The Godfather, Part III (1990)

 SO BAD !!!!
I can't believe such talented actor's could act so very bad in this movie.Don't waste your time. February 21, 2008

 the Don gets nostalgiac
The screenplay is not good throughout, but what I found most silly about it was the Michael and Kaye sequences strolling around Sicily. After the unflinching rejection of Kaye by Michael in GF_II, it seemed ridiculous to say the least. Even worse, it's not particularly compelling or interesting. I could only watch this in 30 min increments on AMC and never found a new way to view it other than a puzzling disappointment. February 2, 2008

 The Conclusion
The GODFATHER Part III DVD

The God father is based upon Mario Puzo's novel of a Sicilian Family moved to the United States circa 1920's. Don Corleone goes into the olive oil business, what else would you expect? He soon learns that it is easier to make money on the wrong side of the law and recruits a small gang of fellow Sicilians.

In Part III, Al Pacino returns once again to the role of Don Michael Corleone. In this film, Corleone tries to go legitimate. He purchases an Italian company previously owned by The Vatican. He is given a medal by The Vatican, and believes he is on the path to being legitimate. His nephew, played well by Andy Garcia is being trained by his uncle to one day head the family. The Corleones soon learn there are traitors in The Vatican. Corleone tries to find the traitor legally. Upon the Pope's death, he finds a group of high-ranking Vatican officials, are his traitors. This group is headed by Bishop Lombardo, who has just been named Pope John Paul I. He then rids himself of that problem, and believes to be on the right path again. Just as he starts to feel comfortable with legitimate life, a tragedy occurs. Leaving an old Corleone devastated, this is a tragic end to a wonderful film.

There are a million stories that whirl around THE GODFATHER. THE GODFATHER was a film where just about everything seemed to work out best for all involved, and this illustrates this perfectly.

Highly recommended for fans of Al Pacino, and the American Mafia


Gunner January 2008

January 24, 2008

 I hate to pile on...but this film disappoints in comparison. But what wouldn't?
I have tried many times to give this film an honest chance; to try to judge it on its own merits. I have found it impossible a task. Just as difficult as Coppola might have found it to attempt to live up to the two preceding MASTERPIECES that Godfather I and II were, I find it just as hard to give this film a fair shake in attempting to allow it to stand on its own.

The film is lacking in so many areas it saddens me. First of all, and please bare with me because I'm a fan of this actor, I think Andy Garcia was DREADFUL in this movie. I think that although he has been brilliant in other films, I found in this 3rd installment of the series his performance was way too "LOUD", uneven and over the top. The first two Godfather movies excelled primarily because of the writing, cinematography, and lastly (and most importantly): the way in which the actors achieved artistic excellence via their minimalist performances. Garcia seems to have been lost on this latter notion of less is more. He, in a sense, ruins the movie by attempting to overshadow all that has come before him by seemingly and purposefully playing the role of the Corleone heir-apparent with a sense of artistic entitlement, pompousness, boisterousness and borderline obnoxiousness that DOES NOT bode well for him or the producers of the film. I don't know how intentional this may or may not have been, but I think he could have achieved a better result had he opted to "tone down" significantly the way he interpreted the role while still being able to convey the true reckless nature and spirit of a younger Corleone who, in true-to-life like fashion, inherits the personalistic traits of volatility and hothead-edness of his late father. It's a shame that Duvall, DeNiro and Pacino couldn't have better served him by counseling him during the making of the film. Clearly these ACTORS know their craft and should have impressed upon the younger Garcia on what licenses he should or shouldn't have taken in order to preserve the consistency and continuity of the lead acting roles in this trilogy. Its a failure that permanently harms the film and tarnishes an otherwise satisfactory track record up to this point.

I think the 2nd most tragic thing about this film is the decision of the director to cast his inexperienced daughter in the role of Marie. This is clearly nepitism at its worst. She is HORRIBLE in this film. Simply terrible. It made NO sense to do this and I think the outcry that came about because of it is well-deserved, although I do remember being stunned by the level of negative press about it at the time the movie came out. I make no apology for now having finally agreeing with every bit of it.

All in all, I think the movie is salvageable because it had the almost undaunting task of having a lot to live up to. Godfather I and II are UNDOUBTEDLY among the 10 BEST films of all time. How could you top or even compete with these two originals? Simply put, it would have been impossible. Al Pacino, although less effective in this installment, is still a standard by which all good acting should be measured. Diane Keaton is HEROIC in the way she is able to reprise her role so well, having for me the distinction of being the ONLY actor in the film who seems to carry over her performance almost EXACTLY from one film to the next. And in the absence of the work she does here, the film would have no "tie that binds" other than the storyline that, for me, CONTINUES...but doesn't necessarily CONVINCE.

Godfather III is worth renting and worth watching. The problem for me is that it is not worthy of being in the same class of the two films that precede it. And that is the biggest tragedy of the Corleone saga alone. It has a beginning, a middle, and NO END. Just a feeble attempt at one.
December 25, 2007

 Godfather Pt3
Prompt handling of my order and excellent condition product in return.
What more can one ask for? December 23, 2007

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