About as good as the first one, but mainly because of De Niro

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2004)

It's rare to see a sequel that is as good as the first; it's even rarer to see the two acting veterans, De Niro and Pacino, together in a film. This is the only film that delivers both. I loved the first Godfather film, for it's acting talent, for it's cinematography, and for it's fantastic story. The acting is every bit as great, and the cinematography is about as good, but the story wasn't exactly as good as the first; had it not been for the flashbacks that showed Vito as young(beautifully portrayed by De Niro), it wouldn't have gotten a perfect rating from me. He saved the film, that was otherwise slow and a little bland, due to the story not being as great as the first. The first showed us a mafia war; this just shows the aftermath, and Michael Corleone's further rise to power, after the fall of Vito in the first. However, the film has a number of flashbacks, that show us Vito as young, and here De Niro perfectly shows us the entire range of his talents, by mimicking Brando's performance to perfection. The plot is good, but not as good as the first; it's saved by the flashback sequences that show us how and why Vito Corleone came to power. The acting is every bit as great as the first. Al Pacino still gives a great performance, like he did in the first, and the other cast members who came back from the first, including Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton, also give as great performances as they did in the first. The new actors also give great performances, though the following stand out as the best; Robert De Niro, Lee Strasberg and Michael V. Gazzo. The characters are as well-written as they were in the first. The mafia is portrayed as menacingly in this as it was in the first. The film, like the first, has it's share of memorable quotes, but not really any scenes that were memorable, like the first one had. All in all, a great film, but mainly because of De Niro and Pacino. De Niro fills Brando's part fairly well, but overall, the film isn't as entertaining and exciting as the first, though it does reach about the same quality overall. I recommend it to fans of the various actors involved, and of course anyone who enjoyed the first, as they should enjoy this one too, but possibly to a lesser extent. 10/10