The Godfather: Part 2 (1974)

The second film the trilogy from Francis Ford Coppola and the first sequel to win the best Picture Oscar, as you will see from my review of part 1, earlier today. I am not the biggest fan of the original, so I had been told that watching the second part would make the whole film make sense and fall into place for me. You follow the continuing story of Al Pacino as Michael Corleone as he continues to run the family business moving more towards Vegas and illegal drugs.

In part two you also get Don Vito Corleone’s early story as you follow Robert DeNiro playing a young Don as he comes to America and starts his empire. This film is very much in the same line as the first part and I can believe that there is a version where both films have been edited and run together and I can imagine that they would work perfectly well. I have to say that the film making is excellent, the acting is fine with all of the cast returning but the story did not engage me. Yet one of my favourite films is Goodfellas and I love the idea behind the Gangster genre I can only presume that I am missing something, perhaps it is the hype and expectation that I am missing.

Overall disappointed that this film is not as good as I expected but unsure how to feel, am I wrong? Or is everybody else wrong? Have people just bought in to the fact that many people say it is the greatest film in the world or have I seen to many films that makes me view it as a copy when in fact it was an original? Who knows, I know that at some point I will watch these again as it baffles me as usually I do enjoy the classics but at the moment this is a 6 out of 10 for me.

The Godfather (1972)

The classic gangster film from the 70’s based upon the book by Mario Puzo it follows the Corleone family, starting at the wedding of the daughter where you get to meet all the family from the Father played by Marlon Brando to the boys played by James Caan as Sonny and Al Pacino as Michael with Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen. You follow the family as Don Vito Corleone makes offers to people that they cannot refuse while he does the business.

This is considered by many as one of the greatest films of all time, it reaches the top spot in many of the countdowns of greatest films of all time. I have to be honest, this is the second time I have watched this film and it must be the hype as I really enjoyed it but failed to see how it can be considered such a classic. I was very disappointed and feel I must have missed something and would really like someone to explain why it is so great.

I have the second part to watch and maybe as someone said this will complete why these films are considered some of the greatest films of all time. Well enough of my uncultured ranting about the greatest film of all time. I did enjoy it and would recommend that everybody sees it, I will have to revisit my thoughts after seeing the second part but at the moment this is a solid 6 out of 10 for me.

Would really appreciate people putting me right on this as I feel I am missing something and even though I did enjoy it I feel let down by it.