Hmmm....Over-rated-see this or Casino and you've seen it before.

Rating: 9/10 (27 February 2000)

I hadn't ever seen this one, save for parts on the idiot box, so I didn't quite know what to expect. To hear the critics drooling about GF, you'd think this was better than the first two Godfathers or Casino or whatever. Well I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but it's NOT. Its too long, Ray Liotta is OK but comes off having as much Mobster credibility onscreen as Potsy from 'Happy Days'. And I didn't feel bad for him one little bit when the Feds got him and his wife.
The rest-DeNiro, Pesci, Sorvino-age some in this thing, which after all goes from c.53-the early 80s. But does Ray? Not from what I could see. I donno why that was, as he is about as babyfaced as Robbie Benson, its hard to tell how old the guy is, but I do know he should have shown some aging at least. Its almost as if he's stuck in the same age the whole film and watches the rest of the mob universe parade by.
Watch this, then see Casino-you have basically the same movie, with DeNiro and Pesci trotting out the same old characters they have each played scads of times. Yeah you hear all about DeNiro's great versatility, but c'mon-Raging Bull this ain't. He was somewhat more refined in Casino than he was here, he shot more folks in Ronin, he was loonier in 'The Fan', but I think DeNiro's just mailing it in sometimes now. Pesci goes kookoo at the drop of a hat in this, I really despised the vile scene of him shooting the young kid waiter, and wonder what Scorsese was thinking when he put that in. Don't give me that 'its what these guys do in real life, its in character' crap-that is like the equally so-violent-its-stoopid aluminum baseball bats chorus that you get to see at the finale of Casino. Overkill is overkill, plain and simple.
Pesci was better in JFK and Casino, but played the same kinda guy too, save in JFK Ferrie was, well....like his name sez.
You get the same old Scorsese bag of tricks-his folks play some minor parts, the characters narrate the goings ons, the camera work is flashy, the Mob is alternately glorified then shown for what it is, the shootings, explosions and stabbings are filmed with bravado, skill and from many angles, jest in case you happened to miss them the first time. I get the feeling when seeing Casino or Goodfellas that I'm watching a guy with a PHD in Film School showing off to all us peons. And I'm not impressed. I have seen this all before.
Lorraine Bracco was pretty good then kinda shelved as the film went on. Paul Sorvino was probably the best thing about the film, and he just trots out the same old 'Mean Paul' bit you can see in the 'Rocketeer' and 'Oh God', if you want my honest opinion.
This film was Not better than Dancing With Wolves, and therefore, was Not unfairly passed over by Oscar, despite the rantings of its many Acolytes.
Good movie? Sure. Great? Nahhh. Better than the Three Godfathers? Nope, save for maybe the IIIrd.
*** outta ****; somewhat of a big 'So What' reaction by Gazzo-2 this time out.