amazing continuation, but personal preference remains with Part I

Rating: 10/10 (2 March 2005)

SPOILERS If you were to stop people on the street nowadays and ask them to name their favourite series of films, they'll say either one thing. Either the person will believe the current hype and say "The Lord Of The Rings", they'll recount to their youth and say "Star Wars" or they'll answer "The Godfather" trilogy. Containing some truly breathtaking acting and a jaw dropping good plot, the original "Godfather" film was a masterpiece. Even more surprising though is just how many people seem to prefer the sequel from two years later. Once more starring Al Pacino, "Godfather Part II" is an awesome film which could technically also be classified as a masterpiece. Still, despite the technical genius of the film, this second episode in the story of the Corleone family is slightly inferior to it's predecessor.
In continuation from the first film, Michael Corleone (Pacino) is head of the family and living in Las Vegas. Apparently enjoying life, Michael is a much darker character than he was during the previous film. With plans to expand into foreign territories, Michael once more finds himself faced with difficult decisions and former friends turned enemies.
The true genius of "The Godfather Part II" is the combination of sequel and prequel. Rotating between the early life of Vito Corleone (played in the original by Marlon Brando, but now played by Robert De Niro) and the current affairs of his son Michael, the film manages to tell two superb stories side by side.
Pacino, as with the previous film, is once again stunning as the now cold and malicious Michael. Transformed from the outsider at the beginning of Part I, Michael has become a completely different person, and Pacino shows this with skill.
In "The Godfather: Part II" however, the true star of the picture is Robert De Niro. Taking hold of the role of a younger Marlon Brando, De Niro spends his time on screen replicating Brando's mannerisms with apparent ease. He takes a firm hold on the life of the young Godfather, and he impresses throughout.
Despite it's technical genius though, this second part in the story does feel slightly inferior to the original. To a degree this is possibly due to the Michael scenes being original rather than Mario Puzo's book, but the parts of the film dealing with Michael, never really seem to take off compared with the original. In the first film, we are shown a loving family who fight for each other and who come out on tops despite heavy casualties and strong opposition. In this second film, the view on the family feels much more dark and disturbing. Gone seem to be the family values, and instead Michael's direction seems much more obscure and unfocused.
It's entirely possible that this reviewer simply didn't understand this film. There's no denying that upon first viewing the original, the impression wasn't good and it took a second viewing before becoming a fan. In comparison to the Brando and Pacino led first chapter however, this second chapter doesn't really hold water. This doesn't stop it being a masterpiece, and it is. It is easily one of the finest films ever made, BUT compared with it's predecessor, it doesn't quite work.