Sequel to a classic

Rating: 8/10 (11 May 2003)

Two years after the original Godfather was released, the Godfather Part II came out. This time, it scored Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Supporting Actor, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Art- set direction. It has been labeled by many fans of film and critics alike to be the only film that actually is superior to the original. It also remains in Oscar history the only film sequel to win best Picture as well as the original. I beg to differ with the critics and fans. The sheer beauty of the Godfather is lost in this film. It plays upon images that have already been seen before instead of catching the eye of the viewer with better photography. The musical score is a stand out job, really adding to the effect of the film. Al Pacino is good here as the now corrupted Micheal, but his acting seems a bit less focused then it should be and it doesn't seem as if he's really acting. In support is Robert De Niro, who took home his first Oscar and didn't even speak a word of english in the movie. He shines in this role as his life leads onto from being a peasant to being a crime lord. The flashback sequences are frustratingly too organized, and instead of giving the viewer something to ponder about it rather just shows them the images. Coppola's direction is arguably a lot more confident and realistic, another thing that adds to the effect. The script is rather good as well, focusing on each character as specifically as possible, but it's not quite as good as the original. The Godfather Part II loses itself in time, making it over three hours and feeling a bit stretched with the entire Cube sequence. Unfortunately, Roman Polanski's Chinatown was released the same year and lost a majority of it's Oscars to this movie. In my opinion, Chinatown should've taken Best Picture and Best Art- Set direction. The Godfather Part II packs in a lot more stuff then the first one, it tries hard to really knock the message in tight. It does, but the movie itself feels too overdone. Good sequel, nowhere near the original however. 8.5/10