Dark and Epic. The downfall of kingdom.

Rating: 9/10 (18 August 2009)

The Godfather II surpasses the first film.
Some of the beef I had with the first Godfather, is the fact that we don't get to see or hear very much about Vito Corleone's past. The viewer gets little snippets here and there, like the "offer he can't refuse" story at the wedding.
Godfather II is a godsend. Vito's character is the crown jewel of the series, and this film focuses heavily on his journey into becoming "The Godfather" Great scenes of betrayal and revenge. The darker side of the film feels more personal and less like the Sicilian dogma which the first film focuses on. The film splits a fair amount of time between Michael and his father's back-story. Much like the ending of the previous film, Michael allows himself to become a monster. He is a mere shadow of his father, and that is the real message of the film. The actions Michael Corleone take throughout this film would've been dismissed as dishonorable and unnecessary by his father.
The cinematography is near perfect. If you want a good story-book depiciton of Tuscany, or turn-of-the-century New York City... there are very few movies that have replicated such craftsmanship.
One of the few sequels that is a LARGE upgrade to the original.