The Irishman, Martin Scorsese‘s return to organized crime cinema, has started to screen for critics, which means the first reactions to the gangster epic have hit the internet. The film, which brings together the killer trio of Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino, tells the story of real-life mafia hitman Frank “The Irishman” Sheehan (De Niro) and the journey that led him to work for Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino).

The unsurprising thing about these first reviews is that the movie apparently rules — it’s Scorsese with Netflix money, come on now. But with so much attention on the Casino/Goodfellas reunion between Pesci and De Niro, I’m delighted to see so many mention Al Pacino completely steals the show. The Oscar-winner has been hamming it up for years now, and his first movie with Scorsese would be the perfect opportunity to turn in another all-time great performance.

For more on The Irishman, check out the links below followed by the very first reactions from critics.

New Trailer for ‘The Irishman’ Reveals Martin Scorsese’s Return to Organized Crime

New ‘The Irishman’ Images Show Some Questionable Digital De-Aging

‘The Irishman’ Tackles Toxic Masculinity & Is a Slower Scorsese Movie, Per Producer

#TheIrishman was well worth the red eye flight and well worth every single minute of that 3 and a half hour run time. More to come in a review on @ColliderVideo later but that lead trio is just as good as you’d hope & it marks another triumph for Thelma Schoonmaker. #NYFF — Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) September 27, 2019

Boy. #TheIrishman is a fitting homecoming for De Niro, Pacino, Pesci, and Scorsese’s ode to gangster cinema. Hilarious and sharply written. A portrait of mortality and legacy, told like a culmination of everything we have ever seen in this genre. It’s LONG but never boring. #NYFF pic.twitter.com/OBTAXem4On — Kevin L. Lee @ NYFF (@Klee_FilmReview) September 27, 2019

THE IRISHMAN is not GOODFELLAS/CASINO part 3. Different pace different tone. It is, however, absolutely fucking fantastic and I am floored. All hail the King. — Jordan Hoffman (@jhoffman) September 27, 2019

THE IRISHMAN is a masterwork. Funny, epic, and most of all, melancholy. It’s Scorsese confronting aging, legacies, and mortality. I may or may not have teared up at the end… — Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) September 27, 2019

THE IRISHMAN: Pacino unhinges his jaw and swallows this thing whole like a python choking down a gazelle carcass, berserker mode king shit — Charles Bramesco (@intothecrevasse) September 27, 2019

THE IRISHMAN – Audacious, epic, a film that feels like it spans lifetimes yet whisks by. Technically bold, performances raw and darkly humourous, it is the culmination of Scorsese’s genre fascinations, and a late career triumph. Truly cinematic, demanding to be seen big #nyff57 — Jason Gorber @ #NYFF (@filmfest_ca) September 27, 2019

THE IRISHMAN is good! takes 90 minutes to lock in & clear out the cobwebs / adjust to CGI, but the scope is a virtue, the performances are killer (Joseph! Frank! Pesci!) & it eventually coheres into a heart-stopping meditation on the myopia of time. an old man movie for the ages. — david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) September 27, 2019

THE IRISHMAN: Think GOODFELLAS, but directed by the man who gave us SILENCE. A culmination, meditation and tribute to every Scorsese/De Niro/Pesci collaboration. And yet, Al Pacino towers over all of them with a funny, sad and haunting performance as Jimmy Hoffa. — Jordan Ruimy @ #NYFF (@mrRuimy) September 27, 2019