture that required winning above all else. This brewed anger, resentment, and frustration from all involved. The decisions that led Brady and Rob Gronkowski to leave the Patriots become clear.
Still, The Dynasty seemingly ignores several other significant moments in the run. The Brady/Manning showdowns are ignored to focus on the team. Kraft’s off-the-field exploits around a massage parlor do not factor into the series either. Even when the filmmakers approach Belichick about some of these issues, he refuses to comment. Not every film or series can cover every scandal, and the series makes up for some of this by pulling in others to fill the narrative gaps.
Whether intentional or not, the second Eli Manning and New York Giants Superbowl victory over the Patriots is relegated to a montage. It feels odd to tell the story of the Patriots without addressing their many rivals, including Andy Reid, the Manning Brothers, or the Jets. While Michael Strahan provides some insight into the way others viewed the Patriots, more perspectives from over two decades would have helped the audience understand the dominance and length of the run. Focusing only on those within the Patriots does not showcase this aspect of the story.
Perhaps the best choice of all comes in the runtime of the episodes. There is very little fluff in The Dynasty, in part because of shorter runtimes. Every episode comes in around forty minutes, allowing the audience to live in the focused narrative of that part. Compared to the Untold series at Netflix, we get easy-to-follow plotlines that feature definitive conclusions. By treating each episode with its own goals, the individual episodes can vary in tone and participants. For one episode, it adopts more of a true-crime approach. Another shines for an investigative approach. Hamachek manages the tone well between each episode while establishing visual and storytelling consistency across the series.
In Conclusion
The sports documentary can be tricky, especially when they focus on some of the most famous people in the world. Despite skillful editing and great talking head moments, a few aspects of The Dynasty: The Patriots miss the mark. However, compared to the vast majority of films and shows focused on telling these stories, The Dynasty excels. Yet, as Brady and Belichick will tell you, perfection is the goal. For those looking to feel nostalgic or get some behind-the-scenes stories, there’s plenty to love about The Dynasty, and with short episodes, it makes for an easy watch.
8/10
