Very over-hyped

Rating: 5/10 (6 October 2007)

Given the rave reviews, I was very excited when I finally had time to sit down and watch this movie start to finish. I ended up more than a little disappointed. My biggest complaint is that the movie glorifies the underworld in a way that ends up seeming very corny--one scene features a bunch of civilized looking crime lords sitting around a table talking about how gambling, alcohol, and prostitution are OK, but drugs cross the line.
Sure, the story incorporates a lot of dramatic effects, but in the end I felt like the drama was forced into the setting in a cheap attempt to make mid-20th century organized crime look serious and exciting. In this way, The Godfather is a little bit like rap music--it validates a fast-paced, unlawful lifestyle by glorifying the coming of power and masculinity that its main characters undergo.