A Wonderful,Underrated And Overlooked Finale To The Godfather Trilogy.

Rating: 10/10 (1 April 2014)

The Godfather Part III is a wonderful,underrated and overlooked finale to The Godfather Trilogy that is filled with great direction,terrific acting and a fine score. While it's not as good as the first two films,The Godfather Part III is a nice conclusion to The Godfather Saga.
Set twenty years after the events in Part II,The Godfather Part III depicts Michael Corleone(Al Pacino)who is now older and has finally made the Corleone Family legitimate and on the straight and narrow. But,unfortunately for Michael his past and thoughts of guilt have come back to haunt him and his enemies have lured but into the criminal world while worrying about his family including his nephew Vincent Mancini(Andy Garcia)and daughter Mary(Sofia Coppola).
Released in 1990,The Godfather Part III is a sequel that despite being nominated for 7 Academy Awards and being a modest Box Office success sharply divided Godfather fans and movie critics. Some fans and movie critics felt the movie should not have been made and is a bad film compared to the first two films and disliked the casting of Sofia Coppola. Despite the film's flaws it's a really good film in my opinion and is a powerful conclusion to this great trilogy. I don't think Director Francis Coppola was trying to top the first two I think he just wanted to make a satisfying conclusion and he does so here. Francis Coppola has said that the first two films is the series and part III is the epilogue and that is very true with this film because what makes The Godfather Part III so effective is that we have seen what happen to some of the characters in the first two films and we see some of their fates which adds to the tragedy and sadness of this film because we see most of the characters haunted by their past demons and there is a sense of doom that hangs over the film and you will feel like there will be no happy outcome and Francis Coppola shows this to viewers in stylish way. The themes of violence,betrayal and death were in the first two films and it's also in Part III as well and with the Corleone family trying to distance themselves from the Gangster world but what GF III tells us is that while a person can get out of the Gangster world it never leaves any person no matter what they do. When we see the character Michael Corleone in Part III we see a man who has aged and that being the don and leader of the Corleone family has not only taken a mental toll on Michael but a physical toll as well. Where it was kind of tough to have sympathy for Michael in Part II,in this film we finally start to feel terrible for Michael because he is disturbed by his evil deeds and what he has done and realize he never wanted to be a the head of The Corleone family or be a gangster he felt like he had no choice. Throughout GF III we see Michael trying to reclaim his tortured soul that was pretty damaged after the events in Part II and it's not a sinner trying to become a saint but a man trying to bring some goodness into his life. The Godfather films are in their own way morality tales about people and the things that they do and the unfortunate consequences of people's Actions. The Godfather films are known for their violent scenes and Part III doesn't hold anything back giving viewers a few scenes that are shocking and horrific. The screenplay by Francis Coppola and Mario Puzo is good and memorable even though the script lacks the greatness of the first two films. The ending of The Godfather Part III is amazing and is one of the saddest and most heartbreaking endings in film history and no matter how many times I see the ending it still gets to me. A powerful and fitting end to The Godfather Trilogy.
The cast is wonderful. Al Pacino is excellent as Michael Corleone,with Pacino bringing emotion,power and depth to role. Diane Keaton is wonderful as Kay Adams,Michael's former wife. Talia Shire is terrific as Connie Corleone,Michael's sister. Andy Garcia is outstanding as Vincent Mancini,Sonny Corleone's illegitimate son and Michael's nephew. Eli Wallach is amazing as Don Atobello,an old-time Gangster. Joe Mantegna is great and clever as Joey Zasa,a smooth talking Gangster. Sophia Coppola does an O.K job as Mary Corleone and is not as bad as everyone says. Richard bright is sensational as Al Neri,Michael's old bodyguard. Bridget Fonda(Grace Hamilton),George Hamilton(B.J Harrison)Donal Donnelly(Archbishop Gilday)and Franc D'Ambrosio(Anthony Vito Corleone) give good performances as well.
The direction Francis Coppola is fantastic and stylish,with Coppola a beautiful and amazing visual style to the film. Great direction,Coppola.
The score by Carmine Coppola is wonderful,epic and matches the tone of the film. Outstanding score,Carmine.
In final word,if you love Francis Coppola,the first two Godfather films,Gangster Films or Crime Dramas,I highly suggest you see The Godfather Part III,a wonderful,underrated sequel that deserves a second chance. Highly Recommended. 9.5/10.