Superlative (some spoilers)

Rating: 10/10 (21 October 2001)

After seeing "The Godfather" for the first time, it instantly rose to the ranks of my favorite films. Because I loved the film so much, I didn't think either of its sequels could surpass it. However, I was wrong. The Godfather Part II contains some of the finest acting, direction, screenwriting and design that has ever been seen in film. To call this film spectacular is an understatement of near criminal proportions. This is a masterwork, and however varied Coppola's career has been since, "II" will always redeem him.
Enough people have described the plot, so I won't go into that. Instead, I'll focus on the performances. De Niro is wonderful as young Vito Corleone. De Niro uses more facial communication than speech in the film, like Brando in "I". In De Niro, we see a hungry young man who comes the the U.S. with anger and a desire for vengeance, and watch him evolve into a man who obtains the power to achieve it. Additionally, his character's arc provides the perfect contrast to Michael's. Young Vito is a man who builds ties with others, has good professional and personal relationships, and would never lose his family. The last shot of his character is a tender moment between father and son.
As good as De Niro is, Pacino outshines him (and everyone else) in his part as Michael. In the last film, we saw a young man who gradually became caught in an undesired life. Here, we see him grow into that life, and what he does with the power he's attained. Pacino is brutal in this film. He commands the screen whenever on it, and his character's destruction of the family and enterprise his father worked hard to create is devastating. You feel for Michael, a man who is despicable and has lost the honor he had at the beginning of the first film, but who has also been caught in a world that he never could have avoided, much as he might have tried. As Michael becomes colder, harder and continues drawing his family's organization away from what it originally was, Pacino's character continues to become more sympathetic. Even his eyes communicate the change this character has gone through from the beginning of "I" to the end of "II". It's a brilliantly played part, and it isn't surprising that Pacino hasn't been able to surpass it. In fact, it could be argued that this is the greatest performance captured in cinema.
The other performances are uniformly spectacular. Keaton and Duvall are standouts. However, John Cazale, someone who deserved a career like Pacino or De Niro's (though the career he did have while he was alive was impeccable) is also brilliant. Michael's destruction of his family has much to do with his relationship with Fredo, and Fredo's inadverdent betrayal. Cazale is brilliant as a man who has always been viewed as a weakling and lived in the shadow of his brothers and tries to get out, only to bring about his own fall in the process. It's nearly as devastating a part as Pacino's, and Cazale plays it perfectly.
In conclusion, I cannot recommend this film highly enough. It enhances "I", and surpasses it at the same time. While "III" is a good film, it doesn't achieve the perfection that the first two have. If you haven't watched this series already, set aside a day and enjoy film perfection.