Equal to the Perfect Original

Rating: 10/10 (1 February 2014)

The Godfather: Part II, along with The Godfather, is the greatest film ever made. In all likelihood, anyone else who appreciates great films that has seen the two would agree that both are absolute masterpieces of film and are as close to perfect as you can get.
Part II maintained the rest of the core cast from the original with Michael (which Pacino deserved an Oscar for his portrayal), Tom, Kay, Fredo, and Connie. While Part II lacks Brando's Don Vito Corleone, Sonny (except for a flashback), Clemenza and Sollozzo, it makes up for it with De Niro's young version of Vito, Hyman Roth, and Frank Pentangeli. The beautiful music also carries over from the original. The two stories of Michael expanding his empire to Nevada and Cuba and how young Vito started his career in New York are perfectly played out.In fact, what many people don't know is that while the original is based on Mario Puzo's novel, Part II, with the exception of the story how Vito's rise to power, is completely original material.
The Godfather: Part II is a must watch for anyone who truly loves film. It is one of those films that you should watch at least once in your lifetime.