I have to say, I really don't understand why so many people rave about "The Godfather: Part II." I mean, yeah, it has some decent moments here and there, but overall, I found it to be a pretty lackluster film. For one thing, it's just way too long. I mean, come on, who has the patience to sit through three hours of this stuff? And even then, I didn't feel like the story was all that compelling or well-told. To be honest, I found myself checking my watch more than once during the movie, just waiting for it to be over. All in all, I'd give it a generous 6 out of 10 at best. I really don't understand why this movie is so overvalued in the eyes of some.
By now you've probably seen the rating. Yes, that's right - I've given what is widely regarded as the best sequal of all time a "7".
This movie had very little of what made the first movie so good. In my book the most interesting part of the first Godfather was the transformation of Michael Corleone from pacifist to head of the family. "2" featured the difficulty of both running the family and trying to legitimize their business. The result, from my perspective, was a mish-mosh. The movie never did have any flow. In fact, when it ended I almost fell off my chair. There were few high points in this movie the ending certainly wasn't one of them.
The worst part of the movie were the flashbacks. I understand that part of the reason to visit Vito Corleone's childhood and early life was to contrast his style of leadership with that of the heavy-handed Michael. Other than that, I really had no interest in seeing a 13 year old future mobster. The result was an already fragmented plot being torn apart that much more to take trips down memory lane (and a 2-disk movie to boot). It seems to me that a prequel would have made more sense. The only positive was that we got a break from Pacino's constant brooding. Quite honestly, I've seen better Sopranos episodes.
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While many put this even above the first Godfather, I believe here the plot is a bit messier to make it so. A very good film in any case, which completes the first, but the atmosphere was already set.
I loved the flashbacks and how they combined both stories.
But I don't think the plot hold much substance.
It was just Michael's life taking a darker turn as he gets deeper into his family business.
I don’t see how this movie is better than the first one in anyway. Still a classic regardless but Part 1 is way more captivating. Vito’s Origin story is top tier writing while Michael’s Arc feels kinda all over the place.
It's a shame that I saw this for only the second time recently. It makes me wonder why I spend so much time watching bad Horror movies or flicks with guys wearing rubber monster suits. It's films like this that make me think hard about how I spend my free time.
This is such a great movie that I'm actually feeling guilty about not having it in my Top 5. Why is that? Why would a movie like "Caddyshack" or "Aliens" be there but not "The Godfather" or The Godfather: Part II"? It's probably because they aren't "fun" movies. It's actually a bit of work to have to think so much during a time that you are looking to be entertained. It also could be because I just haven't rewatched them since I began tracking my movie-watching.
Everyone knows how great this is and there are many who think it's better than the first "Godfather".
The acting, writing, direction and entire production is perfect. You simply can't be a film buff without seeing this picture.
Every bit as good as its predecessor. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are both outstanding as the younger Vito and his son, Michael. There are not very many many movies that use the parallel narrative, and there are none that I can think of that use it so effectively.
Ma!!!!! The meatloaf!!! We want it now!!!!
The second Godfather is still too lengthy overall but besides that it's better then the first part because it tells more story.
This might just be my favorite film ever. First of no doubt it’s the greatest sequel of all time. The acting is fantastic, it expands on the story of the first movie, and it’s ending is one of the best endings to a film ever made. Overall this is a movie anyone a fan of movies should watch.
(10 out of 10)
It took me seven and a half hours to finish this :)
Holy shit, what a film! I gave the first one a 9/10 because the story didn't mean much to me on a personal level, but introduce a little mute immigrant boy whose entire family was murdered in cold blood and who still goes on to become one of the most powerful men in the United States and you have my heart. Vito's background story definitely gave this film an emotional edge the first one didn't have for me, and all my favourite films must make me at least slightly emotional. Michael is such a good character too, completely different from his father, much more ruthless, and yet much more vulnerable as well. His evolution from the first film is incredible to watch, as he becomes this cold, scary in his serenity crime lord, even though you will still catch a moment of weakness and nervousness here and there, which tells you he's not invincible either. The way he ends up completely alone and the way they parallel the ending with that scene with all the brothers at the dinner table discussing Michael's future, which he thought would be brighter and more commendable than that of his brothers', or even his father's, is so powerful.
Story telling and structure wise, I found this movie more compelling than the first. The time-jumps, the parallels, the origins of the family - all of it makes for a much more complete and immersive watching experience.
Technically, I also found the sequel more beautiful than the first installment, the cinematography was gorgeous.
All in all, I absolutely adored it.
10/10
A superb second part of a super book as well.
i hate to say it but i was bored most of the time
Great but worse then the first one... It's clear they are trying to recapture some of the story telling but that's impossible as the first movie was family centered.
No family... No coherent story.
That said, it's still a great movie. Just worse in comparison.
Talk about a tough follow-up act. The original Godfather is one of the most celebrated, decorated, revered films ever made, and when Hollywood first inquired about a sequel, director Francis Ford Coppola balked at the thought of it. Too much pressure, with too many bad, lingering memories of creative meddling during the first production. As replacement, he suggested a budding young Martin Scorsese (not what the studio wanted to hear) before Paramount agreed to make certain concessions and limit certain bigwigs’ involvement, drawing Coppola back to the table.
That return partnership resulted in another rich, character-driven epic, a second chapter to rival the first. Or rather, a captivating prologue and a fitting epilogue, all rolled up into one. Told in conjunction, the twin fables of father Vito’s early-century rise to power and son Michael’s desperate bid for 1950s consolidation dovetail beautifully. Cultivated by tragedy, young Vito was a rough, hardened man, but not a harsh or unfair one. He held himself to a high standard, despised those who wouldn’t do the same, but also valued loyalty and community above everything. When Vito lifted himself out of the gutter, he did the same for everyone around him. He may have operated outside the law, but he was far from lawless. From this, we see how Michael learned by his father’s example and drew a number of flawed conclusions. Where Vito was stern but flexible, Michael is hard to a fault. He sees disrespect everywhere, considers forgiveness akin to weakness, and slowly chips away at his own support structure until he’s isolated from the things the old man valued most. If Vito lived to enrich his family, his boy’s sole purpose is to maintain its name. Even if the spirit behind that moniker has withered and decayed.
Though they’re only separated by forty years, the two periods represent a major change in the appearance and operation of western culture. When Vito immigrated at the turn of the century, New York was still a place of lofty dreams and ample opportunity. America hadn’t quite worked out the bugs from its system, enabling hard-working nobodies like young Mr. Corleone to build empires. By the mid ‘50s, that had changed. In such a short period, ivory towers were built, rules changed, offices occupied. Now the game isn’t about the climb, it’s about absurd growth and total domination. Both generations of Corleone men embody these attitudes; one warm-hearted, the other ice-cold; one deeply concerned for his people, the other exploiting his connections to boost a brand. Vito trusts his partners to chase a mutual goal, while Michael only sees them as potential rivals. This fuels their antithetical behavior: where one builds, the other whittles away.
These rich, reverberating messages are all written, acted and filmed with incredible skill. Layers upon layers of context and meaning, loaded conversations, subtle machinations and fine details. However, by comparison to the first, this pensive, reflective story struggles to pace itself. That may be its only weakness, but it’s a significant one, and the main reason I consider it a step below the original. I’m willing to forgive excessive running times in big, sweeping epics like this, when necessary. There’s no good reason for this one to stretch out for as long as it does, particularly in Michael’s story, which drags on forever and ever. That’s where I think the dramatic character losses of the first film hurt the sequel - this plot needed a big personality like Sonny, and it has plenty to choose from in Vito’s story. In Michael’s case, we have to make do with Fredo.
The second part of the famous trilogy, just as ceremonious.
I personally think part 2 surpasses its predecessor, while this one has an extended runtime compared to the first, they manage to juggle 2 stories in one movie, giving us a backstory to Vito while also expanding more on Michael. This is I believe one of the few movies that had me invested throughout every minute despite being over 3 hours.
After watching Part I yesterday, I’m
quite sure that I like that one a bit more than Part II.
Don’t get me wrong, this is still a good movie and a true classic, but the story of the first one was a bit more to my liking. Pacino and De Niro are both amazing, but the first one had more interesting characters all around imho.
The back and forth between the flashbacks and the ‘main story’ aren’t really my thing. I get why they did it that way, but I found Vito’s story more interesting than Mike’s story. It distracted me a bit, but that might be my problem.
That’s about the most negative as I can be about it. A movie that can keep me interested for almost 3,5 is amazing. No doubt about it.
Despite maintaining the top notch performances and production, I felt this film was a step down from the original. My only real critique of the first film was that its scope was constrained by its screen time. Unfortunately this issue is even more pronounced in the sequel. Although it tacks on an extra 27 minutes, that runtime is now split between two stories, both of which are left feeling less developed than the original. The origin story of Vito Corleone in particular just doesn't have much to it (other than the aforementioned powerhouse performance of Robert De Niro). As an added downside, the intercutting of the two stories comes across as arbitrarily disjointed, as there is no direct connections to motivate the cuts.
Now, all of that said, there is still plenty to enjoy in the movie. To reiterate, Al Pacino's performance alone is worth the price of admission, and there are a handful of absolutely masterful scenes between him and Kay/Connie. As one final point of praise, the flashback final tag of Vito's birthday is a brilliant example of what I think these films have done best, capturing a naturalistic slice of the Corleone family.
The Godfather Trilogy
The Godfather (1972) https://trakt.tv/movies/the-godfather-1972
The Godfather: Part II 1974 https://trakt.tv/movies/the-godfather-part-ii-1974
The Godfather: Part III (1990) https://trakt.tv/movies/the-godfather-part-iii-1990
Corona made me addicted to this movie! lol. it's good. I never thought it would be this good.
A black sheep in a herd is always a problem, there's a question bothering for centuries what to do with it...
That's what we call A' male..So great quotes just a masterpiece on of the best movies ever!
Breathtaking in its scope and tragic grandeur...
Kill Hyman Roth , Kill Pentangeli but don't kill Fredo ... I got so in love with him , his honesty..
Cinema Paco 2. Image 3.75/5. Sound 3.5/5. One of the best films of all time, even better than the first and, the best part the origins of Vito Andolini "
I guess I must had belonged to some kind of mafia in another life (if yes, oh that is no good...) but man, I absolutely love mob films!
About this film I'll be very direct and simple. It's brilliant as it's predecessor.
Shout by Neal MahoneyVIP 8BlockedParent2018-12-29T21:40:49Z
I'm not sure if I'm in the minority or not but I think the first one is slightly better. This is still a masterpiece and probably the best sequel ever. I cared a lot more about Vito's story than Michael's.